Dan Kwaku Yeboah and Coach Opeele Boateng
The perception that sports personalities in the country do not comment on issues outside their domain has been challenged recently with two personalities from the sector being vocal about non-sporting issues that affect the masses.
Interestingly however both men have in their respective statements reacted to claims by leading members of the National Democratic Congress.
The party is confident of regaining power in 2024 and has set the ball rolling with the announcement of the dates for its parliamentary and presidential primaries.
It does appear that they will be facing criticism from some sporting personalities who are now willing to make their voices heard on national issues.
Coach Isaac Opeele
Former Asante Kotoko coach Isaac Opeele Boateng has been loud on national issues and seems to be pursuing the Bawumia must-be president agenda.
Coach Opeele has clashed with Sam George and Kwakye Ofosu over their respective takes on issues that he has opposite views of.
Coach Opeele clashed with Sam George after the latter’s criticism of the Ghana Football Association.
The Ningo Prampram MP complained that whereas federations of other countries are using their share of the FIFA funds for development, the Ghana Football Association in his view are dabbling in mediocrity.
“When other FAs are using FIFA funds for proper devt of colts football & infrastructure devt, you have a supposed 'Coach' who has never even won sobolo in a competition say we should praise the GFA because they are securing land title & he gat nerves to call me mediocre. Tueh,” he tweeted.
Coach Opeele was the one who first went after Sam George after the MP made allegations against the Ghana Football Association.
In response to Sam George’s claims that the officials of the FA interfere in national team call-ups, Coach Opeele sought to belittle the MP with the claim that he is a novice in football.
“I monitored hue & cry by devil advocates in Gh that, GFA should sue an MP. Basically, The novice MP has no voice in soccer. How many fans know him? It is same way a sports person passing bad political comment would be overlooked cos the person has no voice in politics,” he tweeted.
Coach Opeele also clashed with former Deputy Minister of Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu over the alleged non-payment of monies to the winners of the 2009 World Under-20 World Cup.
Felix Kwakye Ofosu slammed Opeele for making an illogical claim against the then government.
"Coach Silas Tetteh won the U20 World Cup in 2009 under NDC Prez Akufo Addo heard about his cry & offered GH50K NDC has paid deaf ears. It's something all-knowing 'football illiterate' Sam George should push to gain NDC good political points not fighting GFA unnecessarily Twea," Opeele tweeted.
In a sharp response, Kwakye Fosu described Opeele’s rants as a load of nonsense.
"What a load of nonsense!," Kwakye Fosu said in reaction to Opeele’s tweet.
Opeele also hit back with, "Hey, Felix Ofosu Kwakye respect yourself."
Dan Kwaku Yeboah
The ace broadcaster ratted NDC leadership and supporters after he made comments which seem to appeal to former president John Dramani Mahama to return his ex-gratia as a show of his commitment to scrap it.
Kwaku Yeboah explained that he would buy the claims of John Mahama if he followed the example of Togbe Afede and returned the ex-gratia.
“You said it in 2015, the time you were in government, but you couldn’t scrap it, now that you’re on the bench (in opposition) you want to scrap what? Bring the ones that you’ve taken to set an example of what you’re saying.
“If the former president brings his ex-gratia, Kwame I will campaign for him, I will clap for him. Let him say he’s doing what Togbe Afede did, so he’s also doing the same…Kwame this is a big campaign message.
“I wanted him to set an example, actions speak louder than words….Togbe Afede is a human being, and Mahama is also a human being, so why not return it as Togbe Afede did?” he quizzed.
His comments attracted vile attacks from leading members of the NDC with John Mahama describing such calls as lazy.
KPE
