By Vance Azu

Kofi Pare, a former international star, was one player who had displayed tremendous goal-scoring prowess during his playing days, both at club level and during international engagements.

His knack for goals and his skilful display of this rare talent make him the most treasured goal scorer this country has ever had.Kofi Pare, a utility player, holds an enviable record, having scored six goals in a single match, the highest ever recorded in Ghana.

The closest other Ghanaian strikers have achieved was five goals credited to Kwasi Owusu (Power House), Dan Owusu, formerly of Tano Bofoakwa and Opoku Afriyie (Bayie), formerly of Kumasi Asante Kotoko and of Accra Hearts of Oak. His favourite positions were Numbers 6, 10 and 11.

Kofi Pare achieved this enviable feat in an independence day anniversary match between the Ghana Black Stars and the national team of Kenya, as part of the Kenya national day celebration, in 1964. Ghana won the match 13-2. Osei Kofi scored four goals in that encounter.

Kofi Pare, who is 66 years old, in an interview with this reporter, said he started playing football while a Form Three pupil at the Asamankese Methodist School in 1956. He said he started with the Asamankese Shooting Stars and his skills were first noticed by the then captain of the Gold Coast national team, Tim Darbah.

This was during a football match between his Asamankese club and a team from Winneba.According to him, in the first leg encounter played at Winneba, the match ended 2-2, with him scoring both goals for his side. In the return leg his team lost 1-2 and he scored the consolation goal.

Later, Kofi Pare said Tim approached him and enquired from him if he would be willing to play soccer in one of the big towns, to which he answered in the affirmative.

Therefore, in 1958, with the help of Tim Darbah, Kofi Pare joined the Takoradi-based Great Ahantas, then a Division Two side. At the end of that season, Great Ahantas could not qualify for the elite division.

Consequently, most of the players were transferred en bloc to Sekondi Eleven Wise in 1960, where he met Edward Acquah (Mr Sputnik).That same year, in an encounter between Eleven Wise and Accra Hearts of Oak, Kofi Pare stunned the crowd gathered at the Accra Stadium, when he opened the floodgates with three quick goals to unsettle Hearts of Oak. However, in the end, Hearts came from behind and won the match 7-4.

According to Kofi Pare, he inflicted that pain on Hearts because he had earlier on flirted with Hearts of Oak for six months but because of the management’s inability to get him employment he was forced to leave.

After that titanic encounter with Hearts, he further exhibited stupendous skills during two trial matches involving the Black Stars and the Railways Eleven (his workplace team).

Both encounters ended in drawn games. After these matches, Kofi Pare continued exhibiting exceptional skills and was invited to the Black Stars in March 1961. He later joined Real Republicans (Osagyefo’s Own Club).

Kofi Pare joined Hearts of Oak after the 1966 coup when the Republicans club was proscribed. He played for Hearts of Oak for a season in 1967 and moved to Kotoko through the influence of the late Mr B. K. Edusei. Not long thereafter, he decided to hang his boots because, according to him, he did not see any bright prospects in football as a career.

He therefore pursued correspondence courses in salesmanship, while working with the National Sports Council. He was a member of the 1963 and 1965 African Cup winning squad of the Black Stars.He explained that he had to come back from retirement and don the national colours once again in 1970 because of a boycott carried out by a group of Kotoko players in the national team.

He was recalled and he played in a crucial match against Togo. He said after that match he registered again for Sekondi Eleven Wise, where he finally ended his career. Kofi Pare played alongside players like Aggrey Fynn, Wilberforce Mfum, Kwame Adarkwa, Addo Odametey, Frank Odoi, Jones Attuquayefio, John Naawu, Dodoo Ankrah, among other renowned stars.

Kofi Pare, through the influence of a friend, started dealing in cars from 1971 onwards. In 1978, he became a born-again Christian and founded the Kopa Ministries at Dansoman, Accra.He later changed the name to Good News Chapel and relocated to Abossey Okai, also in Accra. He is at the moment a minister of the gospel.

He is, indeed the Founder and General Overseer of the Church, with branches in Agona Abodom, Nkawkaw and Dormaa Ahenkro. He was born on November 26, 1938 at Asamankese. Kofi Pare is married with four children. He has reading and studying the Bible as his hobbies.

He still plays football at the advanced age of 66. He plays regularly for the Accra Old Stars club alongside other retired colleagues. Kofi Pare said there is no juju in football. He insists that players can perform creditably if they train sufficiently and remain focussed.