GHANA Football Legacy

GENERAL:

Photo: Emmanuel Osei Kuffour "General" tackling Morocco legend Mustapha Hadji as Black Stars of Ghana come up against Atlas Lions of Morocco on June 8, 1997 in a FIFA World cup qualifier in Casablanca.

MATCH:
Morocco beat Ghana 1-0 courtesy of Khalid Raghib in the 77th minute after a seemingly perfect goal scored by Abedi Pele was disallowed by referee Magassa Sidi Bekaye. Morocco thus qualified for France 1998 FIFA World Cup at the expense of Ghana.

AFRICA'S BEST RIGHT BACK IN THE MID-1990s.

Photo: Frank Amankwah playing for AFRICA XI Vs EUROPE XI friendly match played @ the Estádio de la Lux in Loisbon, Portugal in 1997.

MATCH:
Frank Amankwah and Abedi Pele were the only 2 players selected from Ghana.

Africa XI won 2-1, with goal coming from Abedi Pele (14th min) and Mustapha Hadji (78th min), Europe XI had their equaliser/consolation by Vincent Guérin (43rd min).

AFRICA FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR 1991, 1992 &1993:

Photo: Abedi Pele playing for Ghana Black Stars against the super Eagles of Nigeria in the semi-finals of the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Senegal.

Ghana won 2-1. Abedi Pele scored in the 43rd minute to equalise Mutiu Adepoju's opener. Prine Opoku 'Polley' scored the winner in the 54th minute

Though Abedi missed the final through suspension after receiving a 2nd yellow card in the tournament against Nigeria, was voted BEST PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT by CAF. Abedi Pele and Tony Yeboah were the only Ghanaian players to make it in the CAF Team of the Tournament.

AFRICA FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR AWARDS:
Until 1993, the Africa footballer of the years awards was by organised by France Football Magazine. CAF started theirs in 1993. That year while FFM offered the award to Abedi Pele, CAF later controversially offered theirs to Rashid Yekini of Nigeria who the plied his trade with Vitória de Setúbal in Portugal at the time.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO FORMER BLACK STARS CAPTAIN CHARLES KWABLA AKONNOR

Photo:
C.K Akonnor playing for Black Stars of Ghana against Atlas Lions of Morocco on June 8, 1997 in a FIFA World cup qualifier in Casablanca.

MATCH:
Morocco beat Ghana 1-0 courtesy of Khalid Raghib in the 77th minute after a seemingly perfect goal scored by Abedi Pele was disallowed by referee Magassa Sidi Bekaye.

Enjoy your day to the max captain!

MAESTRO:

Photos: 2 time African football of the year Abedi Pele giving Paulo Maldini a torrid time during the final of the maiden Uefa Champions league final on 26th May, 1993 @ the Olympic stadium in Munich.

MATCH:
Marseille having lost the final as favourites two years ago against Red Star Belgrade were determined to make amends. However, AC Milan was the best team in the world by the time of this final.

Abedi Pele deployed to the right side of attack/wing gave Maldini a hell of time and at most times Milan players had to double up on him. Abedi was voted Man-of-the-match as he provided the assist for the only goal of the match. Abedi effected an in-swinger corner kick from the right for center back Basile Boli to head home what turned out to be the only goal of the match. Marseille won 1-0 against a star-studded AC Milan. Marseille thus became the 1st French club to win the European/Uefa Champions league.

HISTORY MADE: 2000

Photo: Jacob Nettey kissing the CAF Champions League Trophy made history being the 1st Hearts of Oak captain to lift Africa's club most prestigious trophy in the year 2000.

Hearts of Oak beat Esperance of Tunis both home and away. Hearts won 2-1 away and 3-1 at home.

PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS:
*1977: Hearts of Oak got to the final of the competition by spectacularly accounting for Mufulira Wanderers of Zambia in the 'Miracle of El-Wak'. Hearts lost 5-2 in Zambia and won 3-0 at El-Wak. Hearts couldn't play at their favourite Accra Sports stadium due to renovation works for the 1978 AFCON.

Hearts played Hafia FC of Guinea and lost both legs. Hearts surprisingly lost 1-0 in Accra courtesy of a goal from Touré on 4th December, 1977. In the return leg on 18th December 1977, Hearts again lost 3-2 in Conakry despite Anas Seidu and Robert Hammond scoring for Hearts of Oak. Bangoura, Sylla and Camara also scored for Hafia.

*1979: Hearts of Oak beat US Gorée of Senegal in both legs. Hearts won 2-1 away in Gorée and also 4-1 in Accra.

Hearts played Union Douala on 2nd December 1979 in Accra and won by a slim 1-0 scoreline, goal scored by John Nketia Yawson in the 87th minute. In the away leg in Douala on 16th December 1979, as Hearts was almost running away with the trophy, the referee awarded a very controversial penalty against Hearts of Oak's defender for a bicycle kick in the 90th minute. Goalkeeper Joseph Antione Bell converted to put the match at 1-1 aggregate score. Union won the post match penalty shoot-out 5-3.

ARGENTINA 2001:

Photo: Jubilant Ghana Black Satellites celebrate Abass Inusah's 83rd minute goal during the semi-final of 2001 FIFA U-20 Youth Championship hosted by Argentina. Players (L-R): Emmanuel Addoquaye Pappoe, Sulley Muntari, Frank Osei (on top), Abbas Inusah (back facing cam), Derek Boateng and Razak Ibrahim.

Ghana won 2-0 against Egypt, courtesy of an own goal by El Atrawy in the 88th minute.

Ghana played host nation Argenetina in the final and lost 3-0 to the Javier Saviola inspired side.

ARMAH SENEGAL!

Photo: Emmanuel Armah 'Senegal' seems to have won a loose ball in the final of the 1992 AFCON against Ivory Coast.

Match ended 0-0 after 120 mins and Ghana lost 11-10 on penalties.

ARMAH'S BLACK STARS CAREER:
Emmanuel Armah earned his 1st Black Stars call-up in 1990 and played at various times during the 1990s. He played his last Black Stars match in a FIFA World cup qualifier against Morocco in Casablanca on 8th June 1997. Armah was red carded in this match in the 64th minute. He amassed a total of 17 caps scoring 1 goal in his Black Stars career.

OTTO ADDO HAD A TOUGH BATTLE WITH MARC-VIVIÉN FOE IN THIS CRUNCHER:

Photo: Ghana's creative midfielder Otto Addo gets a typical tackle from the late Marc-Vivien Foe during the opening match of the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria.

MATCH:
This match was a group A opener played at the Accra sports stadium on January 22, 2000. Stadium capacity was 45,000. Centre referee was UAE's FIFA licenced referee Mohamed Ali Bujsaim.

Match ended 1-1. Marc-Vivien Foe opened the scoring for Cameroon in the 19th minute, and the experienced Kwame Ayew equalised for Ghana in the 56th minute. Foe man-marked and frustrated Otto Addo in midfield for the entire match until Otto Addo was replaced with Stephen Appiah in the 67th minute.

GHANA'S STARTING LINE-UP;
-Richard Kingson
-Stephen Baidoo
-Mohammed Gargo
-Christian Gyan
-Samuel Johnson
-Otto Addo
-Kwame Ayew
-Alex Nyarko
-Augustine Ahinful
-Charles Akunnor (c)
-Samuel Osei Kuffour

Substitutions for Ghana:
•Peter Ofori-Quaye for Augustine Ahinful 36"
•Mark Edusei for Mohammed Gargo 55"
•Stephen Appiah for Otto Addo 67"

Manager: Giuseppe Dossena

CAMEROON'S STARTING LINE-UP:
▪︎Boukar Alioum
▪︎Raymond Kalla
▪︎Pierre Njanka
▪︎Rigobert Song
▪︎Pierre Womé
▪︎Lauren Etame Mayer
▪︎Salomon Olembe
▪︎Marc-Vivien Foe
▪︎Geremi Njitap
▪︎Joseph-Desire Job
▪︎Patrick Mboma

Substitutions for Cameroon:
•Pius Ndiefi for Joseph-Desire Job 64"
•Samuel Eto'o for Patrick Mboma 80"
•Lucien Mettomo for Salomon Olembe 81"

Manager: Pierre Lechantre

NOTE:
Otto Addo was probably the most creative player in the Ghana squad for that tournament and scored a sublime goal for Ghana against Togo during the 2nd group A match in the 37th minute to add to Kwame Ayew's opener in the 28th minute. Ghana won 2-0, and that was enough to qualify them from the group in the end to set up a quarter final clash against South Africa in Kumasi.

GOAL MACHINE!

Black Stars forward Kwasi Owusu scored five goals against Niger in the second round of the 1970 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers at the Accra Sports Stadium on 2nd February 1969 when Black Stars won (6-0).

In the return leg, the legendary goal-poacher scored four goals in Ghana’s [1-9] victory in Niamey, Niger on 15th February 1969.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MOHAMMED GARGO
'A Great Servant of Ghana National Teams Levels'

Photo: Mohammed Gargo playing for Black Stars of Ghana against the 'Oranje' of Netherlands in an international friendly match on 13th October, 1998 in Arnheim. Match ended 0:0.

CLUB CAREER:
1990-1991 Real Tamale United
1991-1996 Torino
1993-1994 Borussia Dortmund (loan)
1994-1995 Bayern Munich (loan)
1995 Stoke City (loan)
1995-1996 Udinese (loan)
1996-2004 Udinese
2003 Venezia
2004-2005 Genoa
2005-2007 Al Wakrah
2007-2008 Ashgold

NATIONAL TEAM CAREER 🇬🇭
●1991 Black Starlets (U-17)
●1992 Black Meteors (U-23)
●1993 Black Satellites (U-20)
●1992-2001 Black Stars
-Afcons (1992, 1998 & 2000)

COACHING CAREER:
2009-2010 New Edubiase United
2010-2012 Real Tamale United
2015 B.A United
2016 Okwawu United
2018 Tura Magic
2018-2020 African Stars FC (Namibia)
2020 - Steadfast

HONOURS (as a player)
●1991 FIFA U-17 World Cup 🏆🥇
●1992 Olympic Games (Barcelona 92) 🥉
●1992 African Cup of Nations 🥈
●1993 FIFA U-20 Youth World Tournament 🥈

■2000 UEFA Intertoto Cup (Udinese) 🏆🥇

🚨 He played for all the men’s national soccer teams 🇬🇭

🚨He is the only Ghanaian to have captained two Italian Serie A clubs (Udinese and Genoa)

🚨He participated in three AFCONS

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU LEGEND 🎂🍾🥂🍹

Caption notes credit: Sportsnsempa Tv