By Napoleon Ato Kittoe
Former Sekondi Hasaacas, Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Ghana Black Stars goalkeeper Joseph Carr says the Head of State, Gen. Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, sent the national football team back to Brazil for further training after it drew 2-2 with the erstwhile army team SS74.
One of the bright spots of the army team, Kuntu Blankson, had a call-up to the national team for his gallant performance in the match, said Joseph Carr, who now resides in Cape Coast in the Central region of Ghana.
This was in spite of the fact that the team had won friendlies against top clubs such as Kotoko, Great Olympics, and Hearts of Oak by wide margins.
The Black Stars squad at the time had players like Joseph Carr, Haruna Yusif, Justice Moore, Isaac Acquaye, P.S.K. Paha, Abdul Razak, John Nketiah Yawson, and Dan Owusu.
He said it was in preparation for a tournament in the Ivory Coast in 1977. Certainly, the qualitative build-up culminated in the successful Africa Nations Cup campaign. Ghana won the 1978 competition, which was staged in Libya.
The Military Head of State, General Acheampong, doubled as the sports minister because of his passion for sports. Immense successes were chalked up owing to his personal interest in the sector.
