2026 MTN Elite U-19 participants complete orientation before kickoff

Players, coaches, team officials and other stakeholders in the 2026 MTN Elite U-19 Boys Championship completed an orientation programme at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram on Monday, August 24. The session took place one day before the youth competition begins.

The programme was designed to prepare the participating teams for the tournament’s operational, disciplinary and safety requirements. Enoch Agyare Addo, vice-chairman of the MTN Elite U-19 Championship Organising Committee, welcomed the teams and called for discipline, respect, fair play and sportsmanship throughout the competition.

Agyare Addo also underlined the championship’s role in Ghana’s player development system. The tournament is intended to help identify, nurture and expose promising young footballers who could later progress to national teams.

Michael Daasebre Adu Asare, a Regional Football Association Coordinator, explained the rules governing the use of the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence. Participants were reminded to safeguard the venue’s facilities and to uphold professional conduct on and off the pitch during their stay.

Safeguarding and integrity were also addressed during the programme. Compliance and Integrity Officer Obed Tufuor spoke about the need for a safe and respectful setting for young players and everyone involved in the championship. Other briefings dealt with medical readiness, player welfare, matchday behaviour and tournament procedures.

The session also allowed teams to raise questions and become familiar with the responsibilities attached to the competition. The championship starts on Tuesday, August 25, at the Prampram centre, with regional teams from across Ghana competing for the title.

Sponsored by MTN Ghana, the tournament is part of the Ghana Football Association’s Power to the Youth initiative. That programme seeks to create a structured route from grassroots football to the professional game and the national teams. Organising committee members in attendance included Samuel Owusu Amoah, Michael Fiaduse and Edem Kofi Ansah, alongside Agyare Addo and other officials.