Ghana’s 1963 and 1965 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) winning goalkeeper, Alhaji Adam Nii Dodoo Ankrah, has described as unfortunate the financial support extended to players who won the tournament for Ghana by John Dramani Mahama if it was meant to fulfil the promise of houses made to them by former president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

In 2015, prior to the AFCON in Equatorial Guinea, then-president John Mahama gave each member of the four AFCON-winning teams about GHC 1.8m for the success chalked for the country many years ago.

It was believed that the money was given to the players as a fulfilment of a promise made by Kwame Nkrumah and Ignatius Kutu Acheampong in 1963, 1965, and 1978.

Speaking in a Prime Take interview with Muftawu Nabila Abdulai, which will be broadcast on Friday, July 12, at 7:30 am and Saturday, July 13, at 7:30 pm, Mr Ankrah said he would be surprised if that’s what the money was meant for.

“In 1963, we won the Cup. In 1964, we had a respectable finish in the Olympics in Tokyo, though we lost 5-1 to Egypt. Then he [Kwame Nkrumah] said, ‘It’s time for you to go and defend the Cup [AFCON won in 1963] in Tunis. Please, go there and defend the Cup; come back and your houses will be ready for you,'” Ankrah recalled.

He reminisced about how he and his teammates were elated and motivated by Nkrumah’s promise.

“We were all very happy. By the grace of God, the most gracious, the most merciful, we defended the Cup in Tunis. When we came back, we were yet to go and tell him that we have completed the assignment he gave us and we set our minds for, and we have done what you expected us to do, so we are coming for our reward.”

However, their joy was short-lived. A coup d’état by Colonel E.K. Kotoka, Major A.A. Afrifa, and J.A. Ankrah overthrew Nkrumah’s government, disrupted the political landscape, and the promised houses never materialised.

“It wasn’t long before the coup d’état in Ghana, so we lost the opportunity to own houses despite all the sacrifices we did for Mother Ghana,” the former Great Olympics goalkeeper lamented.

The coup d’état might have taken Nkrumah out of power, but his promise remained relevant, thus, the group resorted to writing letters to subsequent leaders to fulfil the promise, until John Mahama heeded their call.

“We wrote letters upon letters, but it never came. Before the head of state, His Excellency John Mahama left [office in 2016], he gave some money to be shared among the four [AFCON] winning teams. If that money was meant for the promises that we had from the head of state, Kwame Nkrumah, then it’s unfortunate.”

The financial package, which was about GHC 1.8m, is not enough to repair the career-ending injuries they suffered, hence his disappointment.

“When I was coming in for this interview, you saw how I was walking, it’s due to injuries I had when I was playing. So many players suffered while playing for Ghana. Frank Crentsil was in a wheelchair, Acquah was in a wheelchair, and Salifu died because someone who was supposed to help him go to the hospital was not around. Adarkwah, Acquah, so many players have suffered severely from their patriotism to this country.”

Ankrah’s comments echo the earlier disappointment expressed by Mohammed Polo and Rev Osei Kofi on this subject matter on Prime Take.

Myjoyonline