Amegnona James Akwasi
Amegnona James Akwasi, who once aspired to be a Ballon d'Or nominee and play for his dream club Barcelona, now appears to be far from that goal, having stopped his career to work as a waiter and care for his ailing father.
James, who grew up with his aunt and father, began playing football at the age of six and received unwavering support from his father although his aunt opposed his career path.
According to him, he did not see himself doing any other job than becoming a footballer while growing up.
"I miss football. It's my passion and I love to do it," he told GhanaWeb Sports.
He stated that he desired to be on the list of African players who had played for Barcelona, as well as to appear on the Ballon d'Or list.
Unfortunately, his dreams look to be fairytale fantasies considering that he had to abandon them in order to care for his father.
He narrated that his dad was not financially capable of supporting his career, therefore he had to rely on individuals who saw his potential.
He named one Mr. Yeboah who had to pay for his appendix surgery and supported him to recover full fitness.
"I was diagnosed with an appendix while I was in Junior High School. A man called Mr. Yeboah funded my surgery and also sponsored me," he recounted.
James continued that shortly after his recovery, Yeboah travelled outside the country and could not reach out to him because of a feud between Yeboah and his family before his departure.
"Yeboah travelled outside the country and we lost ties with him because he had a little misunderstanding with my family before the trip. I asked myself, so how will my career go?"
Despite his fears, James' career did not stagnate as he met another man named Mr. Afful who put in all efforts for him to play football abroad.
He stated that Afful earned a trial opportunity in the UK and Dubai but just when he thought he was about to embark on an ascendancy, he sustained an ankle injury.
"Mr. Afful's plan for me was to play in Europe. He brought agents from France and England to come and watch, and they showed interest. I was playing effectively until the agent showed interest in me, and then I started getting ankle problems. It was severe to the extent that I couldn't stand on my leg. They were planning on taking me to the UK or Dubai. By the time I recovered, his business had collapsed, so things did not go as planned," he shared with GhanaWeb Sports.
With the UK trial off and Afful out of business, James had to be his own man and thus had to work to support himself.
He said within that period his father had a stroke, which practically shut his football dreams and he had to settle on working minimal jobs after Senior High School.
"So during Senior High School, I had to work on the side to support myself. It was within that time my dad had a stroke.
"It was not easy, but all I thought about was that I was the only person that would make my dream come true. So after SHS, I worked at Kumasi City Mall as security," he added.
James Amegnona is an attacking midfielder who prioritises his game around dribbling and incisive passing.
In his hometown, he was nicknamed the right-footed Lionel Messi due to his dazzling dribbling and mesmerizing passing.
He went through the ranks of Rangers FC in Kumasi, playing for the U-12 level and U-17 team before a move to DL Soccerex Academy.
The highest level of football he played was in the third tier, during his time with Soccer Missionaries.
He currently works as a waiter at Accra City Hotel in a quest to take care of his father and himself.
He admitted that although he misses football, he had to refrain from watching because it brings back bad memories.
At just age 19, and having a great future as the bright talent he is, James has left a window of him becoming a professional footballer still open on the condition of getting an agent and maximum support.
"I'm hoping that I can still play because at age 19, I think I can still do it but the only thing is the helping hand and the club that will give me the spotlight."
"I'm willing to play again because I'm okay now but it's about financial support," he told GhanaWeb Sports.
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