Top 4 most popular mythical stories in Ghana football

Inasmuch as some of these stories sound ridiculous, they are still very fresh in the minds of many Ghanaians.

And although the roots of these tales cannot be traced, their impact among football-loving fans cannot be underestimated.

Pulse Sports has compiled some of such mythical football-related stories in Ghana.

Ghana’s 99-1 loss to India

This is one story that has trended for God knows how long. Every Ghanaian has his or her own version depending on where you grew up. According to this myth, Ghana once played a final against India in a very high-scoring game.

Apparently, the Indians walloped the Black Stars by 99 goals to one – if the story is to be believed. In a rather shocking twist of events, the Black Stars are said to have been promised the trophy if they managed a consolation goal.

The Black Stars were totally outplayed in the game, and the myth suggests that anytime they had the ball, it either turned into a blazing furnace or the head of a lion.

That left every Black Stars player shaking and not wanting to even touch the ball, allowing the Indians the chance to wreck havoc.

However, with the scoreline at 99-0, and with time eventually running out, one Black Stars player mustered the courage to plant the ball at the back of the Indians’ net with a thunderous shot.

Interestingly, the identity of the player who scored Ghana’s sole goal is still unknown. Some claim he died immediately after scoring the goal, while others claim he is the man whose picture can be found on the cover of the Milo tin. The venue where this game was hosted and the trophy for which both nations contested for is still yet to be unraveled.

Robert Mensah’s reading habits during matches

The former national goalkeeper was a household name during the 1960s due to his smartness in post. Robert Mensah had some wonderful moments in his career, including picking up a runner-up medal at the 1967 Africa Club Cup.

However, the former Kotoko goalie is most remembered due to some mythical stories that have been circulated about him. Robert Mensah is believed to have been a very tricky goalkeeper in his days, and loved to wind up his opponents.

But there are stories that he used to stop in between matches, climb the top of his post and read a newspaper – all this while the match was ongoing.

In fact, some even suggest that he had magical powers, and always hid it in his cap which he normally wore when in post. The most unbelievable aspect of this whole myth is that, Robert Mensah could still save a shot from his opponents even when reading a newspaper from the top of his post.

It is still a mystery how this story gained so much grounds, but it is what it is.

How a witch cursed the Black Stars’ yellow jersey

Perhaps the most ridiculous of all the myths in Ghana football is the story about how a witch’s curse forced the Black Stars to switch their first stripe from yellow to white.

The Ghana FA officially made the Black Stars’ first stripe white ahead of the 2006 World Cup in Germany. However, the story that followed suggested that the Association was forced into the switch because of a curse rained on the national team by a certain witch.

According to this myth, a spell was cast on the Black Stars which meant the team would never qualify for the World Cup until their yellow jersey was changed.

Some believers of this story say the curse was the reason why a talented squad which had the likes of Abedi Pele and Anthony Yeboah could never qualify Ghana to a World Cup.

It was claimed that the switch to white was the reason why Ghana qualified for the 2006 World Cup and other subsequent tourneys.

However, it must be noted that the main reason why Ghana had to switch from yellow to white was because the nation could not use two bright colours as home and away strips.

The GFA had initially wanted to use both white and yellow jerseys at the tournament but it was mandatory from FIFA that only one bright colour could be used, hence the white was chosen as Ghana’s home stripe.

Wilberforce Mfum tearing every goal-net with his thunderous shots

This myth originated in the aftermath of Ghana’s debut appearance in the Africa Cup of Nations in 1963. The West Africans were also the hosts of this tournament, and Wilberforce Mfum was by then a key member of Ghana’s squad.

The attacker scored Ghana’s first-ever goal in the AFCON after opening the scoring in the Black Stars’ 1-1 draw with Tunisia. However, his 18th-minute strike has become the subject of controversy in the last four decades.

Mfum netted with a thunderous strike from long-range, which ended up tearing the goal net. The goal instantly became debatable, however, the part of the net which tore became evidence to show that the ball had really gone in.

But this episode has generated different tales for every generation. Some claim tearing the goal net became Mfum’s habit, and he repeatedly did it in other games. And although it cannot be founded, this myth still trends till date.

Which football myths have you also heard? Drop them in the comment box below.