Forestry Commission calls on timber industry to support Samartex Hiking Club

Accra, August 29, GNA – Mr. John Allotey, Director General of the Forestry Commission, has appealed to the timber industry across the country to financially support Samartex Footfall Club to ensure it succeeds in the ongoing CAF Champions League.

Mr Allotey said that apart from heading to the stadium to support the team, corporate institutions had to come to their aid as participating in the African Champions League involved a large capital outlay.

The board chairman made this known on Thursday when the management and some players paid a courtesy visit to the board of the Forestry Commission at its headquarters in Accra.

The purpose of the visit was to present the Board of the Commission with the trophy won in the Ghana Premier League in the 2023/2024 season.

Mr. Allotey expressed his satisfaction with the team’s achievement and expressed optimism about further laurels in the future.

Samatex is one of the best wood companies in the country in terms of production and environmental protection.

“I am not surprised by the incredible achievement of winning the Ghanaian Premier League,” he said.

Tetrete Okuamoah Sekyim II, Chairman of the Board of the Forestry Commission, commended the entire football team for bringing pride to Ghana with their achievements.

He was delighted that the team was founded by a timber company and encouraged its members to go the extra mile and make a positive impact on the competition results.

Titrate Sekyim II, the paramount chief of the Wassa Amenfi traditional area, said the trophy gave him bragging rights among other chiefs in the country.

As a thank you to the Board, the Chairman donated an undisclosed amount of money to the team to encourage them to perform well in future matches.

Mr. Richard Nsenkyire, Chairman of the Samartex Forestry Commission, called the ceremony historic, adding that the timber company is not only involved in timber processing but also focuses on environmental sustainability interventions to protect forest ecosystems.

Mr. Edmund Acquah, General Manager of Samatex Footfall Club, thanked the Board of the Commission for their support and said that the gesture would boost the morale of the club ahead of the upcoming matches.

Mr. Emmanuel Adu Siaw, captain of Samatex Footfall, admitted that the team’s success was due to teamwork and hard work.

Founded in 1996 in Samreboi in the Western Region, Samartex Footfall Club started out as a second division football team and qualified for the Premier League in the 2022/2023 season and won the league trophy in the 2023/2024 season.

The team will face Nsoatreman Football Club in the Champions of Champions on Saturday, August 31, 2023 at the TNA Stadium in Tarkwa.

Samartex Footfall have qualified for the next phase of the 2024/2025 CAF Champions League where they will face Moroccan club Raja Casablanca after defeating Cameroonian side Victoria United 2-0 in a two-legged home and away tie in the first round of the play-offs.

GNA