The inaugural edition of the country’s first-ever initiative that seeks to empower former footballers has officially come to an end. Spearheaded by the globally acclaimed sports betting company, the Betway 12^th Man programme concluded in an intimate graduation ceremony in Accra on Saturday, 4 July 2020.

Through its innovative approach to empowering former footballers, Betway has successfully played its role as the invaluable 12^th man behind the legends.

Throughout their Betway 12^th Man journey, the legends received valuable insight from industry experts. Most notably, Sports Writer’s Association Ghana (President), Kwabena Yeboah, Ghana Institute of Management Professional’s Senior Consultant, Patrick Andoh, as well as iSpace Foundation’s CEO and co-founder, Josiah Eyison. These were just some of the experts brought in by Betway to provide insight and discuss relevant football trends.

Not only were they afforded an opportunity to learn new skills, but a renewed sense of hope and self-belief has been imparted in the former footballers who are now looking forward to making a difference in their respective communities. Newly found skills in Entrepreneurship, Project Management, Club Administration and Sport Management amongst other skills acquired over the last five months, sees the former stars better equipped to give back to their communities.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Betway Country Manager, Kwabena Oppong-Nkrumah, said the maiden edition exceeded all expectations, stating that Betway takes pride in making a difference in local communities.

“Targeting ex-Ghanaian footballers, this initiative was set up to expose the legends to a variety of skills and qualifications to help increase their chances of employment. We are happy to see our legends use the knowledge from the Betway 12^th Man workshops to contribute to change in their local communities. We will sustain this initiative as we believe more lives in our communities will be touched as we empower our former football heroes,” Oppong-Nkrumah said.

As part of their graduation ceremony, the legends received accredited participation certificates for the various workshops.

1995 FIFA U17 World Cup Winner, Awudu Issaka, who currently runs a football club in Ghana, believes that the training he received in sports marketing, club management and administration will come in handy as he strives to move his club to greater heights. The Betway 12^th Man legend – popularly known as the “Disco Dancer” – said the knowledge received has given him the confidence to continue working hard to grow football in Ghana.

“This programme has been fantastic and impactful for us all, we feel privileged to have been the first selected legends for the programme and appreciate the recognition Betway has given us for our past achievements. We will now go back into our communities and start contributing to the change we have wanted to see in the football – on and off the pitch,” said Awudu.

Betway Brand Ambassador, Stephen Appiah, who played a key role in the selection process and mentoring of the legends, said the programme was a great success, with many highlights and programme learnings.

“Thanks to Betway for this great initiative, it’s been an exciting journey of learning and upliftment for my colleagues and former heroes. I sat through all the sessions and have learnt a lot myself. I am happy to see some of the legends put into practise their newly found skills. Hopefully, our legends will go back and implement what they have learnt from the various training leading to the growth of our local football,” said Appiah.

While the inaugural edition included 10 individuals, the ripple effect of the programme is set to be far greater than the graduates' thanks to the sports betting company’s innovative efforts of community development. Betway would like to thank the participants for their dedication throughout the programme and urge them to go out there and make a difference.