Apologize for wee comment - Yahaya Mohammed to JE Sarpong

Ghana forward Yahaya Mohammed has called on veteran Ghanaian coach JE Sarpong to apologize for defamatory comments against the home-based footballer.

Sarpong had alleged the majority of Ghanaian players smoke marijuana, popularly known as weed, and went on to give instances where he helped get weed for a top player of one of his former clubs ahead of a big game.

The claims have unsurprisingly generated controversy and Aduana Stars striker Yahaya is not finding any of it funny.

“Coach JE Sarpong must apologise to Ghanaian players. It is time for people to tell the truth to some people like him," Yahaya told Kumasi-based Oyerepa FM.

"His comments that about 60% of Ghanaian players smoke weed are very bad.

“I don’t smoke but look at the people he has coached - like Asamoah Gyan and others.

"Does he know the 60 per cent of 100 players. It is a false statement and should retract the statement.”

Former Ghana U23 assistant coach Sarpong has had stints with Premier League sides Asante Kotoko, Aduana Stars, Liberty Professionals, Ebusua Dwarfs and Great Olympics.

"I can say that 60% of the Ghanaian players - both in the Premier and the Division One Leagues - smoke marijuana," Sarpong told Angel FM.

“I have coached most of them but of course we have something called coach-player relationship.

"There was a match between Accra Great Olympics and Hearts of Oak. One player came to me and said I should buy him ‘weed’ and we will win the match.

"I later noticed that he was not the only person, he was sent by his colleagues. I told him, I can’t buy for him, so I gave him the money and in that game he was the man of the match. He gave the assist for our winning goal.

"It is a bad practice but if it will win the match [for me], I don’t mind. If my team win the match, I take my winning bonus [as a coach] and I'm gone.

“What I will do for my team to win is what is important."

Yahaya, 32, is the second top scorer in the Premier League this season.

The former Nice player was named in Ghana's 23-man squad for a 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying double-header against Sudan which was later postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.