Why I refused to shake hands with Rawlings – Sarfo Gyamfi recounts

Former Asante Kotoko legend Sarfo Gyamfi has revealed the reason why he refused to shake hands with Ghana’s former President Jerry John Rawlings after Kotoko beat Hearts 4-2 to win the President’s Cup in 1990.

According to the former Ghanaian international, he was an admirer of Rawlings but was disappointed when Brawlings plotted Kotoko’s defeat in the President’s Cup through a young boy.

Speaking to Dan Kwaku Yeboah TV, prior to the game, one young boy appeared from nowhere and said Hearts of Oak will come out victorious with four goals.

“While we were warming up, this young boy came to your base and said Hearts will beat us by four goals and that he is an ardent supporter of Kotoko but his dad works for Hearts of Oak”

“Hearts will come with four blue and white balls prior to the game and we must ensure all four balls are deflated and also make sure one of our players refuses to shake hands with Rawlings because he had the flag of Hearts of Oak around his wrist which will help Hearts to beat us. We the players agreed and I volunteered to be the one not to shake hands with Rawlings. I ordered four pins which I will use to deflate the ball. We planned and it was well executed but after the FA found out and I was summoned before the Disciplinary Committee and banned for eight games”, he added.

Sarfo Gyamfi was part of Ghana’s squad that participated at the 1992 Africa Cup where Ghana reached the final.

He has played professional football in Ghana, Nigeria, and Europe and he is known as "The Black President" by Asante Kotoko fans when he played for the Porcupine Warriors from 1984 to 1990 before he retired from active football in 1998.

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