By Ken Bediako
Ace Radio Sports journalist Dan Kwaku Yeboah has produced a short documentary on Ohene Djan, Ghana’s legendary sports administrator of international repute. I have watched the video and it is worth the attention of all true lovers of the nation’s sports history.
I had a chat with Kwaku in the course of his duty and he was visibly upset, like me, that Accra Stadium named after Ohene Djan in 2004 has been unceremoniously scrapped.
Unconfirmed reports said some hoodlums, reportedly with the support of some faceless power brokers destroyed the Ohene Djan Stadium signboard and that was the end. To my mind this doesn’t make sense.
I have kept reminding those in charge of our sports that the naming of sports facilities after outstanding personalities was a government approved national exercise in 2004 by the Kufuor administration.
A whole committee of knowledgeable sports historians headed by the late Dr Owusu Ansah produced a comprehensive report in ten months detailing who and how to recognize Ghana’s outstanding sports personalities. Baba Yara Stadium,
Theodosia Okoh Hockey Stadium, Azumah Nelson Sports Complex all resulted from the work of the Committee inaugurated by Kwadwo Baah Wiredu then Minister in charge of Sports.
If continuity means much to the Sports Ministry as an entity it may be prudent to alert the current Sports Minister Kofi Iddi Adams who recently inaugurated the Ghana Sports Fund Board to search for the report of the Committee to recognise outstanding sports personalities set up by the late predecessor Kwadwo Baah Wiredu.
Mr Iddi Adams may not need to go too far. Yours truly was an active member of the committee and has a copy of the report.
As Dan Kwaku Yeboah’s documentary would portray, Ohene Djan was a perfect administrator in all sports disciplines. Admittedly football was his favourite. He was Executive secretary of GFA and executive member of both CAF and FIFA.
Ohene Djan a trained school teacher, farmer and cocoa broker loved football to the hilt.
He also had a flair for writing and usually contributed articles for Graphic sports under a synonym. This explains why we were that close.
As a 23-year-old junior reporter at the Daily Graphic in 1964, he tasked me to do a lot of research work for his authoritative book “A short History of Soccer in Ghana and “The Rise of The Black Star Xl” which was edited by Nana Akufo-Addo then student at University of Ghana.
For the benefit of the younger generation, I will start producing occasionally the history of Ghana football as told by the colossus whose full name is KWABENA OHENE DJAN, a Royal from Aburi Akuapem. Here we go
“BIRTH OF GHANA FOOTBALL
History has eloquently recorded the great pioneering service rendered to Ghana from Cape Coast, the cradle of the country’s education and the former seat of our government. Cape Coast was also the birthplace of Ghana football.
Contrary to popular belief Accra Hearts of Oak is not the first premier club of Ghana, it is only the oldest existing club. It is now authentically revealed that the first football club formed in Ghana and which marked the birth of football in the country was the Cape Coast Excelsior in 1903.
The students of the local Govt Boys school were already sports conscious and under the headmastership of a Jamaican sportsman called simply Master Briton, Cricket and Lawn Tennis were enjoying tremendous popularity in the school. The enthusiasm with which the students followed sports was fantastic. It was therefore natural that the interesting origin of Ghana football should be associated with pupils of this school.
Few foreign newspapers were in circulation in Ghana and the enthusiastic students became fascinated and thrilled about a didactic account of football they read from an English newspaper in 1903. With understandable anxiety they decided to play it.
Enjoying warm encouragement and patronage from Headmaster Briton a group of 22 keen pupils of the Cape Coast Boys Govt School and a few excited youngsters from the twin embarked upon a secret training course in footballing.
Enthusiasm and commonsense were their coaches and Master Briton played the role of a team manager. Secretly and energetically the Oguaa boys trained.
Wishing to take the whole of the country and West Africa by surprise, it was believed that the game had not been played anywhere in West Africa previously- the young lads played mostly in the night when the full moon was on at the Victoria Park then a well kept place for ceremonies.
Impressed and enthused by their own progress the group of soccer pioneers arranged and ordered some equipment jerseys (red and yellow stripes) white long running shorts pairs of hoses football boots and caps. The first football used by the pioneers were gifts from friendly sailors who docked regularly at Cape Coast ports. Most of the sailors who landed ashore were keen sportsmen and played games regularly with the Governor of the country and other European civil servants who abounded in the capital.
The happy band of football adventurists continued with their secret training and after three months planned a grand outdoor ceremony at the Victoria park.
Accordingly Cape Coast Victoria Park was lined and marked. Goal posts were fixed and the first football pitch in Ghana
was thus created. With high Government officials present, the first two teams from the first football clubs in the country put in appearance to introduce the game to the country although the game was played outside any existing code the excited crowd yelled and thoroughly enjoyed themselves as they watched 22 youngsters running around and kicking a spherical object. It was a fitting baptism and the occasion was graced with the presence of the then Governor of the country Sir Frederic Hodgson himself a keen sportsman. It is significant to note that Excelsior played in boots from the very day they introduced football into the country.
Excelsior received a warm reception and urged by the general public and Governor Sir Frederic, the Oguaa boys married
themselves to a dedicated training programme and soon their fame soared beyond the boundaries of the capital. Excelsior having mastered the rudiments of the game, Sir Frederic arranged for them to play their first challenge
match against a European side comprising Sailors from a ship which had docked at Cape Coast port and some Europeans resident in Cape Coast. The match which was played on Boxing Day (Dec 26) 1903 was full of excitement and Excelsior were initiated with an encouraging 1-2 defeat.
By popular request a return game was arranged and Excelsior excelled winning by 3-1 they earned a sweet vengeance. Football had really been born in Ghana.
Regular friendly fixtures were arranged for Excelsior and white civil servants in Cape Coast. Ships docking at Oguaa harbour supplied at frequent intervals Sailor teams who also played with the pioneer team of Ghana. This exercise enabled Excelsior to improve by leaps and bounds.
The early matches were officiated by Europeans but in 1905 a few Africans studied the laws of the game and began to handle matches.
The game quickly captured the fancy of the youth in Cape Coast and like mushrooms clubs sprang up in the town.
When the game of football was introduced travelling in the country was mostly on foot and so the football gospel did not travel fast After playing for several months Excelsior however moved to nearby towns and played demonstration games. These
evangelical crusades proved extremely popular and successful and within a matter of months the new game was being played with amazing skill at Elmina Saltpond and Winneba.
Cape Coast the original home of Ghana football dominated local football until the middle 40s. Clubs were formed and reformed Evertons, Blanksons Xl Energetics, Sparts, Swallows, Rose Xl, Bolton Wonderers, Judges, Gardens, Titanics and Majestics have all faded away but today Venomous Vipers and
Mysterious Dwarfs have sprang up from their debris to uphold the proud tradition of Cape Coast football.”
(To be contd)
Cheers everybody and keep loving sports.
