Former Black Stars midfielder, Emmanuel Agyemang Badu, has revealed that managerial issues influenced his decision to leave Accra Great Olympics Football Club.
Speaking on Just Being Us with MzGee, Badu opened up about his exit from the club and reflected on his journey from obscurity in Seikwa, a town in the Bono Ahafo Region, to the global stage with the Black Stars.
“It was just a misunderstanding between me and one of the management members. At this stage in my career, I don’t need to be involved in such things. It would only bring distractions. I needed to be the bigger person and leave so they can have peace at the club,” Badu explained.
Badu, a key member of Ghana’s historic U-20 squad that won the 2009 FIFA World Cup in Egypt, famously scored the winning penalty in the final against Brazil.
Recalling the team’s mindset before the tournament, he shared a humorous warning he gave to his teammates:
“Seikwa boy, nothing dey go on. You see all of you play professional. If you go out there and play safe football and we come back to Ghana, and I need to go to Seikwa, the way I will beat you at the airport.”
Badu also clarified the circumstances surrounding his contract at the time of the tournament:
“So when we came back, my contract had already expired with Kotoko. When I was moving from Ghana officially, it was Berlin FC that sold me.”
Now retired from international football, Badu praised former Black Stars midfielder Michael Essien as a key inspiration in his career, which saw him represent Ghana at multiple Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and feature for clubs in Italy, Turkey, and China.
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