How Ghanaian footballers absconded after being sent to the US to play in a tournament

On the topic of Ghanaian sportsmen and women absconding after arriving in a foreign country, Ghanaian musician and politician Kwame Asare Obeng, alias A Plus, has recounted a story of a football agent friend of his who landed in trouble with United States authorities after suffering a similar fate.

On the Saturday, July 27 edition of UTV’s United Showbiz show, Kwame A Plus narrated that his friend who is called Ato sent some Ghanaian footballers on trial in the US with the hope of securing them contracts.

However, upon arrival in the US, the footballers absconded to various parts of the country and became untraceable.

The friend, who wanted to uphold the laws of the US, reported the incident to the authorities, asking them to locate the footballers.

To his dismay, however, he was told that the absconded footballers had visas which allowed them to stay in the US legally for at least six months.

Strangely, however, the friend who is the complainant became the suspect as the authorities started questioning him about his treatment of the footballers and what role he might have played in their decision to abscond.

“A friend of mine called Ato sent footballers to the US to play football, but they all absconded. They were to play a tournament, but they ran away. So he called the police to inform them about the situation, and they came to his place to investigate. The police told him that the people have visas, so they could stay in the country for six months.

“My friend suddenly saw an increase in the number of police officers, and they began to question him about why a footballer would abscond. They suspected that my friend was not giving them the best of treatment, so he was arrested and questioned. They secured the place and inspected the apartment where they stayed and the food they were given,” he said.

A Plus’ story follows the recent issue of some Ghanaian Paralympic players who absconded after arriving in Norway for a tournament.

Providing further details on the issue, Saddick Adams of Angel Broadcasting Network said, “Gyasi, who led the team, did not collapse; rather, the head coach succumbed to a serious illness that led to his admission to Oslo University Hospital (ULEVAL).

"The scandal came to light after the head coach felt unwell. He couldn’t deal with the weather at the time, so he passed away.”

The president of the National Paralympics Committee, Samson Deen, revealed that the said 11-member team who absconded in Norway forged documents to secure visas and embark on the trip.

“They forged my signature on the letter and applied for visas for some people who have no affiliation with the Ghana Paralympic Team," he said.

Samson Deen's explanation came after National Security Minister Albert Kan-Dapaah, in a signed letter dated July 3, 2024, reported the incident of 9 of the 11 Paralympic team members being on the run.

The letter noted that the team was expected to participate in the Fjordkraft Bergen City Marathon on April 27, 2024.

EK