Samuel Kuffour is not only one of Ghana's most uncompromising defenders, he also hold a distinction that has largely gone unnoticed, as one of the most successful foreigners to have played in German football.
In 1991 Kuffour entered the limelight in Italy as a member of the Ghana side that won the FIFA U-17 World Championship. Fifteen years on and Kuffour has arguably been the most consistent performer of that crop of players. He remained in Italy following that tournament to play for Torino, but moved to Bayern Munich in the summer of 1993 where he developed into one of the finest defenders in not just Africa but Europe too.
While in Munich he won four Bundesliga championship medals, three German Cups, the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Championship TOYOTA Cup in 2001 - when he scored the only goal of the game against Boca Juniors in extra time in Tokyo.
However, Kuffour's career has also had its fair share of frustration. In 2001 he was asked to make a national apology after an incident in the tunnel during the Black Stars' FIFA World Cup? qualifying match against Sudan in Omdurman. A year later he was suspended for six matches after head-butting a Schalke player during a German Cup tie.
On a previous appearance at the CAF African Cup of Nations, at Mali in 2002, Kuffour left the tournament early after a disagreement with Ghanaian officials. This was not his only absence from the national team as he missed much of their Germany 2006 qualifying campaign after falling out with coach Ratomir Dujkovic. He returned for the November friendly against Saudi Arabia, however, and stressed his commitment to the cause before this tournament, saying: "I wanted to play for Ghana in the Nations Cup and the World Cup and I'm ready to give up anything for that."
The 29-year-old has known tragedy in his life - three years ago his 15-month-old daughter Godiva drowned in a swimming pool at his house in Accra - but right now football is providing plenty to savour. A new challenge at Roma in Italy, where he arrived after 11 seasons in Germany, and a return to the national fold with Germany 2006 beckoning.
A vastly experienced figure at the back for the FIFA World Cup newcomers, no-one should expect him to be fazed when Ghana step out onto the world stage against Group E rivals Italy, Czech Republic and USA in June.
