The story of how Opoku Ayifrie was almost banned from Black Stars for being 'Rawlings boy'

Renowned broadcaster Collins Atta Poku has revealed how former Asante Kotoko and Black Stars striker, Opoku Afriyie, was labelled an informant due to his close relationship with the then-Ghanaian president, Jerry John Rawlings.

According to Atta Poku, members of the Black Stars' committee for the 1982 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) considered excluding Afriyie from the squad because of his knowledge of players' bonuses, which created tension in the camp.

"In 1982, Opoku Afriyie was almost banished from the Black Stars. He had direct access to Chairman Rawlings, so he knew the bonuses due to players even before the team boarded the plane for the tournament.

The leaders wanted to reduce the bonuses, which created suspicion," Atta Poku narrated in a video shared by Baidoo TV on YouTube.

To earn the players' trust, Afriyie reportedly called President Rawlings while in camp, asking him to confirm the promised bonuses to the squad.

"Opoku Afriyie, though not the captain, called all the players together and had Rawlings repeat the bonus amounts over the phone. This exposed the leaders' intentions to reduce the bonuses and reassured the players," Atta Poku explained.

After Ghana won the 1982 AFCON, Afriyie reportedly told the players they would receive their bonuses upon returning to Ghana.

Atta Poku shared this account to highlight the longstanding issues of division and mistrust within the Black Stars, connecting it to former captain Asamoah Gyan's recent comments about alleged "evil" within the team.

Watch Atta Poku narrate the Opoku Afriyie story via the video below from 5:45



EE/EK