By Ken Bediako
This is the 4th in the series on Asante Kotoko FC legends who, in my estimation. deserve to be in a Hall of Fame.
The compilation is my voluntary contribution to the celebration of the fabulous club’s 89th anniversary on August 31.
The focus today is on ace goalkeeper Robert Mensah and prolific goal scorer Opoku Afriyie, both deceased.
ROBERT MENSAH was Africa’s number one goalkeeper in the early 70s. With his trademark cap, the extremely confident Robert inspired Asante Kotoko to their first Africa Cup triumph in Congo Kinshasa on January 24 1971 at the expense of local idols Englebert. He made several dramatic saves in that epic cup final. Indeed, it was his antics in the goalpost that scared Englebert’s penalty taker to shoot wide at the closing stages of the game with Kotoko leading 2-1.
Sadly, Robert’s brilliant football career was cut short on November 2 1971, only ten months after his heroics in Kinshasa. The well-built, happy -go -lucky goalie was stabbed at a drinking bar at Tema reportedly in an attempt to separate two friends engaged in a fight. He underwent a major surgical operation at the Tema General Hospital where he died three days later.
Robert’s funeral was the most elaborate in history for a Ghanaian footballer. The body was flown from Accra to Kumasi by the Ghana Air Force. Libation was poured at a ceremony at the stadium before the body was flown to Takoradi Air Force Station then finally by road to Cape Coast, his home town.
Burial took place at the famous Queen Ann’s Point Cemetery in a gold plated casket provided by Mr Frimpong Ansah, then Governor of the Bank of Ghana and also Asante Kotoko Board member.
Robert Mensah joined Asante Kotoko from Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs in 1970 after he had been voted the best goalkeeper in Africa at the end of Afcon 1970 in Sudan.
His movement to Kotoko raised a lot of storm when Dwarfs accused Kotoko of poaching their best player. In the midst of the confusion the GFA Disciplinary Committee detected that Robert had been involved in double registration for both Kotoko and Dwarfs.
The Disciplinary Committee had to sit on the case three days to the start of the National League and Robert was declared eligible to play for Asante Kotoko.
As fate would have it, Robert Mensah’s first assignment turned out to be a disaster as Kotoko were trounced 3-0 by Cornerstone in a local Derby. Unperturbed Robert remained unruffled and subsequently played a major role in Kotoko’s Africa Cup triumph and the National League.
OPOKU AFRIYIE the nimble footed and slippery player, will go down in the history of Kotoko as one of the club’s most prolific goal scorers. Affectionately called “Businessman” by the sporting media, he was also tops at the national level with the Black Stars. He is best remembered for the two goals he scored that gave the Black Stars a 2-0 win over Uganda to win the original Africa Cup for keeps in Accra in 1978.
His record in the Africa champion clubs competition was also superb. He got a hat-trick in the 1982 continental clash against Kampala City Council of Uganda in Kumasi that Kotoko won 6-0.
An unfortunate rift with Kotoko management in 1983 resulted in his compulsory retirement from the team. The outspoken Kotoko skipper played briefly for close rivals Accra Hearts of Oak for one season and soon returned to his “natural habitat.” He was for a long spell team manager of Kotoko and doubled as Black Stars welfare officer.
Opoku Afriyie’s goal scoring prowess was detected as a teenager in the early 70s when he was a colts’ player for Kumasi Hearts Babies. He was already a household name at Manhyia Park and when he joined Kotoko in 1974 at the age of 19, he quickly made his presence felt with some fantastic goals. He matured so quickly that he nearly won the national league goal king title in his second season with Kotoko. His tally of 27 fell short by one to Dan Owusu’s haul of 28. Dan Owusu of Bofoakwa Tano fame thus retained the goal ling crown, but Opoku Afriyie will be remembered for his two brilliant hat- tricks in the season. He scored thrice against Nsawam Ghanacan whom Kotoko beat 7-1 and got all three goals against BA. United at Sunyani.
When Kotoko thrashed Gbewa 7-0 in Kumasi, Opoku Afriyie got four of the seven goals.
(To be Contd)
Cheers everybody and keep loving sports.
