Ghana have won four Africa Cup of Nations titles, but their second triumph in 1965 stands out as the only one associated with a single player—Rev. Osei Kofi.
The Asante Kotoko legend went from nearly boycotting the tournament to being crowned the best player of the competition.
Osei Kofi delivered one of the finest individual performances in Black Stars history, which inspired then-Ghana Football Association president Ohene Gyan to name the trophy in his honour.
Recounting his near-boycott, Osei Kofi revealed that Ohene Gyan initially planned to field only players from the Republicans, a government-owned football team.
“Because the Republicans had been formed, they were given preferential treatment over other clubs. I was in Kotoko and didn’t join the Republicans,” Osei Kofi explained on Channel One TV.
“Ohene Gyan said our path to the Black Stars would be difficult, and we told him Kotoko is bigger than the Black Stars. If we played for Kotoko and weren’t invited to the national team, the press would question him. We had already won the league, so what more did we need to prove?” he added.
He further narrated how non-Republican players, including himself, were denied pocket money during camp preparations, which almost led him and his colleagues to leave the team.
“In those days, when you were travelling, you submitted your passport to the Bank of Ghana for 20 pounds as pocket money. When we got to camp, our passports were taken away, while the Republican players kept theirs and received their money.
“When I found out, I told the captain I wasn’t going to Tunisia without my passport. I started packing my things,” Osei Kofi recalled.
However, renowned football administrator Mr B.K. Adusei eventually intervened, settling the issue to ensure the non-Republican players travelled with the team.
During the tournament in Tunisia, Osei Kofi became the face of the Black Stars. He scored in all three matches of the tournament and created the match-winning goal in the final, leading Ghana to its second AFCON title.
Ghana began their campaign with a 5-2 victory over present-day DR Congo, where Osei Kofi opened the scoring. Ben Acheampong and Jones Attuquayfio added two goals each to seal the win.
Nicknamed the “Wizard Dribbler,” Osei Kofi was again on the scoresheet in Ghana’s final group game, a 4-1 win over Ivory Coast.
In the final against host nation Tunisia, Ghana trailed 2-1 at halftime, but Osei Kofi delivered a spectacular second-half performance.
He scored a brilliant equalizer, lobbing the ball over the goalkeeper, which sent the game into extra time.
In the 96th minute, Osei Kofi struck the crossbar from a corner, and Frank Odoi headed in the rebound to give Ghana the lead. The goal turned out to be the winner as Ghana triumphed 3-2.
After finishing as joint-top scorer and being named the best player of the tournament, Osei Kofi earned widespread acclaim. Ohene Gyan, impressed by his brilliance, honoured him by naming the trophy after him.
Osei Kofi’s 1965 AFCON performance remains one of the most iconic in Ghanaian football history.
Osei Kofi narrates the story via the video below from the 20th minute
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