Former Black Stars player Mallam Yahaya has opened up about the long-standing tension between Abedi Pele and Tony Yeboah, revealing that their rivalry was not just about egos or on-field competition.
Ghana suffered a heartbreaking loss in the final of the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to Ivory Coast. However, before the game, Anthony Baffoe was chosen as captain for the final over then-assistant captain Tony Yeboah after Abedi missed the match.
This decision further fueled the tension between the two, as Yeboah felt disrespected.
Despite this, Yahaya believes that the strained relationship between the two Black Stars legends was worsened by behind-the-scenes scheming from some local players.
In an interview with Kessben TV, he revealed that certain players, particularly those from Kumasi and Accra, deliberately stirred trouble and deepened the divide between Abedi and Yeboah.
“During our time in the national team, there was a lot of talk behind the scenes,” Yahaya shared.
“Some of the Kumasi-based players and the Accra-based players would go to Abedi Pele or Tony Yeboah and try to seek their sympathy, fueling the tension between them. They would gossip about each other and make comments that further deepened the divide,” he added.
Fans have attributed the Black Stars‘ failure to win trophies with that generation to this feud, but Yeboah has since dismissed such claims.
FKA/MA
Meanwhile, watch the latest edition of Sports Check with veteran coach JE Sarpong
