According to him, the Portugal captain is a ladder-day arrival, insisting the Arabs used to worship him when he played there in the 1980s.
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Mohammed Polo: I was popular in Arab football before Cristiano Ronaldo’s move
Ghana legend Mohammed Polo believes he was influential in bringing eyeballs to Arab football even before Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival.
Mohammed Polo: I was popular in Arab football before Cristiano Ronaldo’s move
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The Gulf region has become an attractive destination for players, most of whom have moved there for staggering wages in recent years.
Ronaldo joined Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr in January and has since been followed by current Ballon d'Or holder Karim Benzema to Al-Ittihad.
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Also, N’Golo Kante has swapped Chelsea for Al-Ittihad, while Edouard Mendy has also joined Al-Ahli in the Saudi topflight.
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson recently joined Al-Ettifaq, reuniting with former Reds teammate Stephen Gerrard, who manages the club.
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Reacting to a recent claim by Ronaldo that he made Arab football popular and an attractive destination, Polo, who played for UAE club Al-Wasl from 1979 to 1984 told Angel FM: "It's not true.”
He further explained: "Ronaldo is a latter-day saint. This is his time, Before Ronaldo, we were there.
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“I mean, slavery started in the Arab world and there is no way an Arab will carry a black person but they carried me because of football. They just could not let it go. Even at that time, it was at the twilight of my career.”
Polo was a household name in Ghana football in the 1970s and 1980s while playing for Ghana Premier League giants Accra Hearts of Oak.
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He was also an integral member of the Black Stars team that won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 1978.
The 66-year-old’s impressive performances earned him a nomination for the African Footballer of the Year award in 1977.
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Polo is widely regarded as one of the greatest players ever to emerge from Ghana and was dubbed the ‘Dribbling Magician’ during his playing days.
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