"A small community football club in the Teshie area of Ghana’s Accra region is helping kick drugs out of young people's lives - thanks to its brand new campaign combining school and soccer. The EAAK Football Club has built its reputation on a strict rule: 'no school? No football!' Footage shows the children have a kickabout as founder Emmanuel Akpablah, known as 'Worlanyo', and Blessing Alarbi explained how they came up with the idea. “These kids love football. They breathe, they eat football,” Akpablah said. “If you are not taking your academics seriously, we wouldn't allow you to play. We don't encourage absenteeism… If you have to be absent for a reason, you have to seek permission." "Drug addiction has not been like I think a thing with Teshie, it's in most places, even across the world,” he went on. "I've seen friends… and how it has destroyed their lives… We lost them to theft… One was even lynched and died… So, these are things which are real. They are happening here. So, we want to try and change the narrative here in Teshie.” Teachers at local schools say the approach has had visible results. “A lot of changes in them. They come to school early. They are also following the […] and school rules and regulations,” said Daniel Anati Tettey, a teacher. “There has been a massive improvement in our soccer boys over here." Assistant captain Fuseini Adam explained: "It changed my life." "They've taught me how to… avoid those drugs, like Tramadol, cigarettes, weed… They've taught me that I shouldn't go close to people like friends who take those drugs," he added. "I'm here for football education… I’ll leave here to make my family, my coaches, my teammates… proud one day." According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, cannabis remains the most commonly used illicit drug in West Africa, while non-medical consumption of tramadol has risen significantly in recent years."