Day One Fireworks at Paa Joe Park: Milo U13 Champions League 2025
The drums never stopped beating at Paa Joe Park on December 3, 2025. Kumasi throbbed with the return of the Milo U13 Champions League: sixteen teams, sixteen regions, one dream. And on the opening day, the kids wrote their first chapter in fire. Before the first whistle went off, the legend arrived. Stephen “Tonado” Appiah, still carrying the aura of the man who captained the Black Stars to its first World Cup in 2006, stepped onto the practice pitch at 8 a.m. Over 300 children—from the competing and non-competing teams, many more from Kumasi schools who had begged their headmasters for the morning off—formed a perfect circle around him. “No phones, no selfies yet,” he laughed, voice deep and warm. “First we work.”
For over 2 hours, sweat-soaked minutes, the former Juventus and Fenerbahçe warrior became not only a teacher to these kids but a mentor as well. He conducted the drills with other coaches by showing them how to receive a ball under pressure with the sole, how to disguise a pass with the eyes, and how to strike a ball so it kisses the inside of the post. When a tiny left-back from Sawla in the Savannah Region kept slicing his shots, Appiah knelt beside him. “My brother, the ball is not your enemy. Love it first, then punish it.”
The next shot curled sweetly into the top corner. The boy screamed louder than the entire crowd would that afternoon. Appiah ended the clinic with selfies with each one of the participating players. Then the real games began.
Group A – The Ashanti Massacre Mim Pipie Primary (Ashanti Region) 7–0 St John’s Catholic Primary (Upper West)
From the first whistle, the hosts turned Paa Joe into a cauldron. Twelve-year-old skipper Kwame Jeffery Addo, nicknamed “Little Messi,” scored twice and assisted three. By the 35th minute the Upper West boys were chasing shadows. Final score: 7–0. Sawla D/A Basic (Savannah) 0–4 Franko International (Western North)
Franko’s number 9, a wiry boy scored all four—one a delicate chip after he left three defenders on the floor. Sawla fought hard but simply ran out of legs.
Group B – Bono Region announces itself. Jejemereja St Francis R/C (Bono) 3–1 Bedu-Addo Methodist (Western)
Bedu-Addo took the lead through a screamer from distance, but Jejemereja answered with three goals in eight crazy second-half minutes. Their captain, a stocky midfielder everyone calls “Chairman,” bossed the game like he was born in a number-8 shirt.
Weija Gbawe M/A (Greater Accra) 3–2 Adrobaa R/C (Ahafo)
End-to-end madness. Greater Accra led 1–0 with twenty minutes left, then survived a furious Ahafo comeback one of the top games of the day. When the final whistle went, the Weija coach collapsed to his knees in relief.
Group C – Volta Region shocks the North, Gbani Community Basic (Upper East) 1–4 Sogasco D/A Primary (Volta)
Group D – Oti Region destroys dreams Zua M/A Primary (North East) 0–6 Boafri D/A Primary (Oti)
The Group Standings
Group A: Mim Pipie 3pts (+7), Franko 3pts (+4), Sawla 0, St John’s 0
Group B: Jejemereja 3pts, Weija Gbawe 3pts, Adrobaa 0, Bedu-Addo 0
Group C: Sogasco 3pts, Goodnews Prep & Atebubu yet to play
Group D: Boafri 3pts (+6),
Bomso Advent & Kanvili yet to play.
The Milo U13 Champions League had only just caught fire.