Seasoned Ghanaian coach Yusif Basigi has voiced his concerns regarding the role of education in the development of women's football in Ghana.
He believes that the low educational levels of players hinder their understanding of modern football, which in turn affects their performances.
“The problem is not about coaching. The problem is about the education of our players," he told 3 Sports.
"The level of their education is very low. It’s below average honestly speaking, so their understanding of the modern trend of the game is a problem.”
Despite the national U-20 team qualifying for the last seven FIFA Women’s World Cups, they have yet to advance past the group stage.
This lack of progression mirrors Ghana's struggles to establish itself as a regular contender in women's international tournaments.
Basigi draws a stark contrast with Japan, a powerhouse in women's football, highlighting their commitment to education.
“In Colombia, before breakfast, you will see the Japanese going for classes with their laptops and iPads. Even our girls saw them."
He believes that the Ghana Football Association's initiative to establish women’s academies is a step in the right direction but stresses that educational criteria should also be central to player selection for youth national teams.
“I am happy the FA has put in place an academy in Bolga to train boys and girls and I think they are the future of the junior national team. I will suggest that the criteria for selection should be based on education. There should also be a theoretical exam on the aspects of the game.
"You can bring the best coach to manage any of the junior teams but when they get out there, they will fumble. On the African continent they will play very well but when it gets to where they have video analyst, data analyst, high performance analyst ways thrive but when they get out there, they will fumble."