Mr Paskal A.B. Rois, Honorary Consul of Indonesia to Ghana, has called on Mr Kofi Adams, Minister for Sports and Recreation, to discuss collaboration in football development.
The engagement sought to strengthen bilateral relations between Ghana and Indonesia, promote grassroots sports and establish structured partnerships to advance football in both countries.
Mr Rois told the Minister that although he had supported several ministries through facilitation and collaboration with Indonesia, he had not extended similar assistance to the sports sector and was ready to support the Ministry in advancing its mandate.
He congratulated Ghana and the Minister on the nation’s qualification for the upcoming FIFA World Cup and commended the resilience and dedication of the team and its management.
Mr Rois said many young Ghanaian footballers travelled to Indonesia to play for clubs through visa support and diplomatic coordination he had facilitated but noted the absence of a formal bilateral framework governing such exchanges.
He proposed a structured agreement covering club exchange programmes, talent and skills transfer, joint training initiatives, exchange matches and capacity building with technology transfer.
Mr Rois, known in the music industry as Togbe Afrika, also introduced a patriotic song titled “GO GO GO BLACKSTARS”, composed to rally national support for the team ahead of the tournament.
Responding, Mr Adams said the ministry’s new strategic direction under President John Dramani Mahama prioritised grassroots and school sports development to nurture young talents from the foundational level.
He urged Mr Rois to liaise with coordinators for school and grassroots sports to ensure that any collaboration was well structured and beneficial to young athletes.
Mr Adams welcomed the proposed partnership but stressed the need for proper planning to prevent situations where young players travelled abroad without adequate support systems.
He said Mr Rois’ song sought to restore public confidence, motivate players, unite the nation and inspire young people, while showcasing Ghana’s tourism attractions and natural resources as a creative diplomatic tool.
Mr Adams described the song as impactful and strategically crafted and gave the assurance that it would be forwarded to the technical committee responsible for selecting official songs for the tournament.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening Ghana–Indonesia cooperation in sports, culture and education.
