As a young sports journalist over the past one decade, Coach Sam Arday and Coach E.K Afranie were just too visible in my nurturing to be forgotten.
COACH ARDAY:
Through my brother and boss the late Alhaji Bimbo (CEO of Mitdjiland FC) and Abu Sondoko (CEO of Tudu Mighty Jets), I had the greatest honour and privilege of meeting these two football Icons.
Coach Arday allowed me into his Gomoa Fetteh Soccer Academy premises for my journalistic work and other activities outside football. I vividly remember, he took me round the Fetteh Academy facility and introduced me to every single section of the multimillion dollars football Academy.
It was refreshing and now remembering with an irresistible nostalgia, the reception I had in his office, the dining hall and the paraphernalia I received from the multisystem coach who made Ghana proud in Barcelona 92 and the U17 World Cup in Ecuador in 95 respectively.
Coach Ardy actually wet my appetite for knowledge which actually led to my revisiting the classroom to polish up as it were.
It was during a special football match at the Kotobabi Swag Park to honour the late Black Stars goalkeeper Ibrahim Dossey that he looked at me and said, "Amin, I think you are a great organizer. I have observed you and monitored your events as a moderator and all, I think it is time you repackage yourself and make some money as a professional event manager, consultant and all. I urge you to go and upgrade yourself with courses that can offer you the needed acumen in that regard."
I actually respected Coach Arday's advice and later found myself moving on to grab a degree in marketing, beside my journalism and communication background. I took time to also consider languages and all that would facilitate what Coach Arday told me at the Kotobabi Park.
I am still in school all because Coach Arday has offered me the needed springboard to do so. He has made knowledge very precious to me in all that I do. He admonished me against detractors and backward thinking people. "Ignore them" he once said.
I am indeed bereaved and can only celebrate him every single day and hope the Lord will reward him accordingly for his extraordinary contribution to my life and steady rise.
COACHHENE:
Coachhene E.K. Afranie never called me by my name but preferred calling me ‘Honourable’.
As a young sports journalist I had numerous interview encounters with him but we came very close when he took over the technical directorship of Tudu Mighty Jets and I was then the Public Relations Manager.
Coach Afranie was a great man of many qualities on and off the pitch. He taught me a lot on player management, stress management, risk management, human relations, humility and game reading for the purpose of post-match analysis.
Ghana as a country has lost great personalities who have left behind huge legacies that we the people of Ghana care less about......
May their souls rest in perfect peace.
1.Coach C.K Gyamfi
2.Coach Ben Kouffi
3.Coach Jones Attuquayefio
4.Coach Osam Dodoo
5.Coach E.K Afranie
6.Coach Sam Arday
All former Black Stars Coaches and the 4 Africa Nations Cups were won under them.
C.K Gyamfi won three with the other one by Osam Dodoo.
Let's celebrate our icons before their deaths.