Former Hearts of Oak midfielder Joseph Tagoe
Former Hearts of Oak midfielder Joseph Tagoe, popularly known as ‘Bobby Short,’ has opened up about the club’s shocking 4-0 first-leg defeat to Ethiopian side St George in the 2006 CAF Champions League qualifiers, mentioning the beauty of Ethiopian women as the key factor.
Hearts of Oak, who were strong favourites heading into the tie, were humiliated in Addis Ababa, casting serious doubt over their chances of progressing to the next round.
Recounting what led to the big defeat, Bobby Short said the team lost the match even before stepping onto the pitch—due to distractions off the field.
He narrated that the players were mesmerised by the beauty of Ethiopian women at their hotel, adding that some of the players, including himself had sex with them.
“We lost focus in Ethiopia. When we got there, the girls we saw in our hotel were stunning. That’s why I decided to have one. I’m saying this for young players to learn from it. They should know the mistakes we made so they don’t repeat them,” he told the Gajio podcast.
Tagoe humorously added that despite not being fluent in English at the time, he surprisingly found a way to communicate that night.
“The Ethiopian girls are very beautiful. I wasn’t fluent in English, but I became fluent that night. ‘Let’s go inside, I’ll give you $20.’ At that time, our per diem was $300, and I had to play ‘professional before.’ It wasn’t all of us that had ladies, though.”
Despite the first-leg disaster, Hearts of Oak managed to sail through after their opponent forfeited the game.
The Phobians led 2-0 and were awarded a penalty that could have extended the lead to 3. However, St George’s players walked off the pitch in protest, forfeiting the match and handing Hearts of Oak a controversial qualification.
EE/BB
Meanwhile, watch as Ghanaians applaud Black Stars for excellent performances against Chad, Madagascar
