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Osei Kofi charges Black Stars players to win AFCON trophy

Two-Time African Cup of Nations winner with the Black Stars, Rev Osei Kofi, has charged the present crop of players to make winning the AFCON a priority.

This, in his opinion, will justify the huge monetary investment in the team.

Speaking to the Times Sports yesterday, the celebrated soccer icon said it has been 39 years now since Ghana last won the Nations Cup “and this does not augur well for the present generation of players who are being given all they demand before putting on the national jersey.”

“We did not have the opportunity that they are having today. We were promised a complete house in 1978, by the Colonel Kutu Acheampong regime who called his Special Assistant Lt Col Simpe Asante and myself to the castle and told us that we should confide with the Black Stars players that if they win the historic third AFCON trophy that year, each player would get an estate each at Dansoman – which was being built at that time.”

He said, unfortunately, Col Acheampong was ousted in July of that year by Lt-General Fred Akuffo, “who later told us that he was not the one that promised us, and till date, we have heard nothing about that promise.”

“We were saddened that a Head of State made a promised on behalf of the state and till date, that promise is still hanging.”

For him, sometimes he feels the law of Karma is at work, and the present generation of the Black Stars is taking a cue from the failed promise to his generation.

“The present players have learnt well from what was done to us in the past; so today they demand money before playing and I support them wholeheartedly.

“Indeed, they should even take more. However, they should remember that they owe the public. We were not paid but we produced the trophies. They are being paid huge appearance fees and bonuses, so they need to satisfy the public by winning the trophy.”

Rev Kofi stated further that the time has come for the players to check themselves and know that to whom much is given, much is desired.

BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY

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