Former Black Starlets goalkeeper, Ali Jarrah, has revealed the painful reality of life after a career-ending paralysis, comparing it to being stranded without hope.
Once celebrated as Ghana’s next great shot-stopper, Jarrah won the 1991 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Italy, the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations in Mauritius and finished runner-up at the 1993 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Japan.
Scouts from Liverpool and FC Koln courted him, and at just 17, he earned a Black Stars call-up.
But a sudden spinal injury ended everything. In an interview with Frank-Kamal Acheampong on GhanaWebTV’s Sports Check, Jarrah admits the struggle has been harder than anything he has ever faced on the pitch.
“Life after football is like putting you in a desert without water. That’s the simple thing I must put it. It’s like putting you in a desert without water,” he said.
The more difficult part, however, came in the days after, when he had to accept the reality that his career was gone.
Ali Jarra: The injury that stole a nation’s goalkeeping hope
“After accepting the fact that I will not be able to walk again, crutches were designed for me. For me to understand that I can’t be a sports person again,” he said.
That acceptance did not mean surrender. Jarrah chose to fight, even when the odds seemed impossible.
“I must fight for my life. So, throughout my life, I have had to fight for my recovery,” he further stated.
Jarrah further revealed how the fight took him across the country, knocking on doors and chasing every possible treatment in search of healing.
“Travelling all over the shores of Ghana for the local treatment. Almost every time I go to the Northern region, everywhere to seek support for medical treatment,” he revealed.
Although his playing dream was stolen, Jarrah has refused to walk away from the game.
Today, he runs a goalkeeper academy in Accra and serves as Technical Director of Ghana’s amputee national team, mentoring others who have faced cruel setbacks of their own.
FKA/EB
Watch the full interview with Ali Jarrah below:
Meanwhile, watch videos from the 2025 Democracy Cup trophy presentation to Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin on GhanaWeb TV below:
