Former Hearts of Oak player, Owusu Afriyie alias Beyie, has compared Shamo Quaye and Joe Debrah to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the present era.
Shamo and Debrah lit up the Ghana Premier League in the 1990s as they were the very best players in Ghana playing for Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko respectively.
They are rated as two of the greatest dribblers in Ghana football history, which gives a bit of insight into how joyful they were to watch. They dominated headlines week in, week out and were shoulders and heads above their peers.
Due to the fierce rivalry between the two clubs, the fans usually argue about which club had the best player in the country.
Speaking about how intense the argument about the two players was, Owusu Afriyie, who played with Shamo at Hearts, said it was at par with the Ronaldo-Messi Greatest of All Time (GOAT) controversy.
"It is the same as they do for Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi. They were different players and were the top stars...Joe Debrah was the King in Asante Kotoko and when you come to Hearts of Oak, Shamo Quaye was also a king and they both make the game so exciting. I remember the last 'who is who' in Kumasi, it ended one-one. So for the two, there is no comparison because they all have their (unique style)."
Meanwhile, Joe Debrah in an interview in 2020, said he was better than the late Hearts of Oak legend.
“He (Shamo Quaye) had his qualities and I also had my qualities. His qualities were, he could score unexpected goals, I also had mine but I knew I was better than him," he stated.
“But in football, if debates don’t emerge the game doesn’t become exciting…I knew I was better and Shamo himself was aware but he just couldn’t say it
“I possessed all the qualities in the game, strength, and striking abilities. Shamo was a goal scorer, but I was that and more. I was more involved in the game than Shamo. He always used to lurk around the goal area. Everyone has his skillset and strength so that’s it” he concluded.
Both Shamo Quaye and Joe Debrah played for the Black Stars but could not establish themselves as they did in their club careers.
Watch Michael Afiiyie's interview below from the 4th minutes
