The FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, has spotlighted Ghana as one of the global success stories in football development, praising the country for effectively utilising FIFA-backed programmes to strengthen infrastructure, grow women’s football and maintain competitiveness on the world stage.

Marking 10 years in office, Infantino singled out the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for maximising support from the FIFA Forward Programme and other initiatives to drive tangible progress across the game.

“Ghana has been one of the member associations who have made excellent use of the FIFA Forward and other FIFA Support Programmes over the years,” he said.

Among the standout achievements is the upgrade of the Ghanaman Soccer Center of Excellence in Prampram, which now boasts new floodlights, additional accommodation for teams and both artificial and natural turf pitches.

A second technical centre has also been opened in Winkogo to extend development opportunities to northern Ghana.

Infantino further commended the leadership of Kurt Okraku, noting efforts to widen participation and nurture talent nationwide.

Women’s football has also seen significant gains, with investment in the national league contributing to the Black Queensqualifying for recent editions of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

On the men’s side, Ghana’s consistency at major tournaments earned special mention, as the Black Stars secured back-to-back appearances at the FIFA World Cup, featuring in Qatar in 2022 and qualifying again for the 2026 edition to be hosted across Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

Infantino’s remarks position Ghana as a leading African example of how structured investment in facilities, grassroots systems and women’s football can translate into both development and results on the international stage.