Why I boycotted 1970 Africa Cup of Nations – Reverend Osei Kofi explains

Legendary Ghanaian footballer Reverend Osei Kofi has opened up about the incidents that led to his boycott of the 1970 Africa Cup of Nations. Osei Kofi, who was one of Ghana's leading players at the time, decided not to participate in the tournament which was held in Sudan. Speaking to JoyNews, Reverend Osei Kofi disclosed that his decision to sit out the tournament was due to what he deemed to be disrespect shown to him by the then Deputy Director of Sports. "Sudan 1970. We had qualified [for the AFCON]. I had been the spokesperson for the team for a long time. Because we were amateurs in Ghana, we used to have long periods of camping, so we were not promoted at our workplaces," the former New Horizons captain explained. "I was asked to go and tell Katey Caesar [then Deputy Sports Director] that we were going to win the Cup, but when we came back, would he help us get a salary increment." "Katey Caesar asked me, 'Are you a graduate?' I verbally abused him and questioned if he had seen any graduate playi ng football. Football is for 'kubolors'. You are from Winneba, so who are you? So you don't respect footballers," Kofi recounted, expressing his frustration. The "Wizard Dribbler," as he was nicknamed, compared football to other professions, insisting that a peculiar group of people should manage it. "That's why if you haven't gone to law school, you can never be a lawyer, but what about football? A carpenter can be a member of the technical team of a football team." "That's the reason why I told him, because of what you have said to me, I am not going because if we win, you'll get the honour, so I won't go. That's why I didn't go," he recounted. Without the influential Osei Kofi, Ghana finished second in the tournament, losing 1-0 to host country Sudan in the final. Source: Ghana Web