Dossey Was Dedicated To Football

Coach Sam Arday has described the death of goalkeeper Ibrahim Dossey as a very unfortunate and sad news, saying football has lost one of its most dedicated stars.

Dossey, a Ghanaian goalkeeper domiciled in Romania, died last week after he failed to recover from coma after a fatal car crash last September.

“Dossey was dedicated to the sport and was willing to go every length just to play and excel. It's sad that he had to be lost in such a manner,” Coach Arday said of Dossey's death.

He said Dossey was not only dedicated to football, but was also a highly religious person as a Muslim and made personal discipline, focus and respect for both playmates and coaches the cardinal points of his career.

“The fact that he stayed away from the limelight and concentrated on his career was indicative of what he wanted to achieve,” Coach Arday explained, saying he believed that also did not help the goalkeeper when he needed help most.

“I believe his long absence also affected the kind of response he had. Most people had lost touch and could therefore not positively respond to the appeal for help.

Only the foreign-based stars who played with him, especially at the Olympic Games, went to his aid.”

As the coach who stood his ground and sent Dossey to the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games when everyone insisted the goalkeeper be dropped, he was quite emotional, saying Dossey deserved every credit for Ghana's history-making effort in Barcelona.

“When I decided to take three goalkeepers to Barcelona, there was a lot of talk that I take only two, Simon Addo and Osei-Kwadwo, but I insisted Dossey who had impressed me come along. I took a lot of verbal attacks for that decision but eventually I was vindicated.

“At the Games, Osei-Kwadwo fell sick and Addo got injured, so the lot fell on Dossey to be in post and he did not disappoint,” Coach Arday recollected of his association with the late goalkeeper.

Coach Arday said Dossey's confidence and businesslike approach to duty earned him his respect and described as a pity his inability to command a regular place in the Stars.

Meanwhile, Black Stars goalkeeper, William Amamoo, has pledged to do all he can to help cater for the young family the late goalkeeper is leaving behind.

Amamoo who rallied financial support for Dossey during his time of hospitalisation and personally donated close to $15,000, was heart-broken that Dossey lost the fight to live.

“It shows just how vulnerable we are as human beings, and the need to intensify the campaign against road accidents.

Though I'm saddened by the death of Dossey, I'll continue to do for his family what he would have done were he alive. I'll help in whatever way so his young family does not feel his death and absence that much,” Amamoo said in reaction.

Dossey's career in Ghana took him around the then Goldfields Football Club as well as Real Tamale United where he was part of the team that participated in the CAF Cup which eventually earned him a call-up to the Black Meteors squad in 1992.Story by Rosalind Amoh