Kwame Nkrumah’s role in Black Stars’ conquests

January 6, 2015

Ghana's First President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, is arguably the president with the greatest contribution to Ghana's African football conquests, so far.

Below are some of the remarkable steps he took to enable Ghana beat them all in football on the African continent.

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, in his ambition to ensure African Unity, believed that football could be used as a tool to ensure that. As a result, he appointed Ohene Djan the then Chairman of the Ghana Amateur Football Association (GAFA) as the Director of Sports, a new Ministerial Portfolio on 1st July, 1960.

The ultra Pan-Africanist encouraged Ohene Djan to form Real Republicans, also known as Osagyefo’s Own Club in the early 1960’s.

As a model club, two players were selected from each team and that enabled them to be an instant hit in Ghana football, hence winning one league title and four consecutive FA Cups, a Ghanaian club record, to date, in the FA Cup competitions.

That team formed a core of the Black Stars team that won the Nations Cup in 1963. They produced nine of the 18 players selected for the tournament.

The Black Stars team that achieved the historic African Nations Cup triumph (18-man squad)

Players alive (11 players)
Dodoo Ankrah (Real Republicans), Evans Oblitey (Real Republicans), Ben Acheampong former Ben Simmons (Real Republicans), Franklin Crentsil (Real Republicans), Kwame Adarkwa (Kotoko), Kofi Pare (Real Republicans), Wilberforce Mfum (Kotoko), Agyemang Gyau (Real Republicans), Leonard Acquah (Defence Stars), E.E DeGraft (Cornerstones), Osei Kofi (Kotoko),

Players dead (Seven players)
Addo Odametey (Real Republicans), Edward Acquah (Real Republicans), Mohammed Salisu (Kotoko), Aggrey Fynn (Captain, Real Republicans), Ofei Dodoo (Hearts of Oak), Joe Aikens (Cornerstones), Atta Kwame (B.A United).

the Real Republicans was disbanded, following the overthrow of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in 1966.

Organisation of high profile trial matches

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah through the Director of Sports, Ohene Djan invited Real Madrid to Ghana in 1962.

That Real Madrid team had won the UEFA Champions League on five consecutive seasons from 1956 to 1960. The spanish giant also played in the final of the UEFA Champions League in 1962, but lost to Benfica and they had the finest players on the globe like Puskas, Alfredo Di Stefano.

That game, played at the Accra Sports Stadium , ended 3-3, boosting Ghana's confidence.

Ghana won the first AFCON on home soil in 1963
Prior to that tournament, the Black Stars were champions in their own right, having won three West African Championships.

African Cup of Nations. Ghana topped group 'A', while Sudan topped group 'B', both
booking a date in the 1963 final.

Ghana 3-0 Sudan

Scorers: Aggrey-Finn (pen) 62, Edward Acquah 72, 82]

The three times champions of West Africa, ascended the continental throne, after beating Sudan 3-0 in the final of the African cup of nations, exhibiting  fluid interplay among the soccer Trojans – Edward Acquah, Leonard Acquah and Mfum – at the early stages of the first half.

After substituting Leonard Acquah, Ofei Dodoo injected some life into the game in the second half, while Mfum and Acquah pressed the action.

In a despearate attempt to clear the ball, a hard-pressed Sudanese defender handled the ball, and skipper Aggrey Fyn stepped up to beat goalkeeper Sabit Dodoo from the spot in the 62nd min.

Acquah bang in two more goals for Ghana to complete the wallop.

 

Ghana won the second AFCON in 1965 on North African soil

21-11-65 Ghana 3-2 Tunisia

[Odoi 37, 96, Osei Kofi 79; Tahar Chaibi 67, Abdelmajid Chetali 47]

Osei Kofi won Ghana’s nation cup for them by scoring the match winner within the extra 20 minutes.

That helped Ghana break the myth about host nations that played in the finals of the AFCON always winning it.

EDITED FROM: allsports.com.gh

 


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