Borussia Dortmund to Open First International Academy in Africa

German football club Borussia Dortmund will open its first official International Football Academy in Ghana, making Ghana the first African country to have the Borussia Dortmund Africa Academy. 

It is the club’s first permanent academy presence on the African continent, and it will be located at Achimota School, Accra. 

The academy, BVB International Academy Ghana, is scheduled to open in February 2026, as the German club seeks to recruit Ghanaian and African football talents. 

Who Can Be Part?

According to the club’s official video on Instagram, the academy will provide structured football development for boys and girls aged 6 to 18, operating under Borussia Dortmund’s internationally recognised academy model. 

The BVB International Academy Ghana will offer FIFA-standard training facilities, ensuring opportunities for highly talented African players as well as young people seeking professional coaching and personal development through football.

Club officials say the academy is designed not only to develop football talent but also to contribute to holistic youth growth, combining sport with education, life skills, and values such as teamwork, respect, and leadership.

 

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Why Ghana?

Image: Nana Otto Addo, Head Coach for the Ghana National Football team

Ghana is one of Africa’s strongest football nations, known for producing talents that have succeeded at both continental and global levels. 

Fortunately for Ghana, the national team coach, Nana Otto Addo, was born in Germany, was a former footballer who played for Borussia Dortmund, and has earned over 100 caps for the German side, winning the Bundesliga in 2002. 

In April 2019, Dortmund announced Addo as its talent coach, a role he had previously held at Borussia Mönchengladbach. Dortmund promoted Addo to serve as first team assistant coach to Edin Terzić. 

Ghana is also one of the most advanced nations in Africa in football infrastructure, and it has an established football culture and youth development ecosystem, making it a strategic location for Dortmund’s African expansion.

The academy is expected to work closely with local coaches and football stakeholders, while also creating pathways for outstanding players to access advanced training opportunities and potential progression within Borussia Dortmund’s wider football network.

Borussia Dortmund joins a growing list of European clubs investing directly in grassroots football development in Africa.