Goal compiles a list of some of the best known aliases borne by Ghanaian footballers past and present, revealing the stories behind them In Ghana, as in many other places, football is associated with a vibrant culture of praise-singing which has seen fans coin the most interesting and creative nicknames for their favorite footballers. Below, Goal presents a comprehensive - though by no means exhaustive - list of these. Do let us know in the Comments section further down the page which ones we might have left out. A Adwumawura You can fault Ghana full-back Samuel Inkoom for his occasionally faulty crossing and defensive work but, for a fact, hed always get an A for effort. Workaholic. Agya Koo John Paintsils uncanny semblance to Ghanas favorite TV actor earned him a share of the popular moniker. Akoa dwane Jet-heeled Solomon Asante being hailed as The Speedy One for obvious reasons. Asokwa Maradona Juventus midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah honed his skills in the Kumasi suburb of Asokwa - skills that appear to remind many of the legendary Argentine. Azaaro Ghana centre-back Kwabena Adusei, now employed by PSL outfit Mpumalanga Black Aces. B B.A Stephen Manu might have left Brong Ahafo giants B.A United when he joined Kumasi Asante Kotoko some years ago yet his former employers name stuck with him, with fans chanting it almost whenever he has scored since then. Baby Jet The nickname of Alice Anum, one of Ghanas most celebrated sprinters, Al Ains Asamoah Gyan might have got named as such as hes no slouch himself when it comes to pace. Bamako Ghana has a rich tradition of identifying its sporting individuals with cities/places where they put up career-defining performances. The first among such on this list is goalkeeper Sammy Adjei, for his exploits in the Malian capital during the 2002 Afcon. Bayie Former Ghana international Owusu Afriyies wizardry got him christened thus. Betu ma me Kenneth Ababio, when he played for Kotoko, wasnt your go-to man for clinical set-piece delivery, thus his habit of calling on those among his teammates considered experts in that regard to do the honours whenever the need arose. [The] Bison Michael Essien, all brawny and brutish like the powerful bison. Black President We all know the bearer of this one, but whether it is in tribute to his black complexion or unabashed indulgence in the dark arts, only Sarfo Gyamfi and the orginators of his rather mysterious alias can tell. Bobby Short Joseph Tagoes height - or lack thereof - was legendary, hence this name. Trust Solomon Asante to run him close for it, though. C Champion Godwin Ablordey, one of Asante Kotokos greatest ever captains, was always a true champion. Nothing less. E Eboue Inkoom again, compared to Ivorian Emmanuel Eboue, when he had his breakthrough at Kotoko. Ember Power Two generations of Michael Oseis (both of whom incidentally played for Kotoko) had this nickname. Ewisase Nyinaa Six Yusif Chibsah, when he blossomed with King Faisal and matured at Kotoko, was the worlds best No.6. Or at least that was what his many admirers would have us believe. F Foyoo Sam Johnson, and I havent the faintest idea why. Have you? G Ga Mantse Ga native Daniel Nii Adjei who, in his usual midfield role, often struts his stuff like a monarch for the Porcupine Warriors. Gatete Once upon a time, Rwanda forward jimmy Gatete acquired great renown among Ghanaian football fandom who likened to him a certain Eric Gawu. General Midfield General is a term that has been applied to so many that it has grown almost clichéd. If, however, there was any footballer who proved worthy of such flattery, its Hearts legend Emmanuel Osei Kufuor. Golden Boy Karim Abdul Razak wasnt Golden Boy simply because of his light complexion; heck, the man could play! I Il Capitano Possibly Ghanas grandest ever skipper, acknowledgement of Stephen Appiahs illustrious captaincy was Italianized in honor of the country where he spent much of his professional career. It certainly does sound more profound that way, doesnt it? J Jabu Pule Striker Frank Osei, like Gawu, got named after a fairly talented African football star of his generation who, for some reason, became a hit with Ghanaians. K Kigali Kigali is to George Owu what Bamako is to Sammy Adjei, simple. The clip of Ghanas Afcon qualifier away to Rwanda back in 2003 tells the tale fully. King Ayisoba Laryea Kingston might be all clean-cut these days but, while in his elements on the pitch, the raggedness of his braided hair made it - save with the use of a magnifying glass - tough to distinguish between himself and musician King Ayisoba who sports identical dreadlocks. Kofi Gari Thats for Dan Coleman; not too sure why, but it might just be down to his sheer graft and no- nonsense approach to the art of defending. L Lion Fatau Dauda never quite had a nickname for himself prior to pulling off that literally roaring stunt in front of the camera in celebration of a goal Ghana scored at the last Afcon against Cape Verde. M Magic Ever seen a magician pull a rabbit out of a hat? Well, such was the ease with which Isaac Boakye used to score vital goals for the Black Stars and Kotoko when there seemed no chance of getting any. Pure magic! Mahalla Kwadwo Poku, for being Kotokos two-goal hero on a tricky night away to Egyptian outfit Ghazel El- Mahalla in the 2002 Caf Cup Winners Cup. Mayele Ignore his genteel exterior; immediate past Ghana head coach Kwesi Appiah was something of a hardman in his days playing as a defender. As it turns out, Zairean international Mayele - in an Afcon qualifier on Appiahs Black Stars debut - was one of his most memorable victims. Messi How many Ghanaians still believe Christian Atsu has what it takes to mature into a Messi-esque stature? Well, we sure did when he mesmerised on his debut against Lesotho in 2012. N Nana Oboa Nipa Nana Arhin Duah, for scoring some crucial goals for Asante Kotoko during his spell as a Red. Net-breaker Legend has it that Ghana great Wilberforce Mfum broke one of the Accra Sports Stadiums nets with a scored strike against Tunisia during the Nations Cup hosted by Ghana in 1963. True or not, Mfum has borne the subsequent fame - and the name - ever since. O Obuor Conferred on former Hearts of Oak defender Emmanuel Osei while he proved a formidable and steadying presence at the rear for the Phobians. Olele Good old Richard Kingson, and I dont know why. Anything to do with a reversal of the process of ageing, perhaps? Oreba No opponent ever dared flaunt his dribbling ability when Joseph Hendricks of Kotoko fame was nearby - just ask Charles Taylor. Oh, he was always gonna come at you! P Pablo Aimar Anthony Annan did - and probably still does - hold his own in midfield in a manner not very unlike Argentinas Pablo Aimar. Pele Ghana has produced no greater footballer than ex-Olympique Marseille star Abedi Ayew. Even the original Pele would admit that and hence have little qualms sharing his well-known guy- name. Prince of Goals Before he became what he now is (namely, a good-for-nothing striker nobody gives a damn about), Prince Tagoe was actually great at scoring goals, especially in his days playing for Hearts of Oak when he was even crowned goalking in the domestic league. R Rock of Gibraltar John Mensah in his pomp. Solid as a rock. Ronaldo Louis Agyemangs lithe frame and impressive ability to finish was a little reminiscent of a younger Ronaldo. The Brazilian, I mean. Rush Still on strikers, Yaw Preko wasnt any less prolific in his time than Scot Ian Rush, was he? S Senegal Emmanuel Armah carved a reputation for himself with some defensive miracles as Ghana romped to claiming silver at Senegal 92. Serial Killer There was a time when Benard Dong Bortey regularly slayed opposing teams on Hearts of Oaks behalf. It mattered, too, that Ghana was grappling with an inexplicable serial killing crisis by then. T Terrible Terror Charles Taylor - not the convicted Liberian head-of-state - used to be the dread of many opponents some years ago. Unplayable on his day, youd agree. Tico-Tico Dimunitive, durable, and tremendously effective, Stephen Oduro has always been deemed as valuable as one of the smallest cars ever to travel Ghanas roads. Classy. Tornado Stephen Appiah makes another entry for his fierce, sweeping midfield activity that often saw him leave opposing players in his wake. Tuga All Sammies in Ghana - this writer inclusive, of course - now respond to the complimentary appellation Tugah. Somehow, they have Olympic bronze medallist Samuel Osei Kufuor to thank for it. V VC10 Frank Odois speed when in full- flight was compared to that of the VC10, a British-made airliner that was regularly used by the now defunct Ghana Airways. Y Yegoala Anthony Yeboah, twice goalking in the Bundesliga and scorer of some of the most outstanding strikes in English football history, was always synonymous with goals. Thus Yegoala: Yeboah + Goal. Work the math. Z [Lord] Zico Long before Abedi Ayew got named after a famous Brazilian, another of Ghanas top footballers, current Kotoko CEO Opoku Nti, had merited that honour. Legend. Zion Train Actually, there are two players who lay claim to this title: John Essien, who played for Sekondi Hasaacas, and latterly Kotokos Thomas Boakye. Zion Train itself is the title of one of reggae legend Bob Marleys finest songs.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 22:36:24 +0000
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