Businessman and Politician, Chief Emmanuel Mefful has openly declared and pledged to provide continuous support for sports development in Ashaiman through the ‘Monday Special’ community game.
The game is played on Mondays between two bitter rivals, Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko, which attracts thousands of young people to the Nii Amui Park in Ashaiman-Newtown to catch a glimpse of witty football brewed in Ashaiman.
The day’s event brings together individuals from diverse backgrounds, bridging cultural and economic divides while transforming local parks and streets into safe, active spaces that inspire community pride and drive local development.
That notwithstanding, the community stands as one of the breeding spots for talents who have served the nation in all levels (U17, U20, U23, and the Black Stars).
However, a town with a population a little over 300,000 residents can’t boast of any recreational facility or better football fields for these young players.
Mr. Mefful, who doubles as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of HotJobs Africa, says there is a need to advance football in Ashaiman and make the discipline better; hence, he will ensure regular visits to witness the game while providing his unwavering support.
“We will be here regularly to support them and make sure the game gets better. We have seen that Ashaiman has talent, and we promise that we are going to support the talent and push it very far,” he said during a community game last Saturday.
Chief Mefful, an aspiring parliamentary candidate on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Ashaiman, is emphasizing the need to provide sports infrastructure, particularly in the development of the discipline in Ashaiman, while stressing the importance of an academy.
“Even a standard playing field we don’t have, and it’s a problem. We need to have an academy that is producing this talent that we have,” he added.
According to him, “We need to have a dedicated sports desk when we gain power and employ some of these brainy young people who are sports-inclined while developing sports in Ashaiman. Football brings businesses, and it provides life for others,” Mr. Mefful emphasized.
Explaining further, Chief Emmanuel Mefful said it is his utmost concern to establish a community-based football club in Ashaiman to compete at the highest level of Ghanaian football.
“We will set up a community-based team that will participate at the highest level, where we will catch them young, develop them from that level, and market them to the world,” he concluded.
By: Linus Siaw Nartey
