Let me tell you about Baba Yara, a legendary footballer from Ghana who passed away 54 years ago due to a spinal injury sustained in a terrible car accident in Kpeve, Volta Region. Baba Yara was known as the "King of Wingers" for his incredible goal-scoring and dribbling skills.
Despite his impressive career, he had to retire at the young age of 26 after the accident left him in a wheelchair for six years. He unfortunately passed away at just 33 years old in Accra.
Baba Yara was a star player for Asante Kotoko and the Ghana National Team, earning 51 caps and scoring an impressive 49 goals as a winger. He was twice voted Ghana's Footballer of the Year, making him the first player to receive this honor twice. He started his football journey as a horse jockey player at Accra Turf Club and was soon signed by Asante Kotoko in 1955.
The sports stadium in Kumasi was renamed Baba Yara Sports Stadium in his honor, recognizing his immense contributions to Ghanaian football. This was part of a larger effort initiated by Sports Minister Kwame Baah Wiredu in 2004 to name sports facilities after past sporting heroes.
Baba Yara's untimely death was a tragic loss to the football world and Ghana as a nation. He will always be remembered for his incredible talent and contributions to the sport.