Former Asante Kotoko midfielder Yusif Chibsah has revealed how some individuals and ex-Kotoko teammates labeled him, Edmund Owusu Ansah, and Stephen Oduro as ‘chisel’ players.
According to Chibsah, people spill out such stories without cross-checking their facts, adding that he credits his parents for the training and upbringing.
He mentioned that, during his youthful days, he engaged in petty trading with his mum where he was taught to trade well and gain profit from the products he sold.
Speaking to Dan Kweku Yeboah, Chibsah said, “When you are told to sell a product for Gh₵1.50ps and it is sold outside for Gh₵2.00, my mum advises we sell at the same price outside and save the Gh₵50ps profit so we can purchase few things on our own and that sharpen my mind on how to use money wisely”.
“Those who did not understand us at that time thought and said we were ‘chisel’ but that was okay. Now you are the only person who knows how much you have in your account but people can assume you are rich, but the reality lies with you, so you can be honest with yourself and if you don’t have to be moved by the saying of some people”, he added.
Speaking on his ordeal with some Kotoko teammates, the former Black Meteors skipper said he sometimes had to miss partying with his friends because he was very particular about spending since he was not earning much as compared to others despite playing abroad.
“Sometimes when we plan to meet, I sometimes miss out because I was playing in Sweden, and if you watch how much I earn there and you compare it to what some of my brothers earned, they were far ahead of me and if I critically calculate and realize it won’t help, I don’t turn up for the sitting ”, he said.
“While at Kotoko, myself, Edmund Owusu Ansah, and Stephen Oduro were tagged as misers, because we did not contribute but we did not take alcohol. So what makes others happy was not the same as ours, so we won’t show up. We rather use the money for something different because if you follow peer pressure, you will end up doing things you never thought of doing.”, Chibsah added.
Chibsah started his career with King Faisal Babies in 1999 before signing for Asante Kotoko in 2003 where he featured in the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederations for the Porcupine Warriors before signing for Finnish club IFK Mariehamn in 2006.
He is the Chief Executive Officer for Club Consult, a football intermediary agency, and also doubles as the Spokesperson for the Professional Footballers Association of Ghana (PFAG).
LSN/KPE
Yusif Chibsah