President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku has hailed Arthur Wharton, the world’s first black professional footballer, as a global trailblazer and urged the United Kingdom to champion football as a tool for development, during the soft launch of Wharton’s 160th anniversary celebration in Accra.
The elegant event, held at the British High Commission residence on Thursday September 11, 2025, drew a distinguished audience including British High Commissioner to Ghana, Christian Rogg, Ghana’s Minister of Sports and Recreation Kofi Adams, the UK’s Minister of State for International Development Rt. Hon. Baroness Chapman of Darlington, Deputy Minister of Education Clement Apaak, Gbese Mantse Nii Ayi Bonte II and Presidential Adviser on Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Okyere Darko amongst others.
In his closing remarks, President Simeon-Okraku paid tribute to the Arthur Wharton Foundation for preserving the legacy of the Ghana-born pioneer whose 19th-century career in England reshaped the game’s history.
“Arthur’s story is one of athletic excellence, resilience, integration, and impact across two continents. It reminds us all that sport is not just recreation or entertainment—it is identity, it is culture, and above all, it is development.”
He called on the United Kingdom to continuously support the use of football as a vital tool for diplomacy and development, particularly across Africa, emphasizing the game’s capacity to build bridges, advance social progress and deepen international collaboration.
“The United Kingdom has long been a global leader in the governance, culture, and passion of football,” he noted.
“But I stand here today with a petition and a challenge: it is time for the UK to fully awaken to football as a genuine development tool, especially across Africa. In a world shaped by economic divides and shifting diplomatic priorities, sports diplomacy is not just a fringe soft power, it is a core strategy.”
Turning to Ghana’s own efforts, the GFA President highlighted an ambitious national agenda for youth development, a bold vision spearheaded by President John Dramani Mahama and championed by Sports Minister Adams.
“We are investing in grassroots football to uncover and nurture the next generation, offering every child the chance to play and dream,” Simeon-Okraku said.
“We are securing infrastructure across Ghana to ensure equitable access to safe playing spaces, developing women’s football as a strategic pillar of the beautiful game, and positioning our national teams, academies and elite programs to compete and thrive on the global stage.”
The President called for structured collaboration with the UK, proposing, technical exchanges, strategic investments, joint cultural initiatives and corporate partnerships.
“Let today not be the end of a celebration, but the beginning of deliberate dialogue,” he concluded.
“Let us use this commemoration as a springboard to establish a formal roadmap between the GFA and the English FA, supported by the British High Commission, the diaspora, and UK businesses. As we honour Arthur Wharton today, let us pioneer new models of UK–Ghana football collaboration. Let us build bridges from Sheffield to Kumasi, from Accra to Manchester, from diaspora dreams to grassroots pitches.”
The launch set the tone for a year-long celebration of Arthur Wharton’s extraordinary life and reinforced his enduring significance as a symbol of heritage, unity, and the transformative power of football.
GFA Communications
