Ghanaian football legend, Owusu Mensah, has opened up about unfulfilled promises made to the Black Stars team before the 1982 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) tournament. Despite emerging victorious in the competition, the promises made were never kept.
During the final match against host country Libya at the 11th June Stadium in Tripoli, Ghana secured the championship title by defeating the home team 7-6 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regular time. George Alhassan scored the opening goal for Ghana in the 35th minute, while Ali Al-Beshari leveled the score for Libya in the 70th minute.
George Alhassan emerged as the top scorer of the tournament with four goals, showcasing his exceptional skills on the field. Owusu Mensah, who played for Cornerstones and Accra Hearts of Oak, reflected on the broken promises in a recent interview on the Ernest Bruce Smith Show on YouTube.
According to Mensah, the promises made by then leader JJ Rawlings were never fulfilled. Rawlings had allegedly told the team to lead with the ball and assured them that they would be backed by guns. However, the rewards promised never materialized, leaving the players disappointed and disillusioned.
Mensah revealed that the unmet promises led to a fallout within the team, with some players deciding to leave and pursue opportunities abroad. When the time came to defend their title in Ivory Coast, the team was in disarray, struggling to perform at their best without the support they had been assured.
Despite the challenges faced by the team, Mensah expressed his pride in representing Ghana and his love for the sport. His revelations shed light on the difficulties encountered by players behind the scenes, highlighting the importance of transparency and accountability in sports management.
