Football in Ghana
Encyclopedia
Football is the most popular sport in Ghana
. The national governing body is the Ghana Football Association
. Internationally, Ghana is represented by the male Black Stars
and the female Black Queens
. The top domestic football league in Ghana is the OneTouch Premier League.
towards the close of the 19th century by merchants from Europe
. Sailors during their leisure times played football among themselves and sometimes with a select side of the indigenous people. The popularity of the game spread like wild fire within a short time along the coast culminating in the formation of the first football club, Excelsior, in 1903 by Mr. Briton, a Jamaica
n-born Briton
, who was then the Head Teacher of Philip Quaicoe Government Boys School in Cape Coast
.
The Black Stars
team is one of the highly rated national football teams in Africa. Ghana has won the African Cup of Nations
championships on four occasions. They also reached the last sixteen of the 2006 FIFA World Cup
before being eliminated by the Brazil
. Some illustrious players have been Charles Kumi Gyamfi Abedi Pele
, Abdul Razak
, Tony Yeboah
, Samuel Kuffour
and Michael Essien
.
The youth teams have been successful as well. The U17 team regularly competes in the FIFA U-17 World Cup
and has won it twice and were runners-up twice. The U20 team were runners-up twice in the FIFA U-20 World Cup
. Senior squad regulars such as Sulley Muntari
, Michael Essien
, John Mensah
and captain Stephen Appiah
all got their start at these youth tournaments.
The Black Queens
have taken part in all the FIFA Women's World Cup
championships since 1999. The team has however failed to go beyond the first round on each occasion. Ghana has also been runner up to Nigeria
on three occasions in the African Women's Championships
. Two Ghanaians, Alberta Sackey and Adjoa Bayor
have been voted African Women Player of the Year.
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. The national governing body is the Ghana Football Association
Ghana Football Association
The Ghana Football Association is the governing body of association football in Ghana, based in Accra.-Amateur Status:It is on record that the game of Football was introduced into the Gold Coast towards the close of the 19th century by Merchants from Europe, who had then invaded the coastal areas...
. Internationally, Ghana is represented by the male Black Stars
Ghana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
and the female Black Queens
Ghana women's national football team
The Ghana national women's football team, is the national team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association. They are nicknamed the Black Queens.-World Cup record:-Performance in Summer Olympics:*FIFA: Women's Olympic Football:...
. The top domestic football league in Ghana is the OneTouch Premier League.
History
It is on record that the game of football was introduced into the Gold CoastGold Coast (British colony)
The Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa that became the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.-Overview:The first Europeans to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered a variety of African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial...
towards the close of the 19th century by merchants from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Sailors during their leisure times played football among themselves and sometimes with a select side of the indigenous people. The popularity of the game spread like wild fire within a short time along the coast culminating in the formation of the first football club, Excelsior, in 1903 by Mr. Briton, a Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n-born Briton
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, who was then the Head Teacher of Philip Quaicoe Government Boys School in Cape Coast
Cape Coast
Cape Coast, or Cabo Corso, is the capital of the Central Region of Ghana and is also the capital city of the Fante people, or Mfantsefo. It is situated 165 km west of Accra on the Gulf of Guinea. It has a population of 82,291 . From the 16th century the city has changed hands between the...
.
Ghana national men's football team
The Black Stars
Ghana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
team is one of the highly rated national football teams in Africa. Ghana has won the African Cup of Nations
African Cup of Nations
The Africa Cup of Nations, also referred to as the African Cup of Nations or African Nations Cup, officially CAN , is the main international association football competition in Africa. It is sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football , and was first held in 1957. Since 1968, it has been...
championships on four occasions. They also reached the last sixteen of the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
before being eliminated by the Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
. Some illustrious players have been Charles Kumi Gyamfi Abedi Pele
Abédi Pelé
Abedi Ayew, known professionally as Abedi Pele is a former Ghana International football player and captain. Having been given the nickname "Pelé" in recognition of his superior ability that evoked comparisons to Brazilian great Pelé, he found fame in France's Ligue 1 with Lille OSC and Olympique...
, Abdul Razak
Karim Abdul Razak
Karim Abdul Razak Tanko is a Ghanaian football coach and former midfielder. He played for several clubs in the 1970s and 1980s, notably the local club Asante Kotoko and the New York Cosmos in the defunct North American Soccer League ....
, Tony Yeboah
Tony Yeboah
Anthony "Tony" Yeboah is a Ghanaian former footballer most noted for his time at European clubs 1. FC Saarbrücken, Eintracht Frankfurt, Leeds United and Hamburger SV during the 1990s...
, Samuel Kuffour
Samuel Kuffour
Samuel Osei Kuffour is a retired Ghanaian professional footballer who played as a defender.Known for his great physical power, he is best remembered for his time with Bayern Munich, whom he represented for over a decade, winning a total of 17 major titles, and playing in nearly 250 official...
and Michael Essien
Michael Essien
Michael Kojo Essien is a Ghanaian footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Ghanaian national team. He is a midfielder who has often been touted as a box-to-box midfielder for his ability to exert boundless energy in supporting offensive and defensive play...
.
The youth teams have been successful as well. The U17 team regularly competes in the FIFA U-17 World Cup
FIFA U-17 World Cup
The FIFA U-17 World Cup, founded as the FIFA U-16 World Championship, later changed to the FIFA U-17 World Championship and known by its current name since 2007, is the world championship of association football for male players under the age of 17 organized by Fédération Internationale de Football...
and has won it twice and were runners-up twice. The U20 team were runners-up twice in the FIFA U-20 World Cup
FIFA U-20 World Cup
The FIFA U-20 World Cup, until 2005 known as the FIFA World Youth Championship, is the world championship of football for male players under the age of 20 and is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association...
. Senior squad regulars such as Sulley Muntari
Sulley Muntari
Sulleyman Ali "Sulley" Muntari is a Ghanaian international footballer who currently plays as a central midfielder for Serie A club Inter Milan in Italy. He has 66 caps for The Black Stars of Ghana.-Early career:...
, Michael Essien
Michael Essien
Michael Kojo Essien is a Ghanaian footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Ghanaian national team. He is a midfielder who has often been touted as a box-to-box midfielder for his ability to exert boundless energy in supporting offensive and defensive play...
, John Mensah
John Mensah
John Mensah is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a defender for French club Lyon in Ligue 1, although he spent the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 seasons on loan at English club Sunderland in the Premier League...
and captain Stephen Appiah
Stephen Appiah
Stephen Leroy Appiah is a former Ghana International football midfielder and captain. He is currently a free agent. He has played for several European clubs since 1997 and is currently without a club. Appiah was a member of the Ghana national team, which he has represented at the youth, Olympic,...
all got their start at these youth tournaments.
Ghana national women's football team
The Black Queens
Ghana women's national football team
The Ghana national women's football team, is the national team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association. They are nicknamed the Black Queens.-World Cup record:-Performance in Summer Olympics:*FIFA: Women's Olympic Football:...
have taken part in all the FIFA Women's World Cup
FIFA Women's World Cup
The FIFA Women's World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the senior women's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the...
championships since 1999. The team has however failed to go beyond the first round on each occasion. Ghana has also been runner up to Nigeria
Nigeria women's national football team
The Nigeria national women's football team, nicknamed the Super Falcons, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation...
on three occasions in the African Women's Championships
CAF Women's Championship
The African Women's Championship is a biennial competition in women's football for national teams which belong to the Confederation of African Football . Nine tournaments have been held, with the current champions being Nigeria...
. Two Ghanaians, Alberta Sackey and Adjoa Bayor
Adjoa Bayor
Adjoa Bayor is the skipper of the Black Queens, which is the Ghana women's national football team.- Career :She was a member of the World All Stars team to play against the China women's national football team in April 2007 at Wuhan, China.She has played for Ghatel Ladies in Accra, Ghana and has...
have been voted African Women Player of the Year.