play videoFormer Asante Kotoko forward, Samuel Opoku Nti
Former Asante Kotoko forward, Samuel Opoku Nti has narrated an incident he faced in the 1990s when his ticket was withheld by a national team official to prevent him from honouring a Black Stars call-up.
He said at the time, he was playing in the Swiss league and was made to wait for a long period without knowing when the
Speaking to Dan Kwaku Yeboah, Opoku Nti said the long delay in releasing his ticket, propelled him to ask ace broadcast journalist, Kwabena Yeboah, to find out why. Opoku Nti says he found from Kwabena Yeboah that his ticket has been held up by an official.
"I think it was within that period player exodus started. I don't want to be controversial but I think the football administrators should be truthful. While I was in Switzerland, I remember we had a match here(in Ghana) against Benin and i had information that I've been called. So I was waiting for my ticket. After waiting for a while, I called Kwabena Yeboah and asked what was going on. When he checked, somebody had withheld my ticket that I should come."
He said such practice hinders the development of Ghana's football.
"So our football will not improve with all these things because we don't take the right people to do the job for us. I don't see the reason why because of your selfish interest the whole nation should suffer. If it is obvious somebody can play, why don't you put him? If we are not truthful with things, it won't be easy for us."
Samuel Opoku is a legend in Ghana football. He played for Asante Kotoko and Black Stars in his heydays.
He was a member of the team that won Kotoko's last CAF Champions League title and also Ghana's last AFCON title.
Opoku Nti spent the last years of his career, playing in Switzerland. He played for Servette FC, FC Aarau, and FC Baden.
