The U.S. Embassy in Ghana is seeking to strengthen the development of girls in football by equipping coaches with the skills to nurture not only their sporting abilities but also their leadership and teamwork.The initiative forms part of a sports diplomacy program being implemented in Tamale, Kumasi and Accra, with Tamale serving as the first stop.Sixteen coaches have been trained in Tamale under a train-the-trainer model, with emphasis on building the character, confidence and leadership capacity of young female footballers.Speaking on the sidelines of the training, U.S. Embassy Education and Cultural Attaché Donye Eldridge said the program is designed to close a persistent gap in youth sports development.“We want to make sure we keep that same energy, and we have similar pipelines when it comes to developing the leadership in girls as we do with boys,” she said.The program featured Amy Griffin, a former United States women’s national team player and member of the 1991 FIFA Women’s World Cup-winning squad.Griffin, who is now Executive Director of the Seattle Reign Academy, an all-girls football club, says providing opportunities for girls to play and develop is critical to unlocking their potential.She said her own journey to becoming a World Cup winner began with having a place to play, despite there being no U.S. women’s national team at the time.“The first thing is just opportunity. It’s not a big ask to make sure that there’s a place for girls to play,” she said.Griffin was impressed by the talent and enthusiasm displayed by the young footballers during the training session in Tamale.She said the girls demonstrated a combination of talent, passion and determination, while praising the coaches for creating an environment in which the players could learn and enjoy themselves.“They were sweating, but they were smiling,” she added.According to Griffin, football should not only be viewed as a pathway to sporting success but also as a tool for developing confidence and leadership among young women.“Sports is what fosters confidence. Sports is what foster leadership,” she addedThe program brought together 96 girls for a practical session where they applied the lessons their coaches had acquired. The girls were encouraged to work as teams, make mistakes, support one another and develop leadership skills on the pitch.Griffin also urged the young players to continue enjoying football and not become overly focused on achievements such as winning medals.Two participating coaches, Mohammed Nurudeen Sham-una and Fuseini Seidu Babammu, expressed their gratitude to the U.S. Embassy for the training. They said the program had equipped them with valuable knowledge and practical skills that would be transferred to the young talents they coach.“The training has brought more impact to us. We have learnt a lot, and that would be translated to the young talents,” they said.The U.S. Embassy says the initiative forms part of efforts to use football to create stronger people-to-people connections while building a more inclusive pathway for girls in sports.Following the Tamale engagement, the program will move to Kumasi before concluding in Accra.