Dortmund, GERMANY – I grew up in Ghana watching “Football Made In Germany” with ace football commentator and writer Kwabena Yeboah as host during the early 1990s. Even though I was that young, I remember my father and elder brothers scream names including Anthony Yeboah and Jay Jay Okocha (Eintracht Frankfurt), Sammy Kuffour (Bayern Munich), when the show came around each weekend.

It was my sole connection to iconic grounds like the Munich Olympic Stadium, Berlin Olympic Stadium and the dreaded Signa Iduna park because of course there was no live coverage of  Germany’s top flight in Africa back then. But that connection to Germany ended somewhere along the line when football made in Germany was discontinued. 

But the memories live on- probably the most impactful Ghanaian football ambassadors to the German Bundesliga till date are arguably former Black Stars defender Sammy Kuffour and striker Tony Yeboah. Kuffour joined Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in 1993 and became an integral part of a formidable Bayern Munich side that won six league titles, four DFB-Pokal cups and one Champions League trophy during a glittering eleven-year stint in Bavaria. 

Lethal striker Yeboah almost single-handedly changed the entire perception of black and African footballers in Germany through his ability to perform on the pitch. His move to Germany saw him score 26 in 65 appearances over a two-year period for FC Saarbrucken and that performance earned him a move to Eintracht Frankfurt where, despite receiving a hostile reception as the club’s first ever black player, he quickly became a cult hero. with a record of 68 goals in 123 appearances.

Related: Joy Sports' George Addo Jnr in Germany for Bundesliga Media Visit

The list is really endless with the likes of current assistant coach of the Black Stars Ibrahim Tanko, Otto Addo, Mattew Amoah, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Mallam Yaya, Bashiru Gambo, current Kotoko boss Charles Kwablan Akonnor alongside Black Meteors assistant coach Michael Osei have all contributed immensely to the German Bundesliga.

I know many old enough while reading this will be reminiscing such great times but the opportunity to even get closer to the new Football made in Germany is to stay glued to StarTimes Ghana who now broadcast Bundesliga games every match day. Thanks to them, Football made in Germany simply got closer.

StarTimes has secured the live television rights to German soccer's Bundesliga for the next five years and that grants its exclusive coverage of the league in sub-Saharan Africa, at the 5th African Digital Television Development Seminar in Tianjin, China. So a good time to see what you have been missing in the new Football Made In Germany

And I'm particularly thrilled to be a part of select African journalists invited by Bundesliga International to witness among other things the spectacle of the Dortmund-Wolfsburg game this weekend at the dreaded Signal Iduna Park  and been afforded with the opportunity to interview Bundesliga representatives, visit Borussia Dortmund facilities, interact with a Bundesliga legends and those behind the scenes at the DFL (Deutsche Fußball Liga) courtesy Bundesliga International and StarTimes Ghana .

You can Follow George's updates on various Multimedia Platforms his  Twitter page @Addojnr, on Facebook and on  Instagram @Addo_junr

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