Former Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak talented playmaker Emmanuel ‘Dr Panie’ Yartey has been confirmed dead.
While the cause of his death remains unknown, reports from 2017 indicate that he struggled with mental illness.
He was always thought to be among the greatest players to have ever represented the Oak family.
Yartey was one of the few players to switch to Hearts of Oak from rivals Asante Kotoko in 1999.
In 1998, he scored while playing for the Porcupine Warriors against the team that would eventually become his new team, Accra Hearts of Oak.
The late, magnificent midfield player had the potential to be a world-beater, but his coaches had issues with his attitude.
Yartey formerly played for Okwawu United before joining Hearts of Oak in the 2002–2003 season.
When C. Jones Attuquayefio led the Phobians in their heyday, he famously joked, “Nobody will complain if you lose when Yartey plays; when he plays, the fans forget the result.”
