Football is famous for its nicknames and a majority of the Greatest players in the history of the game are being recognized by their nicknames with Ghana's Baba Yara being the number example that comes to mind when you narrow the study to the local scene.
Football lovers use Ronaldinho instead of Ronaldo de Assis Moreira while Pele is often used to replace Edson Arantes do Nascimento as the identity of the said players instead of their real names.
Some nicknames can be self-appointed, or the can be bestowed upon a player by their siblings, managers, supporters or teammates but the problem of nicknames is that whether you like them or not, they stick.
Unlike the outside world where players are normally identified with their nicknames, it is not rampant in Ghana but Ghanacrusader.com and Kyfilla has put together a compilation of players who are normally addressed with their nicknames by their teammates and officials.
Here’s a look at some of the weird and wonderful nicknames of some Ghana premier league players. Check them out:
1. Mubarak Alhassan- Aboabo Iniesta (Liberty Professionals)
2.Elvis Kyei Baffour – Awookyi (Liberty Professionals)
3.Justice Blay – Nkuku (Asante Kotoko)
4.Benjamin Bernard Boateng – Mosquito (Elmina Sharks)
5.Richard Boadu – Agadass (Medeama SC)
6.Yahaya Mohammed – Lukaku/Terminator (Aduana stars)
7.Prince Opoku Agyemang – Abedi (Medeama sc)
8.Emmanuel Gyamfi – Aluko Beckham or Pajero (Asante Kotoko)
9.Emmanuel Osei Baffour – Manomaa (Ashgold sc)
10.Paul Aidoo – Madusa ( Aduana stars)
11.Kofi Owusu – Deco (Berekum Chelsea)
12. Benjamin Tweneboah – Neymar ( Elmina sharks)
13. Eric Ofori Antwi – Alawa Suba De Gea (Medeama SC)
14.Maxwell Baakoh -Messi/Babana(Asante Kotoko)
15.Richard Mpong – Kooko ( Elmina Sharks)
16.Matthew Kelvin Andoh – Keita ( Asante Kotoko)
17. Emmanuel Owusu – Abamkusi (Berekum Chelsea)
18. Emmanuel Agyeman Badu – Spirito Zaza (Asante Kotoko)
19.lsmail Abdul Ganiyu – Van Dyke (Asante Kotoko)
20. Samuel Arthur – Wachooo ( Elmina Sharks)
21.Kwame Opoku – Opake (Asante Kotoko)
22.Sadique Alhassan – Pogba ( Karela United)
23.Kofi Nyamekye – Pogba (Karela United)
24.Patrick Yeboah – Stonecode (Asante Kotoko)
25.lssah Suleiman – Di Maria ( Ebusua Dwarfs)
26.Ampem Dacosta – Pique/Frenchman (Asante Kotoko)
27. Kofi Kodzi – Aveyime Drogba (Hearts of Oak)
28. Ibrahim Danlad – Lagata Guda (Berekum Chelsea)
29.Frederick Ansah Botchway – Fabregas (Hearts of Oak)
30. William Opoku Mensah – Sadio Mane (Asante Kotoko)
31.Habib Mohammed – Shatta/Dem Dead (Asante Kotoko)
32. Felix Annan – Vancoco – (Asante Kotoko)
33. Augustine Okrah – Kusiee (Asante Kotoko)
34. Songne Yacouba – PAYS (Small Attacker Songne Yacouba) – Asante Kotoko
35. Richard Atta – Alisson Becker (Hearts of Oak)
36. Agyemang Badu – Spirito Zaza (Asante Kotoko)
37. Emmanuel Nettey – Romero Jr (Hearts of Oak)
38. Prince Owusu – Ronaldo (Ashantigold)
39. Richard Osei Agyemang – Agyeo (Ashantigold)
Compilation credits: Ghanacrusader & Kyfilla