Greater Accra Region were crowned champions of the 2026 KGL Foundation Inter-Regional U17 Colts Championship after defeating Western Region 5-4 on penalties following a goalless draw in Sunday’s final at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram.
In a tense and closely contested encounter, neither side could find the breakthrough during regulation time, forcing the final to be decided from the penalty spot. Greater Accra held their nerve in the shootout to secure their maiden title and bring an eight-day championship to a memorable conclusion.
The triumph marks a significant milestone for the capital region, which joins an illustrious list of past winners of the youth competition. Desmond Asare, who played a key role in Greater Accra’s campaign, was named Most Valuable Player of the final.
For Western Region, however, the defeat extended a painful run of near misses on the tournament’s biggest stage. Having reached the final for the third consecutive edition since 2024, they have now suffered back-to-back final defeats, following their loss to Ashanti Region in 2025.
Western Region lifted the trophy in 2024 but were unable to reclaim it, with Greater Accra ending their latest title challenge in dramatic fashion.
Prempeh Academy claim bronze
Earlier, Prempeh Elite Academy secured third place with a deserved 3-0 victory over Brong Ahafo in the third-place playoff at the GFA technical centre.
Thomas Asante delivered an outstanding performance, scoring twice, while Dennis Duah added the other goal to give the Kumasi-based academy a comfortable win.
Asante opened the scoring in the 20th minute before Duah doubled the advantage five minutes into the second half. Asante then completed his brace in the 74th minute to seal the emphatic victory and ensure Prempeh Elite Academy finished the tournament on a high.
Greater Accra join the Championship’s roll of honour
The 2026 edition marked the sixth staging of the Inter-Regional U17 Colts Championship, which continues to provide a competitive platform for emerging football talent across Ghana.
MAL FC won the inaugural edition in 2021, followed by Great Corinthians in 2022. Ashanti Region claimed the title in 2023, before Western Region triumphed in 2024 and Ashanti Region returned to the summit in 2025.
Greater Accra’s victory adds a new name to the roll of honour and underlines the growing competitiveness of the tournament.
Sponsored by the KGL Foundation, the championship forms part of the Ghana Football Association’s Talent Development Scheme (TDS), which is designed to identify, develop and nurture the next generation of Ghanaian footballers.
The competition gives promising under-17 players the opportunity to demonstrate their technical ability, tactical understanding and potential while testing themselves against some of the country’s finest emerging talents.
As the curtain falls on the 2026 edition, Greater Accra celebrate a historic first title, while Western Region are left to reflect on another painful final defeat after three consecutive appearances on the championship’s biggest stage.
