Why Kwame Nkrumah invited Real Madrid to play Black Stars in 1962
Ghana drew 3-3 with Madrid in 1962
Veteran Ghanaian commentator, Joe Lartey, has shed light on the reasons behind Dr Kwame Nkrumah's decision to invite renowned European football giant, Real Madrid, to play against the Black Stars in 1962.
Read full articleAccording to Joe Lartey, Ghana was rapidly emerging as a football powerhouse in Africa during the 1960s, and Ghana's first president aimed to showcase the immense talent and potential of the Black Stars to the world.
Lartey revealed that despite working closely with Ohene Gyan, the Sports Director at the time, Nkrumah personally extended the invitation to Real Madrid, surprising many with his direct involvement.
The decision sparked a heated debate on whether it was significant for Ghana to face such a formidable opponent, considering the rising strength of the Black Stars.
In an interview with Kafui Dey, Lartey explained Nkrumah's perspective, saying, “Kwame Nkrumah discovered the importance of unity especially in politics. He attended school at Achimota and did a bit of sports and he realized that football in particular had a strong unifying force."
He further added that, “After appointing Ohene Gyan as Director of Sports for Ghana. He sometimes planned with him some of the sports activities organized. Nkrumah worked solo in inviting Real Madrid to play with the Black Stars team. The idea was to show how far we’ve developed in football.”
“We were then just beginning to show our strength in football. There was a big debate whether it was proper for the Black Stars to play against a world-famous club side like Real Madrid because they were champions in Europe and dreaded by opponents,” Joe Lartey stated.
The veteran Ghanaian commentator emphasized that Ghana was only starting to demonstrate its football strength at that time and playing against a world-famous club like Real Madrid was a subject of intense debate.
This historic match against one of Europe's most prestigious clubs became a significant moment in Ghanaian football history and helped raise the profile of the Black Stars on the international stage.
Real Madrid visited Africa for the first time to face the Black Stars squad of 1962 at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The European Champions fought for a late 3-3 equalizer to avoid defeat at the hands of Kwame Nkrumah's Ghana in the match.
JNA/ESA
