Many of the world’s top footballers over the past two decades will soon assemble in Ghana for a testimonial match in honour of legendary Ghanaian defender Sammy Kuffour, All Sports can reveal.
World Cup winners Lothar Matheous, Jurgen Klinsmann as well as Bayern Munich legends Oliver Khan, Stefan Effenberg, Mario Basler, Kanu Nwankwo are just among a host of big names expected to troupe in for the defender who enjoyed great success playing for German giants Bayern Munich from 1993 to 2005.
The defender who retired from the game some few years ago is looking to bring players from all around the world, especially those he played with. His determination seems to be derived from the success and glamour of the Michael Essien Peace Match last Wednesday in which he also played, All Sports understands.
Kuffour rose to be one of the world’s best defenders reaching two Champions’ League finals with Bayern, they famously lost the first in 1999 to Manchester United before clinching the diadem two years later beating Spanish side Valencia on penalties.
He also won 6 German league titles, 4 German Cups and 5 German league cups. The highlight of his Bayern career was when he scored the only goal to help the German side beat Boca Juniors of Argentina to win the World Club Cup in 2001, earning the man-of-the-match ward.
Easily the most decorated Ghanaian footballer ever, he played at every level for the nation winning the U-17 World Cup in 1991 as well as featuring in the bronze-winning Barcelona 1992 Black Meteors side and both of the Australia 1993 and Japan 1993 silver winning Satellites and Starlets respectively.
The rugged defender also made 59 appearances for the Black Stars, debuting way back in 1993 and played till Germany 2006 where his costly backpass against Italy resulted in the Azzuri’s second goal as Ghana lost 2-0 in the nation’s debut World Cup game.
Kuffour also played for AS Roma in Serie A before calling it quits after an unsuccessful 6-month spell at Dutch giants Ajax Amstedam. He was named BBC African footballer in 2001 and twice finished, albeit controversially, as runner-up in the CAF African player of the year voting in 1999 and 2001.
Until recently when Samuel Eto’O overtook him, Sammy Kuffour also held the record for the most appearances by an African in the UEFA Champions’ League and has the record as the youngest defender of all-time to score in the Champions League when he netted for Bayern against Spartak Moscow in a 2-2 draw on November 2 1994 aged 18 years, 61 days.
*Credit: Prince Dornu-Leiku / All Sports newspaper*
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