Former Asante Kotoko player, Joseph Okyere, holds an enviable record in Ghanaian football history as the only player to have played in the CAF Champions League finals three times.
Despite this impressive feat, it turned out to be bittersweet as he failed to win any of the finals.
Unlike his playing mates, including Emmanuel Ampiah, Frank Amankwah, Frimpong Manson, and Agyemang Duah, Okyere is not a household name in Ghanaian football. However, he earned a cult hero status at Kotoko during their 1993 Champions League campaign.
His brace in the quarter-final against Nkana Red Devils in Kumasi inspired Kotoko to a comeback win after losing the first leg. He was also on the scoresheet in the semifinals when Kotoko beat ASEC Mimosas to secure a spot in the final against Zamalek.
The 1993 Champions League final was his first, but Kotoko lost 5-4 on penalties.
Okyere would go on to play in back-to-back finals a year after leaving Kotoko. He joined Zamalek following a successful season at Kotoko and played a pivotal role in the team's quest for the finals in 1994.
However, they lost to Esperance de Tunis, marking another final defeat for Okyere.
Joe Okyere did not appear in the finals again until three years later. Within those three years, he had left Zamalek, had a short spell in Saudi Arabia, and returned to Ghana, signing for Ashanti Gold Sporting Club, then known as Obuasi Gold Fields.
He helped steer the club to their first and only CAF Champions League final in 1997, scoring three goals and finishing as the club's second-top scorer in the campaign.
Unfortunately, it was yet again not meant to be, as the Miners lost to the Moroccan side Raja Casablanca. The final went to penalties after the tie ended 1-1 on aggregate. Raja won 5-4 on penalties in the second leg in Morocco, with Okyere missing his shot.
Joe Okyere retired from football in the early 2000s after a short spell at Asante Kotoko.
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