Accra: Veteran Ghanaian football coach, Joseph Emmanuel (JE) Sarpong, has revealed his pivotal role in securing Asamoah Gyan's admission to Accra Academy, a decision that almost didn't happen. At the time, Sarpong was the sports master at the school and recognized Gyan's potential in football, prompting his efforts to enroll him.
According to Ghana Web, the school's headmistress, the late Mrs. Loko, initially opposed admitting the future Black Stars legend due to suspicions of bribery. However, after thorough investigations, it was found that no such misconduct occurred. Sarpong recounted, "I saw him at Gbawe, so I took him to Accra Academy. My headmistress then, Loko, said she would not admit Asamoah Gyan. Why? In those days, there was talk in town that when you went to school, some masters collected money to push boys into admission. I think Loko suspected I was part of that. So she didn't want to admit him. They did a background check to see whether I had collected money from his parents, but they were told no, I hadn't collected anything."
Even after the investigation cleared Sarpong of any wrongdoing, Loko remained hesitant to admit Gyan. This resistance led Sarpong to threaten a strike and consider leaving the school altogether. He explained, "So I said, 'Okay, madam, if you don't admit Asamoah Gyan, I'll give you one month. I'll stay home for one month. If nothing changes, I'll leave the school.' I knew he was a potential star. The woman thought I was joking, but I stopped going to school. One day, she sent her secretary to call me. I said, 'Tell her I won't come unless she promises to admit Gyan. Otherwise, forget it, I'll apply to another school.'"
Sarpong's determination eventually led to Gyan's admission, marking the beginning of his illustrious career. The coach shared his pride in the outcome, noting that the school heavily relied on sports, and his potential departure would have been significant. He added, "So eventually, she gave me the admission letter to hand over to Asamoah. That was the beginning. Even at Accra Academy, before you were admitted, you had to bring a cutlass and a broom. Gyan's father came without those items, so I went to the storekeeper, collected them, and gave them to his father. That's how Asamoah Gyan started his journey. That was the beginning."