Chibsah is ending his career, Kotoko persuading him to stay
Friday, July 11, 2006
Chibsah, wearing his favourite number 17, celebrates a goal with the team in the Athens Olympics.
Though Black Stars captain Stephen Appiah was one of the 3 over-age players included in the
Olympic team, Chibsah was given the captain's armband for the national under-23 side in the
Athens Olympics, which was another feather in his cap. Olympic captain, Farmer of the year, Chief Operating
Officer of his own NGO, professional accountant with degree in Accounting, Prempeh Sports Prefect, among many outstanding accomplishments, including a brief stint
with Brescia of Italy.
Currently the most educated man in the Ghana premier league, Yussif Chibsah, the 1996 Prempeh
Sports Prefect has decided to quit sports.
Chibsah, a graduate of K-Poly, has been offered admission to a university in the United States where he aspires to
continue his education.
Before the Kotoko-C.S. SFaxien match last week, he officially announced his retirement to the
Kotoko officials.
However, the Board, unhappy about the prospect of losing their key midfielder
at such a critical time, pleaded with him to at least complete this champions league season with
the team.
Their pleadings have been falling on deaf ears because Chibsah is reluctant to change his mind.
As of yesterday the Kotoko "elders" were holding meetings with him in an attempt to convince him to at least
play against Al-Ahly of Egypt this weekend if he cannot commit for at least one more year.
Chibsah is believed to have been offered credit in the States for his Kumasi Polytechnic education and, with
all his academic credits fully accepted by the as yet undisclosed university, he would likely need about only a year-and-half
to complete the Bachelors degree he has always dreamed of. It was in the autumn of 2004 that he first decided to leave for school
in the States.
It is not clear at this time if Chibsah will play on Sunday against Al-Ahly. But Kotoko has registered Liberty's Osei Akoto
as a backup in case Chibsah leaves the club prematurely.
Most of the radio callers have been very critical of him, some claiming he's using the "school excuse" as a pretext for
seeking more lucrative contracts abroad. One of the callers, who swore he knew Chibsah, said his "eyes were red any time he saw Appiah and Essien"
expose money and that has triggered his interest in moving abroad. According to the caller, that is the reason why Chibsah is going to the States.
But we all know that long before he walked with Essien and Appiah in Germany, Chibsah had been offered admission in 2004, a time when Ghana had not
even qualified for the World Cup. He wants to even go up to the doctoral level in Accountancy (he holds a HND degree in Accounting now).
Books, books, and the sweet serenity of books! (H.W. Longfellow) -- that is what Prempeh does to these boys. Even Ahmed Deedat Amoako, who has been
offered a guarranteed spot on the new Starlets roster, is considering the Road to the Riches
(i.e., the national team opportunity) versus the Road to Academic Glory (i.e., the Virginia Tech option, where he has been offered a full scholarship).
