Former WAFA goalie, Prince Bilson Ato
A former goalkeeper of the West African Football Academy (WAFA), Prince Bilson Ato, has opened up about the struggles of young footballers at the renowned academy.
Prince Bilson told SVTV that contrary to the news out there that the players of the academy enjoy the best treatment, young footballers are subjected to all kinds of treatment.
Detailing his experience at WAFA, Prince Bilson Ato singled out the owner of the club, who he says did everything possible to make the players enjoy their stay at the club.
He, however, had issues with the coaches, particularly the Ghanaian coaches, whom he said showed bias and favouritism with their selections.
To validate his argument, Prince Bilson Ato recounted an incident where he was kicked in the stomach by a coach for shaking hands with players from the Manchester City academy.
Prince Bilson stated that the WAFA youth team participated in a tournament in Europe where they made it to the finals.
Ahead of the final match, the Manchester City team, which included Phil Foden, came up to the Ghanaian team to exchange pleasantries.
Prince Bilson said that he took the opportunity to shake hands with the Manchester City players as he deemed the moment a refreshing and historic one.
However, shortly after the encounter with the Manchester City players, he got kicked in the stomach by his coach.
Prince Bilson mentioned former Kumasi Asante goalie Felix Annan, who was then on loan at WAFA, as a witness and someone he confided in a lot during his brief time there.
“We went for a tournament in Europe. The tournament had the likes of Barcelona, Manchester City, Dortmund, and a lot of big teams. We managed to get to the finals, and I hadn’t played a minute. The likes of Phil Foden, Sadio Mane, and some big players were all there. I was happy just seeing them because it gave me hope.
“During the final, the City players came to shake hands with us, and I stood up to greet them. Our coach was standing in front of me, and when he saw me, he kicked me in the stomach. Everyone at WAFA can attest to this.
“Felix Annan was my mentor at WAFA, so he knew this. I used to call and complain to him about the treatment I was receiving. I asked the coach why he kicked me in the stomach, and he asked why I shook hands with the players when I hadn’t done anything during the competition. Young footballers in Ghana go through a lot,” he said.
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