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The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of DataBank has sparked controversy by telling Ghanaian footballers to stop dating foreign women and choose partners from their own communities instead.
Kojo Addae Mensah made the comments whilst discussing Thomas Partey's recent legal troubles and transfer to Spanish club Villarreal.
The business executive believes Black Stars players face unnecessary problems when they get involved with women from other countries, particularly pointing to what he sees as a pattern of false accusations.
Speaking to Joy Sports, Addae Mensah said Ghanaian players should look closer to home when choosing romantic partners. He stated:
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I know this will be controversial, but I want to tell the player's something, black is beautiful so they should stop this lust for foreign girls and pick women from their Ghanaian communities.
Kojo Addae Mensah - CEO DataBank Group
Addae Mensah believes these stars abroad should look back at home when they want to choose a partner because foreign women come with a look of issues.
There is nothing wrong with coming to Accra or your community to pick a girl and taking her with you to your city abroad. This is because these foreign girls are trouble.
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Addae Mensah on Partey's situation
His remarks came as he praised Villarreal for backing Partey during his legal case, which has since been resolved.
Addae Mensah commended the Spanish club for standing by the midfielder whilst the case was ongoing, saying they understood the principle of innocent until proven guilty. The DataBank CEO said:
The prosecutor wanted to end his career but I'm happy that someone at Villarreal was very sensible to know that you are innocent until proven guilty. This is because most of these allegations come out with a verdict of not guilty, so I really appreciate what Villarreal have done for him.
These comments are likely to divide opinion, with some viewing them as inappropriate generalizations about relationships across racial and cultural lines.
Partey has since moved to Villarreal on loan from Arsenal, allowing him to continue his career whilst the legal matters were being handled.
He’s to reappear in court on at the Old Bailey on September 2, 2025.