Meet Prince Opoku Polley
Ghana soccer history and particularly Asante Kotoko and FC Twente would be incomplete without mentioning Prince Opoku Polley.
Born On May 4th 1969, injury forced the former Black Stars midfielder/ forward to quit the game and profession that brought him fame in 1999, after a stint with Dutch side FC Aarau.
Polley revealed on 'Where are they?' programme, hosted by Charles Osei Asibey on Happy FM this morning, that but for the injury he sustained after the South African 1996 Nations Cup, he would have stayed a little longer on the pitch.
Despite contributing his quota to the leather game, he would have wished that he was still active and doing what he knows best, hitting the back of the net.
Responding to the goal famine challenge confronting the Stars, he said that 'In our time, Abedi Pele, Yeboah and myself were scoring , if I don't, they will do it. But now, Asamoah Gyan is the lone ranger.'
He made 54 appearances for Holland-based FC Twente and finished as the top scorer with 11 goals in the '93/'94 season, and he was a member of the fearsome 1992 Black Stars squad that finished as losing finalists without their talismanic skipper Abedi, in the famous 11-10 penalty shootout against Cote d'Ivoire.
To the 'Prince of goals', as he was affectionately referred to, due to his predatory instincts, he attached a lot of importance to the Stars' game, and anytime he was invited he exhibited superlative performance in the national shirt.
The former Black Stars midfield/forward ace came into the limelight when he featured for Kotoko against Zamalek in Kumasi. 'I was then up-and-coming but I didn't disgrace myself,' he added.
He is currently living in Ghana as a business man, after a long stay in Europe, and despite advances by former play mate and now the coach of Kotoko, Ebo Mends, to lend him a hand in the technical area, he noted that he wants to concentrate on his business for now.
He however pointed out that he has given Mends the assurance that he would not hesitate to support his former club when the need arises.
His business ambitions notwithstanding, he promised to return to the globular leather in future. He played alongside players like Sarfo Gyanfi, goalkeeper Mohammed Odoom, Isaac 'Naana' Eshun , Kwaku Kyere, Kwaku Ofori, Stanley Aborah, the late Thomas 'Gambo' Hammond (First in the Air), George Arthur, Ahmed Rockson, John Bannerman, Sam Ayipey, Kofi Abbrey, etc.