[ads1]
Former Bayern Munich superstar Samuel Osei Kuffour has revealed why he was sacked from the Black Stars camp during the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations.
Osei Kuffour was a huge figure in the Black Stars squad then after winning the UEFA Champions League title with Bayern Munich a year before the AFCON in Mali.
Despite being a huge figure in the squad then, the highly respected centre-back was sacked from the Black Stars camp.
Speaking on GTV Sports Plus, Samuel Osei Kuffour revealed that he was sacked from the Black Stars camp because he said the truth.
He explained that, during that tournament in Mali, the conditions of the players was poor and as a senior player in the squad, he asked the leadership of team to improve the team’s condition which led to his sack.
[ads2]
“We went to Mali, when we got to Mali, honestly speaking it was a hell, I was playing for Bayern Munich at that time and the profile was very high,” he said on GTV Sports plus.
“Bayern were even reluctant to release me so I went back to Germany when I went I had a call from President Kuffour and he ordered me to go back and join the team, so I had to fly back to Ghana and join the team.
“When we got to Mali, where we were staying was a hell, a room without any toilet facility and we had to come out to even take our bath. We didn’t have a T-shirt and every player who was there will witness, we had nothing.
[ads3]
“By then I had a huge contract with Adidas so I had to organize Adidas clothes for the boys so we could have Adidas T-shirts and other things.
“They wanted us to go and watch a game between Morocco and Burkina Faso, none of the players could speak and I said it wasn’t the best time to wear fugu under that weather and go and watch games at the stadium, normally we should be in our track suit and sneakers and go and watch the game so we can be uniform. So I was just giving them this explanation.
“So the Minister agreed that we stayed over at the hotel rather than going to watch the game, it wasn’t even a hotel, it was a boys quarters but we had to sacrifice and stay there and then after the game against Morocco I was awarded the best player.
“When I got back to the hotel, myself, Emmanuel Duah, Isaac Boakye, John Mensah and Amankwah Mireku, we went to make a phone call and there was a call to our guest house that they wanted to see me.
[ads4]
“When I got there, there was nothing for them to say and I saw my passport on the table, and I asked them if they wanted me to go home. They had already prepared the ticket, so I picked my passport and the allowances they gave us for the entire tournament was $1200.
“So I packed my stuffs and got escorted by Mr. Fianoo and he told me it was one of those things. So I was sacked from the camp because I was able to tell them that what they were doing was wrong. And I was so glad because the late Ben Koffie apologized to me on several occasions after that.
“Eventually, they said I went to the night club that was why I was sacked and to be Frank there was even no Night Club at where we were staying.”