Breaking the poverty cycle: The grass to grace stories of some Ghanaian footballers

The phrase from ‘grass to grace’ is often tossed around by people in their bid to validate their hustle and make people appreciate their rise from one level to the other.

If there exists an area or sector with a lot of people who defied the odds and won the fight against poverty and therefore deserve the ‘grass to grace’ tag then its football.

The sports, aside its entertainment and unifying purpose has also helped lift people from the clutches of poverty to millionaire status who are celebrated worldwide.

These figures are revered globally for their craft as well as their wealth but the rise to the top did not come on a silver platter.

Starvation, being duped by fake agents, moments of loneliness and sadness and long periods of training are the pages of the remarkable stories of a lot footballers particularly those from South America and Africa.

Today, we turn our lenses on some Ghanaian footballers whose stories best fit the caption ‘from grass to grace’.

Charles Taylor

The Hearts and Kotoko legend and arguably the best player the Ghanaian Premier League has seen in the last twenty years.

Charles Taylor was a mercurial player and great and quick feet made him a headache to most defenders who came up against him.

But his story is amazing. From a shoeshine boy in Kumasi to selling clothes at Kantamanto to being the first player to be bought by a billion cedi in the country, the legend had his fair of life’s troubles.

Recounting his struggle in an interview with Joy Prime, the 2002 Ghana Premier League player of the year said, "I used to sell clothes at Kantamanto after I failed my trials at Great Olympics. It wasn't easy for me. I was more like a street boy who was eager to make it in life”.

One of the best of his time, Taylor played for both Kotoko and Hearts and in retirement he has become a pastor.



Stephen Appiah

“Today, the charcoal seller’s son has won a white shirt. It has been a long journey from Chorkor to Italy, to East Legon. God is good, on behalf of my wife my family, I will like to say big thanks to God for how far He has brought me, I will like to thank the organisers of this wonderful event and all those who supported me throughout my career.

“I remember Chorkor days when after training you don’t even have food to eat and the kenkey sellers try to offer you something, but today I’m standing here as Stephen Appiah. This is going to motivate me to do more for God and country”, Appiah said after receiving a Lifetime Achievers in 2017.

This is the Stephen Appiah story. A journey that saw him play for the likes of Juventus, Udinese and Fernebahce and being regarded as the best skipper in the history of the Black Stars.

Safe to say God used football to lift him from poverty to his current states.



Sammy Kuffour

Alhaji Grunsah’s gift to Ghana football. It feels great to see him on television doing his punditry works, but the former Black Stars defender did not have it easy growing up.

On the streets of Kumasi, he used to roam with his shoeshine box for his daily bread.

But the story changed after he joined Torino in 1991. Sammy will go on to play for some other clubs but it is at Bayern Munich that he made his name as elite defender.

Kuffour has Bundesliga and Champions League medals.

In 2007, he was named one of CAF’s 30 best African Players of all-time.

Christian Atsu

Atsu has embarked on a lot of charity projects recently and that is because he knows how it feels to be in a needy position.

The struggles of life made the winger sleep in uncompleted buildings but his footballing talents bailed him out and he is now in a position to help others.

“I lived in an uncompleted building. Every time I go back to Ghana, I see the building I lived in. It’s still uncompleted. “I say to my friends ‘this was me, this is where I came from’. It’s hard in Africa. You cannot imagine what it is like to see the kids with no money, no house, with nowhere to go, he said in a recent interview.

Atsu is a key player for the Black Stars and plies his trade with Newcastle.



Thomas Partey

Partey is currently Ghana’s best player and has been blessed with incredible shooting and passing skills but the Atletico Madrid midfielder had it tough growing up.

The Odumase-Krobo born player hails from a poor family who at some point could not afford to buy boots for him. His dad is a local coach and mum was a petty trader. He is the eldest of eight children.

At a young age, Partey’s dream was to play in Europe and make some money to support his parent cater for his other siblings.

But the dream was often threatened by his parents’ inability to raise funds to help him go for trials with clubs outside.

His breakthrough came when an agent who got impressed by his talent managed to send him to Spain where he secured a contract with Atletico Madrid.

After loan spells with Mallorca and Almeria and being on the fringes of Simeone’s team, Partey has now become a key cog of the Atletico Madrid team.