The initiative, which forms part of the Embassy’s World Cup engagements in Ghana, has taken the American sports envoys to Tamale and Kumasi, with Accra scheduled to host the final
The report indicates that the United States Embassy in Ghana has brought former U.S. Women’s National Team World Cup champion, Amy Griffin, and former Major League Soccer defender, Kofi Sarkodie, to Ghana as part of a Sports Envoy Programme aimed at strengthening the development of female football at the grassroots level.
It further notes that the initiative, which forms part of the Embassy’s World Cup engagements in Ghana, has taken the American sports envoys to Tamale and Kumasi, with Accra scheduled to host the final leg.
The Kumasi leg of the event was held at the Baba Yara Stadium on Monday, 14th and Tuesday, 15th September, 2026.
According to Donye Eldridge, Education and Cultural Attaché at the U.S. Embassy, the programme is designed to equip coaches with more than technical football knowledge.
At each location, about 16 coaches of female athletes are taken through sessions focused on team culture, leadership, discipline and communication before putting the lessons into practice with their players. By the end of the programme, about 50 coaches and 300 young female footballers are expected to have participated. The initiative is also informed by lessons from Title IX, the U.S. legislation that has helped expand opportunities for girls and women in sport.
Eldridge stated the Embassy believes grassroots engagement with coaches and young players is an effective way to promote those lessons in Ghana.
Griffin brings World Cup and coaching experience
Amy Griffin brings significant experience from both playing and coaching. A member of the U.S. team that won the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991, Griffin is currently the Executive Director of Seattle Reign Academy. She has also coached the U.S. Deaf Women’s National Team, guiding the side to two Deaflympic gold medals and two world championships.
For Griffin, the programme is less about tactics and more about creating an environment where young female players can develop as people and leaders.
“Our goal is to build community and to find opportunities to create environments … in which girls and young women thrive, want to learn, and become leaders in their community,” she said.
She believes the enthusiasm generated by the programme can have a lasting impact if the coaches continue applying what they have learned.
“Change happens with grassroots, and that’s what we’re doing right now,” Griffin said.
Rather than identifying major shortcomings in Ghana’s existing system, Griffin stated she had seen the essential ingredients for success; talented players and coaches willing to contribute their experience and knowledge.
Kofi Sarkodie, a Ghanaian-American former professional defender, brings his own experience from the U.S. football system. He was selected by the Houston Dynamo with the seventh overall pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft and spent five seasons with the club. His Ghanaian heritage has also given him a direct connection to the country and the coaches taking part in the programme. Sarkodie stated the objective is to build the capacity of Ghanaian female coaches so they can develop leaders and create lasting legacies.
