Black Stars legend, Rev. Osei Kofi, has shared how he received an invitation from the biggest club in the world, Real Madrid, as a special guest.
The first president of the Republic of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, was extremely passionate about sports; hence the heavy investment in its development.
Under the rulership of the late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the Black Stars dominated the continent of Africa, winning the Africa Cup of Nations in 1963 and 1965.
Osagyefo invited Spanish and world giants, Real Madrid to play the newly formed Black Stars coached by another legendary player-turned-coach, Charles Kumi Gyamfi, aka CK Gyamfi, in an international friendly.
He recalled that he had just joined the senior national team after captaining the national under-23 side. Following a superb trickery on the right wing, he placed a perfect pass to striker, Edward Acquah, to give Ghana a 3-2 lead before being pegged back seconds later by the Spanish side.
The positive result against a Real Madrid side that had Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás, and other stars, fresh off a 5-3 defeat to Benfica in the 1961-62 European Cup finals, motivated the Black Stars to host and win the 1963 Africa Cup of Nations.
Real Republicans had ten players in the 18-man Black Stars squad that triumphed in the tournament, four from Asante Kotoko, and none from Accra Hearts of Oak.
He confirmed on Max FM’s Sports Pack show that a visit from a delegation from Leganes FC led to his invitation by Los Blancos to be honoured after initially doubting the Ghanaian played against the La Liga giants and after being turned away by officials at the Ghana Football Association.
