Ghana Sports – Why Are The Mighty Falling?

Within a space of time 2015-2017, Ghana has lost a number of top sports personalities especially coaches like Charles Kumi Gyamfi, Ben Koufie, Jones Attuquayefio, Fred Osam Duodu, Emmanuel Kwesi Afranie, Sam Arday, Kofi Bruce a footballer who founded the Inter Departments League and Erasmus Adorkor, Director of the Winneba Sports College.

These names readily come to mind because they went within a time and at a period that most Ghanaians fell Ghana Sports and especially Ghana Football is nose diving.

As the Black Stars struggle to win cups, those who played and guided the team to win laurel are going down.

Saturday February 25, 2017 is going to be remembered as when two very popular Ghanaian sports coaches were buried simultaneously in the Eastern region and Ashanti region.

Fred Osam Duodu who coached the Black Stars to win the Africa cup of nations in 1978 will be buried at Swedru in the Central region. He also led the Black Satellites (National U20) to win many laurels.

Coachene Emmanuel Kwesi Afranie who is on record to coach all the levels or the national football teams including the female team, the Black Queens will be buried in the Ashanti region. He died mysteriously when the ambulance carrying him on transfer to the Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital run accidentally into the Birim river and drown.

Afranie led the Black Satellites to reach the finals and won silver at Argentina 2001 World Youth Cup, and coached the Black Starlets (National U17) in 1997 to win another silver in Egypt.

He coached the Black Stars to many victories and named himself ‘Coachene’ meaning chief of coaches after working with all the top clubs like Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak.

Former volleyball star and coach who was employed at the National Sports Authority (NSA) and rose to become deputy director general and later principal of the Winneba Sport College, Erasmus Adorkor will be buried in the Volta region on March 11, 2017.

The late Kofi Bruce, former Black Stars and Accra Hearts of Oak player who founded and organised the INDADFA league was be buried in Accra on Friday February 24, 2017.

Indeed, it is sad to see the demise of all these national heroes and being buried on the same day, especially coaches Osam Duodu and E. K. Afranie. May their souls rest in peace.

Over the last two years, Ghana has lost top notch coaches including Charles Kumi (C.K.) Gyamfi who spearheaded Ghana’s African Cup victories in the 1960s and was Team Manager in 1978 and 1982, Jones Attuquayefio who led Accra Hearts of Oak to win the enviable African Champions League and the African Super Cup. He also coached the Black Starlets and Black Stars.

Former Black Stars coach, GFA chairman and CAF Instructor, Ben Koufie also departed.

Just a fortnight ago, coach Samuel Hemans Arday who led the Starlets to win gold in Ecuador in 2005 and also handled the Black Stars also passed on. He was the brain behind the formation of Feyenoord Football Academy which later became WAFA FC.

The Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG), Online Sports Journalists Union (OSJU) and Women In Sports Association (WISA) pray for their souls to rest in peace.