The President of the International Minifootball Federation (IMF), His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Al Dosari, has called on Ghana to embrace minifootball as a cost-effective, space-saving, and inclusive sport capable of complementing the traditional game.
Dr. Al Dosari made the call when he paid a courtesy call on the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Mr. Kofi Iddie Adams, at the ministry in Accra last Friday.
According to the IMF President, minifootball is designed with flexible laws, smaller pitch sizes, and fewer players than the traditional 11-a-side game, making it accessible to all categories of age groups and communities with limited space.
“Its laws are very, very flexible. It does not depend on suitability 100 per cent. Substitutions are open — a player can go out and come back several times during a match,” Dr. Al Dosari explained.
He noted that the objective of minifootball is to ensure sustainable football playing for healthy living, social relationships, and community integration.
“Our target group is academia — schools, universities, neighbourhood playgrounds, and small societies where many people play football. Increasing the number of athletes is a measure of how countries progress in terms of health and development,” he added.
Dr. Al Dosari disclosed that the IMF currently has 55 member groups globally, with numbers growing. The Federation organises tournaments for three categories worldwide: players under 12 years, under 15 years, and those above 16 years, for both males and females.
“We aim to develop the national assets of all our members. We organise workshops for coaches and referees, and we provide rankings. We are ready to offer free courses for technical officials in Ghana,” he said.
He further encouraged Ghana to take advantage of the fact that joining the Federation attracts no membership fees.
“Membership has no fees. It is a great opportunity for Ghana to join quickly and benefit from development support. We will provide guidelines, accommodation facilitation, visa assistance, and feeding support for any tournament Ghana wishes to participate in,” Dr. Al Dosari stated.
He urged the Minister to help strengthen the Professional Ghana Minifootball Federation (PGMF) through logistical support, sponsorship, and assistance with international travel, noting that while IMF covers accommodation, feeding, and new presentations, tickets would require local support.
Welcoming the IMF President, Mr. Kofi Iddie Adams, Minister for Sports and Recreation, said Ghana had reviewed and realigned its ministries, making his portfolio now Sports and Recreation — a move that positions the country to embrace recreational but competitive sports like minifootball.
“What gladdens my heart is that minifootball addresses environmental concerns about space, health, and affordability. Maintaining the main football team is expensive because you need 11 players at all times. The minimum number needed for main football may be the maximum needed for minifootball. So you give countries almost the same joy and opportunity at a lesser cost,” Mr. Adams said.
He compared the innovation to the introduction of 3×3 basketball, which requires less space and fewer players, making it easier for countries to sponsor and participate.
“What we want to encourage is standardisation — consistent rules, continuous education for referees and technical officials so that Ghana is not applying different rules from another zone. We also encourage the international leadership to secure major sponsors to attract young people and help the sport penetrate,” the Minister added.
Mr. Adams noted that World Health Organisation research indicates that more than 40 per cent of non-communicable diseases in Ghana are lifestyle-related, and recreational sports such as minifootball could help reverse the trend.
“Minifootball can be played on the same pitch size as the competitive version, making it easy to integrate into communities,” he said.
Mr. Aduba IIoba Noel, President of the Professional Ghana Minifootball Federation, who escorted Dr. Al Dosari together with the General Secretary, Mr. Richardson Prosper, thanked the Minister for his support and called on corporate entities to take minifootball seriously.
“We need corporate Ghana to come on board. This sport discovers talents in popular places and gives them a chance to play everywhere in the world,” Mr. Aduba said.
