Atta Yaw Bismark: How a Northern Region Star Turned Setbacks into 2025 Inter-Regional Glory

In football, trophies are won on the pitch, but belief is often forged far from the roar of the crowd.

For Atta Yaw Bismark, one of the Northern Region’s brightest young talents, the journey to glory at the 2025 Inter-Regional Schools & Colleges Sports Festival was as much about mindset as it was about skill.

How Atta Yaw turned setbacks into silverware

Speaking in a one-on-one interview with Ghana Sports News Northern Region correspondent Ganiwu Alhassan, Bismark reflected on the defining moments that shaped his team’s remarkable campaign.

“When they chose us to represent the region after the Northern Regional Inter-School Competition, when we went for camping at Tamale to train, we talked to ourselves, and we had the vim that we’re going to bring the trophy to the Northern Region,” he said.

That confidence was tested early at the Inter-Regional Schools & Colleges Sports Festival. The Northern Region side lost their opening match, a setback that could have derailed their ambitions. Instead, it became a turning point.

“So when we went for the 2025 Inter-Regional Schools & Colleges Sports Festival, we lost our first game, and when we returned to the hotel, we sat down as a team, and we said, we lost this match, but we are going to win the rest of our matches,” Bismark recalled.

The response was emphatic. A 2–0 victory over Oti Region followed, before a walkover in their third match. Momentum built steadily, and by the semi-finals, the Northern Region was brimming with belief.

“We played against the Greater Accra in the semi-finals, and we won 1-0. The final game, we won on penalties, and we won the championship,” he added.

Atta Yaw: What is next for the prolific striker?

Bismark’s performances did not go unnoticed. After the Northern Regional Inter-School Competition, several clubs and institutions approached him and his teammates with offers.

Yet, the 17-year-old revealed that careful advice shaped his next steps.

“Yes, we had teams that came to us, they want us to join their teams, and training Colleges but when we return home, there are so many advises that the Division Two and Three teams won’t help our development,” he explained.

For Atta Yaw, long-term growth mattered more than quick exposure.

“So it’s good that we get a well-structured academy to join to help us develop well and also give us an experience and explore to become better professionals,” he said.

He noted that interest came from several Division Two sides in Tamale, including Tamale Dreams FC and RTU, but the decision was made to wait.

“At the Regional Inter-School games in Tamale, there were a lot of Division Two teams in Tamale who contacted us, including Tamale Dreams FC, RTU but we decided not to play,” he added.

Looking ahead, his ambitions are clear and unwavering.
“I pray and work harder to become a better professional, who want to play in Europe, specifically in England.”

Atta Yaw: Goals, glory and individual honours

On the pitch, Bismark let his football do the talking. He scored several decisive goals en route to the 2025 Northern Regional Inter-Schools title, including the fastest goal of the tournament – finding the net just four minutes into the final against Ghana Senior High School in Tamale.

His influence carried into the national stage. Across both tournaments, he scored four goals in six matches and played a key role as his teams lifted the 2025 Northern Regional Inter-Schools trophy and the 2025 Inter-Regional Schools & Colleges Sports Festival title.

His consistency and match-winning impact earned him the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in both competitions.

Bismark’s football education began with Kpandai Samba FC before he moved on to Rex Academy.

He was part of the Samba Boys side that finished first in the Ankasie Cup and placed second in the maiden edition of the Bowmarie Community Football Gala Competition.

Crowned Best Player at the Northern Inter-School Championship in Tamale, he was again selected to represent the region in Takoradi – and once more emerged as Best Player.

At just 17, Atta Yaw Bismark’s story is still being written. But with trophies, individual honours, and a clear vision for his future, he is already proving that greatness begins with belief.