Former Black Stars captain, Stephen Appiah, has revealed late Sam Arday, coach of the Black Starlets Ecuador’s 1995 U-17 World Cup winning team prophesied that he will be one of the best players in Ghana.
Speaking on JoySports Prime Take with Muftawu Nabila Abdulai, Appiah said despite playing just a game in the entire tournament, Arday could foretell he will have a great career in football.
“In Ecuador [during the U-17 World Cup], I had the chance to play one game. I'm not going to say only [one game] because I have to be true to myself that the players who were there were better, they had the experience; players like Joe Ansah, Baba Sulley, David Amoako, Abu Iddrisu, Emmanuel Bentil, Awudu Issaka and the rest, I mean they were ahead of me,” he noted.
"So when we played our first and second games, we won the two games so by the third game we had qualified already so I was given the opportunity to play the last game. I played so well, Charles Allortey scored the only goal, we beat them 1-0.
"I didn’t get the opportunity to play again, we won the trophy we came back, and when we came back, we took the trophy on a tour. When we got to the Accra sports stadium, there were a lot of fans to welcome us.
“When Sam Arday was giving his speech, he said that he was thanking the fans and the players and everybody who supported them to win, but one thing [he added was that] there's a young player in our team who didn't get the chance to play but one day he will be one of the best in this country and it happened,” he stated.
He added that; “he [Arday] knew the quality I had. Sam Arday was a great man. He was one of those coaches who could look at a player and predict that he will be good in the future and most of the time, it happens.”
Stephen Appiah would go on to lead the Black Stars to its maiden appearance in the World Cup in 2006, before repeating the feat in 2010 where Ghana reached the quarterfinal of the tournament when it was staged in Africa for the first time.
Latest Stories
-
2024 LCB corporate games kicks off to strengthen port industry solidarity
4 mins -
Limited registration: Political parties must stop bussing and encouraging minors, foreigners to register – Bossman Asare
23 mins -
Oheneyere Mrs. Helen Opong-Kesse
47 mins -
ECG urges community collaboration to safeguard electricity infrastructure
56 mins -
WAFU B Nations Cup: ‘We want to host and win’ – Black Starlets coach Laryea Kingston
57 mins -
Lens put Ghana’s Salis Abdul Samed up for sale – Report
1 hour -
Ghana has made significant investments in technology-driven education – Akufo-Addo
1 hour -
Mr. James Yalley Assuah Kwofie, IGP (RTD)
1 hour -
There’s no need to recall Parliament – Minority
1 hour -
Aya Institute advocates gender-responsive media as Ghana hosts 3rd African Media Convention
2 hours -
CAA II seniors to serve as Paris Olympics qualifier – Bawah Fuseini
2 hours -
Dr Bawumia’s vision will transform Ghana – Volta NPP Chair
2 hours -
Only those who decide to play the ‘fool’ stay married – Real Warri Pikin
3 hours -
Cedi can only stabilse temporarily but will keep on depreciating – Prof Bokpin
3 hours -
Finance Ministry develops financial strategy to support SMEs
3 hours