Dr. Kwame Nkrumah used his influence to clamour for United Africa and football was his biggest tool.
There was a time when Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was the most important man in Africa. He was Ghana’s president, but his reputation transcended the West African coast. Even before Nkrumah became a head of state, his life’s mission had always been one thing: The emancipation of Africa.
To Nkrumah, emancipation didn’t just mean breaking free from the bondage of Western imperialists but also having a continent where there were no borders, no discrimination and no segregation. That is why even when he became Ghana’s first president, his vision stretched beyond Ghana’s borders.
“The independence of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of the African Continent,” Nkrumah would famously declare when he was sworn into office.
Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president, would have been 114 years today if he was still alive but his legacies will not be forgotten as the country commemorates his birthday.
Part of the pro-independence activists unending achievements was sports, and he played a crucial role in the nation’s success in terms of football.
Ghana has won four Africa Cup of Nations titles with two of those coming during his era as the head of state. Kwame Nkrumah saw football and sport as a unifying tool in achieving his goal of a United African State.
Kwame Nkrumah’s love for the game led him into forming a club known back in the day as Real Republicans. They were one of the best clubs in the country and his influence could easily persuade a player from Hearts and Kotoko to play for Republicans.
Most of the players that made the Black Stars team, either came from Hearts, Kotoko and the Republicans.
Nkrumah made sure the team was led by a Ghanaian, Charles Kumi Gyamfi, popularly known as C.K Gyamfi, one of two coaches from the continent to win the trophy three times. The other is Hassan Shehata of Egypt.
Why Nkroful should have a Sports facility named after Kwame Nkrumah
Ghana has 6 [category b ] sports stadiums, 5 out of the 10 uncompleted sports complexes and over 50 Astro turfs, but sadly the birth place of Ghana’s first president, Nkroful who has no comparison in the development or sporting achievements can’t even boost any of these edifices.
Samuel Evans Enyan-plea
I arrived at Nzema for the first time as a ‘student’ journalist in 2013, traveling almost 90% of the entire Nzema landscape, and I can confidently state that, Nzema is one of the talents hubs, from football, volleyball, handball, athletics, and all indoor games.
In the area of Soccer, the geographical area has one Premier League club, Division one side, 18 Division Two clubs and countless active and inactive division three clubs and colts clubs.
The leading handball institution in the Western Region can be found at Nzema, Nsien SHS has been dominating both the zonal and region for the past decade.
Some of the other disciplines that are also popular are athletics but most of the talents have gone waste due to lack of sporting infrastructure.
Kwame Nkrumah should be recognized at Nkroful with a sporting facility
In order for his achievement to be recognized and set as an motivational tool for young ones, I humbly plead to the current and any future government in our great nation to construct an ultra modern facility at his hometown.
Even aside his hometown, I believe sporting facility should be named after him as a testament for his achievement in the area of sports.
Watch my interview on Media General’s Onua TV…
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