Our Journey and Plans
Our Journey
Our journey started on the streets of Madina in Ghana where Frank Suglo, our director,
encountered a group of young boys playing street football.
As he watched them kicking ball, he envisioned a situation where their talents could be
harnessed and developed to meet professional standards.Frank invited them to play with
him and thus Madina Super Cardinals Football Club was born.
Madina is one of the more populous and fastest-growing districts in the Greater Accra
region. Although it is a well-developed suburb, Madina’s inhabitants (both citizens and
immigrants from neighboring countries) continue to live in deplorable conditions.
With little to no support in school and the poor living conditions many children who exhibit
academic, social, technical, and physical skills drop out of school. As a result, the children
miss diverse opportunities brought about by learning in a school setting.
Most end up on the streets picking up vices or in exploitative labor leading to ever worsening
economic situations.
Through regular interactions we have established that these children possess great potential
and can build themselves a bright future should they be accorded the opportunity. So, while
playing football is a priority, it’s not our end goal for them, but rather, a roadway to a better
life.
We believe that assisting youngsters to become skillful players and responsible citizens, will
keep them from becoming a liability to their families, friends, their community, and the nation
as a whole.
Further, playing sports (in our case football) has been shown to improve mental health by
aleviating symptoms of stress and depression and boosting the boys’ confidence and
self-esteem.
To reach these goals, we emphasize well-rounded education in the classroom, the pitch, and
in everyday life. That’s why we insist that all our players attend regular school consistently so
they can arm themselves the necessary knowledge to excel in the discipline of their
choosing.
We also intend to invite professional football players and other successful young men and
women who have overcome many obstacles on their path to talk to and potentially mentor
the boys.
We believe that the lessons the children learn from successful stars will inspire them to push
forward and create a sense of purpose and integrity in their young minds
Our 5-Year Strategic Plan
We have identified 5 Key Priority Areas as part of the Madina Super
Cardinals Football
Club's five-year strategic Plan:
Building a Youth Pathway to Professional Football
Our target players are boys aged between 8 and 17 years. As we teach them the intricacies
of the game we also need to create an environment that will help transition them to
professional players. To do this, we will need to:
● Inculcate consistent rigorous training to ensure the boys can perform at a high level
when they join an over-21 team.
● Teach young players adaptability. To thrive in professional football, the players will
need to learn to adapt to the new manager’s philosophy, style of play, speed of play,
and changing circumstances.
● Teach the players survival strength. Players will need to learn how to handle the
demands of a professional team, how to survive attacks and build psychological
stamina.
● Train young players in practice behavior. Through this, they will learn how to express
their football personalities, how to show qualities that will impress the manager, and
how to assert themselves in training
Encouraging Female Football
In the recent past, we have witnessed growing acceptance of women’s football among fans.
We believe that the boys and girls in Madina deserve equal opportunities to shine and want
to drive female participation in the game. To achieve this goal we will
● Bring in female coaches to train and encourage the girls.
● Target female players by offering them a trial period through which they can gain a
better understanding of how football and training work.
● Create a female-friendly environment by offering female changing rooms and other
gender equality activities.
Encouraging Coaching Education
Coaches on and off the pitch are pivotal to helping our players become the best versions of
themselves. Players rely on their coaches and mentors to learn the game and how to
navigate through life. To meet this key priority area, our strategy will involve:
● The continuous development of our GFA-certified coaches to maximize their
relevance and ensure they provide superior training techniques to our players.
● Ensuring that all our coaches understand and implement Madina SC’s football
philosophy.
● Identifying potential mentors within the Madina communities who have impacted the
football world and encouraging them to interact with our young players
Engaging in Strategic Partnerships
Our players’ parents and local communities are critical to providing the support we need in
getting players of all ages and genders to play football. Our goal is to widen our partnerships
to help us create a greater impact on our community and give the players a better
opportunity to shine. To realize our vision, we will need to
● Form strategic partnerships with individuals and organizations that will provide
financial assistance to fund the purchase of essential assets for the children.
● Partner with organizations and charities that support underprivileged children to
attain an education.
● Partner with organizations that promote the health and fitness of our players
Maximizing Technology & Innovation
The role of technology in football cannot be underscored. Referees, teams, and other
officials use computer programs to analyze game situations to make informed decisions. As
a club, we intend to leverage technology to improve our players’ capability and the club’s
overall experience. We will use technology to:
● Keep track of the players’ performance to track their strengths and weaknesses to
formulate individual training schedules.
● Create game plans and adjust them easily to improve chances of winning once the
coach analyzes the opposing team
● Maintain the club’s website and social pages as our primary sources of information to
keep members, sponsors, and fans up to date on all club-related matters.
Our Corporate Social Responsibility
As part of our commitment to improve the lives of children and families in our community, our
CSR initiatives revolve around the following:
● Facilitating the enrollment and re-enrollment of underprivileged but talented boys into
schools
● Donating school materials including books, backpacks, and other stationery to
enhance the students’ academic goals
