A five-man delegation from Spanish football giants FC Barcelona is in Accra to explore potential sports- business and soccer partnerships.
The feasibility and fact finding team is led by a senior member of the powerful Barcelona board Paul Vilanova Villa Abadal and the director of the renowned FC Barcelona Escola programme Franc Carbo.
Upon their arrival in Accra on Sunday, the team wasted no time and immediately plunged to work.
A brief presentation on the state of Ghana football was made by Caf/Fifa General Coordinator Anthony Baffoe who is also the founder of the Pfag (Professional Footballers Association of Ghana)
The delegation also held discussions with a other sports and business stakeholders including the Navigator of Books & Boots Yaw Ampofo Ankrah who is also president of the Ghana Beach Soccer Association (GBSA). Incidentally, the headquarters of Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW) is in Barcelona.
The FC Barcelona delegation will meet the Sports Minister, Hon. Isaac Asiamah and the President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Kwesi Nyantakyi on Monday before departing on Tuesday.
The team from the Basque region of Spain arrived in Ghana after successfully launching the biggest soccer academy in West Africa in Lagos, Nigeria.
The newly instituted academy in Ghana’s neighbouring country Nigeria has already enrolled over 300 students.
Ghana is seen as the next ideal destination for Barcelona’s expanding vision of education and soccer which has been accepted globally as the template for successful football development.
Regarded as the model club side of excellence with expanding interests across all continents, FC Barcelona’s footprints are distinct, including soccer academies in Guatemala, Australia and India.
The Spaniards are expected to hold discussions with top soccer academies in Ghana including the Right to Dream academy in Akosombo and WAFA academy in Sogakokpe
The delegation has already met with representatives of Centa 14 Sports and Entertainment Group led by Willem Alexander Coleman with a view of establishing an official fan base in Ghana and the founder of Organisation for African Development (OAD) Bonaventure Aguissi.