Ho (Volta Region) — August 12 2026
The Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, has clarified that the Volta Minister’s Cup has not been cancelled or replaced by the Under-19 (U19) “Justify Your Inclusion” exercise, but has instead been rebranded as the Volta Cup as part of a renewed focus on youth football development and talent identification.
According to the Minister, the decision followed discussions with the Volta Regional Football Association (VRFA), during which both sides agreed that the Minister’s Cup and the U19 “Justify Your Inclusion” exercise share a common objective.
He explained that both initiatives seek to use football as a platform to develop young people, identify promising talents, create career opportunities, and promote peace and unity across the Volta Region.
As part of the renewed vision, the U19 “Justify Your Inclusion” exercise, scheduled for August 16, 2026, will form part of the Volta Cup programme. Selected young players will compete in their respective zones, with outstanding performers earning the opportunity to make the Volta U19 team for the GFA Elite U19 Championship, scheduled for August 24–30, 2026.
The arrangement, the Minister said, therefore represents an evolution of the existing competition rather than its termination.
“The Minister’s Cup has not disappeared. It has evolved into the Volta Cup, with a sharper focus on youth football development and talent identification,” Mr Gunu explained.
The said event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, 16th August, 2026 at the Youth Resource Centre-Adaklu near Ho from 8:00 am and it is expected to draw members of the Volta Regional Football Association, sports lovers, high-profile dignitaries and the general public to witness a pool of football talents
The Volta Cup 2026 is consequently being positioned around four key objectives: football, talent, opportunity and unity, with the youth development component providing a pathway for emerging footballers in the region to showcase their abilities and potentially progress to higher levels of competition.
In simple terms
The Minister’s Cup has not been scrapped. It has been rebranded as the Volta Cup, while the U19 “Justify Your Inclusion” exercise has been incorporated into the renewed competition as a key mechanism for identifying young football talents for the Volta U19 team.
