Hearts of Oak not the first team to represent Ghana in a match, RTU did it first with Abedi Pele - Kwame Danger

Real Tamale United (RTU) legend Kwame Danger has contested the widely held belief that Accra Hearts of Oak was the first club to represent the Ghana national team, the Black Stars, in an official match.

In a discussion with Ernest Brew Smith on his YouTube channel, Danger recounted that long before Hearts of Oak's notable representation in 2001, RTU had already set a precedent in an international tournament.

He detailed that an RTU squad, augmented by the legendary Abedi Ayew Pele and Ben Kayode, donned the Black Stars' colours in a competition held in Korea.

Danger recalled that the team played two matches, securing a victory against Canada in the first but succumbing in the second to an opponent whose name eludes him now.

He reminisced about scoring twice in the match against Canada, although one goal was disallowed for offside.

"In 1985, RTU stood in for Ghana in two encounters. We were joined by Abedi and Ben Kayode for a tournament in Korea. I managed to score two goals against Canada, but one was incorrectly ruled offside. Our second game ended in defeat. Contrary to popular belief, Hearts of Oak wasn't the only team to have achieved this; RTU was the pioneer," he asserted.

In 2001, under the guidance of the esteemed Cecil Jones Attuquayefio, Hearts of Oak represented Ghana in a World Cup qualifier against Nigeria.

The squad, featuring prominent players like Charles Taylor, Sammy Adjei, and Jacob Nettey, held their ground against Nigeria's formidable lineup, which included stars like Celestine Babayaro, Sunday Oliseh, Nwankwo Kanu, and Finidi George, to secure a draw in Accra.

Below is Ghana’s starting team for the match:

Goalkeeper: Sammy Adjei

Defenders: Jacob Nettey, Dan Quaye, Stephen Tetteh, Amankwah Mireku

Midfielders: Charles Allotey, Emmanuel Osei Kuffour, Lawrence Adjah Tetteh

Forwards: Ishmael Addo, Charles Taylor, Emmanuel Donkor