Veteran Ghanaian commentator Joe Lartey has shed light on the reasons behind Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s decision to invite European football giants Real Madrid to play against the Black Stars in 1962.
According to Lartey, Ghana was rapidly emerging as a football powerhouse in Africa during the 1960s, and the country’s first president sought to showcase the immense talent and potential of the Black Stars to the world.
Lartey revealed that despite working closely with Ohene Gyan, the Sports Director at the time, Nkrumah personally extended the invitation to Real Madrid, surprising many with his direct involvement.
The decision sparked a heated debate about whether it was significant for Ghana to face such a formidable opponent, given the Black Stars’ rising strength.
In an interview with Kafui Dey, Lartey explained Nkrumah’s perspective, saying, “Kwame Nkrumah discovered the importance of unity, especially in politics. He attended school at Achimota and did a bit of sports, and he realized that football, in particular, had a strong unifying force.”
He further added, “After appointing Ohene Gyan as Director of Sports for Ghana, he sometimes planned with him some of the sports activities organized. Nkrumah worked solo in inviting Real Madrid to play with the Black Stars team. The idea was to show how far we’ve developed in football.”
“We were then just beginning to show our strength in football. There was a big debate about whether it was proper for the Black Stars to play against a world-famous club side like Real Madrid because they were champions in Europe and dreaded by opponents,” Lartey stated.
The veteran commentator emphasized that Ghana was only starting to demonstrate its football prowess at the time, and playing against a world-famous club like Real Madrid was a subject of intense debate.
This historic match against one of Europe’s most prestigious clubs became a significant moment in Ghanaian football history and helped elevate the Black Stars’ profile on the international stage.
Real Madrid visited Africa for the first time to face the Black Stars squad of 1962 at the Accra Sports Stadium. The European champions fought for a late 3-3 equalizer to avoid defeat at the hands of Kwame Nkrumah’s Ghana.
EE/MA
Meanwhile, watch the latest edition of Sports Check with the owner of Spintex Knights, Dr Opoku-Antwi below: