Inside the Okyeman Girls Football Academy empowering young women and tackling teenage pregnancy in Ghana

At Akooko Presbyterian School in Okyeman region, eastern Ghana, one in two girls fall pregnant before they are able to pursue a normal career path.

Former footballer Cornelius Annor is determined to address that situation.

The Primary-Six teacher founded the Okyeman Girls Football Academy last July to try to help curb teenage pregnancy in the school and, eventually, the whole Okyeman community.

“I moved to Akooko five years ago and, as a teacher, witnessed how the dreams of some students were derailed due to early parenthood," Annor told Olympics.com. "It is for this reason I brainstormed with my fellow teachers to start the Okyeman Girls Football Academy.”

The small rural community has taken great steps to help girls aged 5-13 realise their sporting dreams. Football is loved by many in the region, but professional aspirations are often crushed by financial constraints and the lack of support for local talents.

Female footballers face an additional layer of challenges due to the high likelihood of having a teenage pregnancy.

Teenage pregnancies are commonplace in rural areas of Ghana like Okyeman. Fourteen per cent of females aged 15 to 19 have given birth or are currently pregnant with their first child. And girls in the poorest wealth bracket are five times more likely to give birth before the age of 20 than those in the richest.

In addition to passing down football know-how, the Okyeman Girls Football Academy offers its pupils sexual health counselling in order to make them more informed about how their bodies work and the hormonal changes they go through at this age.

Academies dedicated solely to girls are an unusual occurrence in Ghana. However, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Women’s Football Strategy, released earlier in 2023, states its commitment to developing grassroots football. To show their support, they donated 10 footballs, coaching course materials and bags of water to the football programme.

Ama Brobey Williams, head of Women’s Football Development at the GFA, visited the academy in believes that the “strategy is a clear path to develop the women's game in Ghana” and is working to make the strategy accessible to communities, schools, and businesses.

Realising Dreams in Football with a Robust Structure and System

The girls in the academy are all students at Akooko Presbyterian School.

For an hour and a half from 4:30am, they either train at the school compound or share a pitch with the neighbouring Great Corinthians all-boys academy.

After school, they also train from 4pm for well over an hour. This is their routine from Monday to Saturday while on Sundays they play friendlies with the boys' academy.

Since the inception of the Okyeman Girls Football Academy in July 2023, donations have been its lifeline.

Annor said, “We have a chief donor in the community called Richard Owusu [a miner] who has been kind to our academy. He helps with money, bags of water, and much more.”

For Annor, who was wearing a shirt from English fourth-tier club Stockport County, he sees this initiative as his calling after a brief spell in Ghana's second tier with Rospak SC. Injuries hindered his professional career and prompted a move into teaching.

Seeing the depth of the talent pool at Akooko, he decided to give the girls a dream they could chase in football.

Garnering support from their parents was no easy task with Annor and his team having to draw up a parental consent form. This states that the girls have to be “obedient” at home before gaining permission to join.

“My daughter has always loved playing football from a young age,” said one parent. “I believe everyone has their talent, so I always support her in what she wants to do.

"When Cornelius said he wanted her to join the academy I agreed without hesitation because I believe in what the academy is doing."

The academy received a boost when Dorcas Fumey Kafui, aka Faraday, and Liverpool FC international Academy coach Steven Appleton paid a visit in late September.

And, according to Brobey Williams, they may already have a future star on their hands in the form of Priscilla Antwi Annoh.

• The 'Faraday' perspective: Understanding mental health struggles as a woman footballer

Tackling Teenage Pregnancy With Football

The lack of sex education in Akooko was something which concerned Okyeman Girls Football Academy welfare manager Abena Agyeiwaa Asiedu.

She organises sessions for the academy girls which include educating them about their periods, how to practise period hygiene, ways to identify and deal with sexual harassment, and information about sexually transmitted diseases.

“I became very close with the girls,” Agyeiwaa began. “I started paying close attention to them and made myself available when they needed me."

Economic hardship is one of the main reasons why teenage girls fall pregnant in this community.

Agyiewaa said, “During our counseling sessions, we discuss the problems they face at home which leads to engaging in sexual activities and most times it is due to financial constraints."

According to Agylewaa, some of the girls ask men in the community for favours like buying sanitary towels or money to fend for themselves. In exchange, these men demand sex.

She suggests that the girls should assist their parents after school, whether on the farm or in the family business. Her view is that by making this sort of contribution, rather than relying on others for financial support, they will gain independence and confidence.

For now, sex education is limited to girls in the academy but there are plans to expand it in the future.

As for the girls themselves, they appreciate how the academy has honed their football skills and allowed them to dream of greatness. They also recognise that it has empowered them to see themselves as capable individuals and reduce the risk of their lives being disrupted by early pregnancy.

Budu Jessica, a member of the academy said, "I have always dreamt of becoming a professional footballer. Due to the rise of teenage pregnancy, I decided to join Okyeman Girls to develop my talent and stay away from the activity that can endanger my football career."

The acting technical director of the GFA, Professor Joseph Mintah, stated, "I believe this Football Program is in the right direction and if these girls can come to football, and use that as a vehicle to stop all the unwanted pregnancies, then their channel to move to the highest level is assured."

The typical girl in a Ghanaian rural community rarely dreams of a football career. But Okyeman Girls Football Academy has set a precedent: that girls can be whoever they set their minds to be.