The inside story of how Tony Yeboah’s parents caused the arrest of Kotoko Babies owner

Former Black Stars striker, Anthony Yeboah, had an eminent journey that saw him play for some of the well-known clubs in Europe including Eintracht Frankfurt, and Leeds United.

Just like a journey of 1000 miles begins with a step, Yeboah’s journey to the apex of football started in the Ashanti Region Region at a clots club named, Kotoko babies.

The club owner, Peter Naami, has shared the story of how he suffered at the hands of Tony Yeboah’s parents in the player’s formative years.

According to the ex-football administrator, Yeboah’s parents wanted their son to become an evangelist.

“The parents of Tony Yeboah did not want him to play football so they threatened me in every way just to leave him so he can join them in preaching the word of God,” he narrated on Gh Page TV.

He said in order to get the ex-Leeds United man from the team, the parents had to go the extra mile of accusing the owner of kidnap which led to his arrest.

“I was arrested because of Tony Yeboah. All because his parents said that I have kidnapped him which was not so. Tony Yeboah’s parents did not want him to play football but rather preach the word of God so they allegedly reported me for kidnapping their child so that the police will arrest me which they succeeded in it. I spent a day in prison all because of Tony Yeboah but sports authorities came in and I was released,” Mr. Naami told Rashad on, Peter Naami

Despite the arrest, Naami never backed down as he continued to have Yeboah on his team.

He then recounted how Yeboah surprised everyone on his debut for Kotoko babies.

“One day, we were having a match and my player who is also the senior brother of Tony Yeboah was not around so we were lacking one player. This paved way for Tony Yeboah to play his first match after training him for some days. He performed soo well and that was the start of his stardom.”

From Kotoko Babies, Tony Yeboah joined Okwawu United where he made his professional debut. He scored 35 goals in 35 games which earned him a move to Europe, joining the German side FC Saarbrücken.

“He had the chance to go to Europe through a lady after playing so well at Kwahu. Due to how good he was at scoring goals in Germany, his German counterparts thought that he uses some magical powers so they came to Ghana together with Tony Yeboah to find out.

In spite of feeling proud of the key role, he played in Tony’s beginning he, however, habour sadness in his heart.

Naami said he feel betrayed after the Germans promised his team a bus, which came but he never laid hands on it because Tony Yeboah’s family refused to hand the coach over.

“The foreigners met me and I told them that it was God who gave him such a talent and the man who came with Tony Yeboah from Germany gave me a promise that he will buy me a bus and support me. After three months of returning to Germany, the bus came but the family of Tony Yeboah never gave it to me.

“I told Tony Yeboah and he never did anything about it and up to now, he has not even remembered to appreciate what I did for him. He betrayed me to the white people who promise to help me and for that matter I am suffering now. He also blocked a lot of opportunities I had with the foreigners and now am finding it difficult to survive”.

Tony Yeboah is regarded as one of Ghana’s best exports. The highlight of his career is his incredible five years at Frankfurt and Leeds United.

He did win many trophies, he had outstanding individual success and recognition throughout his career.

The prolific striker won the Bundesliga golden boot at Eintracht Frankfurt, becoming the first black player to win it and even better on successive occasions. He scored 89 goals in 156 matches for Frankfurt, he, therefore, has a mural in Germany.

At Leeds United, he scored 32 goals in 66 matches. He won the club’s player of the year in 1996 after he help the runners-up finish in the Football League cup.

He was ranked ninth in the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1993.

Regarding the National team, Tony Yeboah is Ghana’s third-highest goalscorer, behind Asamoah Gyan and Abedi Pele with 29 goals in 29 matches.

Probably, he might have succeeded in becoming an evangelist as desired by his parents, but risking everything for football has proved to be worth it.