Meet the Ghanaian Head of State who constructed football pitches in all regional and district capitals

Between 1972 and 1978, Ghana was led by General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, who ascended to the apex of leadership in Ghana through a coup.

IK Acheampong, as he was widely known, is credited with a number of interventions and infrastructure developments in the country, including ‘Operation Feed Yourself,’ which many historians reckon was a game-changer for Ghana relative to the management of the country’s currency.

An aspect of IK Acheampong’s achievements for the country that has not been highlighted enough is the sporting sector, in which he chalked up a few successes.

Ghanaian historian and lawyer Yaw Frimpong Anokye has shed light on the interventions by the Acheampong government in the area of sports, which includes the expansion of the Accra and Kumasi stadia.

He explained that IK Acheampong adopted Kwame Nkrumah’s plan for sports, which was investing massively in infrastructure at the local level to help in the unearthing of sporting talents.

Under Acheampong’s reign, Ghana also won its first international title via DK Poison in 1975.

“He expanded the Accra and Kumasi Sports Stadiums for the hosting of the 11th AFCON. Acheampong built parks in all districts of the country. All the regional and district capitals had parks and stadiums. He was a huge fan of sports, so he emulated the leadership structure adopted by Kwame Nkrumah.

“Acheampong made himself Head of State and Commissioner of Sports, and his personal assistant was Colonel Simpeh Asante. It was during his time that Ghana won its first boxing title. Ghana won the 1978 AFCON,” he narrated on Max TV.

EK