The President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, has lauded the Ghana Police Service for their contribution to the development of football in the country.
The President made this assertion during a courtesy call on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare, at the Headquarters of the Ghana Police Service in Accra on Thursday, May 30, 2024.
President Simeon-Okraku led a high-powered GFA delegation to the Police Headquarters in a significant move which forms part of the Women's FA Cup Trophy Tour ahead of the final to be played between Police Ladies and Army Ladies, scheduled for the University of Ghana Stadium, on June 8, 2024.
The visit forms part of the Women's FA Cup Trophy Tour aimed at building up enthusiasm ahead of the epic final.
In welcoming the GFA Delegation, the IGP thanked the GFA delegation for the visit and referred to the healthy cooperation that has existed between the GFA and the Ghana Police Service, expressing the hope that their cordial relationship would continue.
President Simeon-Okraku thanked the IGP and his Police chiefs for the warm reception accorded the GFA delegation, highlighting their immense investment in the Women's game through the participation of the Police female football team in GFA competitions.
"On the basis of what my senior brother, the IGP, has just said, we are very grateful for opening up your premises to us to pay you this short but important visit. We are here to thank you and your team for the amazing relationship we've had with you since I took office," President Simeon-Okraku said.
"I remember I paid you a visit and you promised your support for football. In more recent times, you allowed one of your topmost officers, in the person of DCOP Lydia Donkor (GFA's Head of Safety and Security), to take up a very important role in our governance structure. The result is that we are in better control of match day activities than ever before and we appreciate this," he highlighted amidst applause.
"We also appreciate the fact that you've allowed some members of your staff to serve on various Committees of the FA. You continue to invest in the Women’s game via the police female team and that is something that really gladdens our hearts."
"This is the fourth time that the Police female team has reached the finals of the Women's FA Cup, having won it once in 2016. They were in the grand finale last year and are back again in the finals this year; a monumental feat by your team."
The President went on to share some thoughts on the grand finale involving the two distinguished teams - Police Ladies and Army Ladies.
"This is the first time these two distinguished teams will be playing in a Cup final and it promises to be a day for the forces. We thought it would be a good appetiser for us to bring the trophy to you so you can have a feel of it and maybe speak to it so it returns here." he said amidst cheers.
President Okraku singled out the dynamic IGP for praises for his immense commitment to the sport.
"You (IGP) have shown enough commitment to the development of sports in this country and what we're seeing today is a testament to your commitment towards the game. The Women's game is generally on the rise and some of the players who are part of the rising national teams are drawn from the Police service and we should be proud if it."
The Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, urged for continued and sustained collaborative efforts between the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Football Association and highlighted steps being taken to enhance security in the 2024-25 season.
"We need each other to co-exist. There will be differences but if we have an effective early warning mechanism and engage, it creates a mindset of de-escalation: If the documents are there, the features are known and the assessments are done, then the possible hotspots are also known. Engagement with the parties at the regional command level helps in shaping discussions between the leadership of competing clubs.
"We are also looking forward to a system where if we get these dynamics right, we'll put in place a mechanism where you will see every police officer who performs duties during any match, having body-worn cameras which can capture events happening at close range. If we're unable to prevent an incident from happening and it does happen, there will be an effective mechanism in finding the perpetrators and dealing with it in accordance with the law."
"We can only be hopeful that you will cooperate with us to make our match venues safe and conducive for football."
Dr. Akuffo Dampare, although expressing confidence in the Police team to reign supreme against their Army counterparts, was also philosophical in his comments about the upcoming crunch match.
"Our defeat in the last FA Cup final would be said to be a failure on our part. But failure too could be viewed as an achievement that needs to be celebrated depending on how you look at it. The number of your failures determines the number of your successes. Based on that past failure, we're going to lift this Cup," he concluded heartily.
President Simeon-Okraku was accompanied by some top management members of the Association, including Executive Council Member Mrs. Gifty Oware-Mensah, Head of Marketing, Jamil Maraby, Head of Public Relations and Strategy, Neil Armstrong-Mortagbe, Chairperson of the Women's FA Cup Committee, Rosalind Koramah Amoh and her vice Banker Florence Bameh as well as some staff of the GFA.
The Women’s FA Cup Final will be the opening match of the upcoming Women's Football Festival’s double-header, which will be staged at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium on June 8.
The game will kick off at 4pm.
GFA Communications