Ransford, a 16-year-old footballer is currently battling for his life at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi after allegedly being sodomized by a coach of his club, Siano Soccer Academy.
A narration of events by the 16-year-old footballer from Asamanye in the Ashanti Region paints the disturbing and horrific situation of a young boy who has been abused sexually for the past three years.
Speaking on Oyerepa FM, the mother of the boy who joined the Amasaman-based soccer academy three years ago, stated that she initially did not want to release her son to the club, having turned down the reputable WAFA Academy earlier.
She however reluctantly agreed to let the son join the team due to fear of sabotaging his son’s football career as a number of scouts had been impressed with his talent.
She now regrets her decision as the son has become a victim of sodomy by the coach who has been identified as Ibrahim Anyass.
“I was initially hesitant and didn’t want my son to leave home because of how he is. He’s someone who does not like eating and needs special attention so I always wanted to be close to him. Eventually, I had to release him because I didn’t want to be accused of blocking my son’s path to success. He was taken to a team at Amasaman in Accra. For three years, I visited him periodically with food items until recently when I fell ill.
“While I was unwell, I tried consistently to reach the coach but he never answered any of my calls. After successive failures, I used someone’s phone to call the coach and he picked this time around. I spoke to my son and told him that I had been unwell for some time. I also quizzed him on why he had never called me and he said their phones were seized.
“Two weeks later, I received information that my son was sick so I called the coach who downplayed the seriousness of the situation. As a mother, I was not okay with the situation so I decided to visit the place and see things for myself. The coach had promised that my son was receiving healthcare but I discovered that it wasn’t true. He only took him to the hospital on the eve of my visit.
“Immediately, I saw my son, I knew that he would be dead if I didn’t take any action within three days. So I forcefully brought back my son and for the last three months, we’ve been moving from hospitals. I thought he had been cursed so I pressed him to tell me the truth about his situation. One day, he told me that he was sodomized by the coach. He immediately went into a coma after the confession and for the past three months, he has been battling for his life. I haven’t slept since,” she narrated on Oyerepa FM.
Club’s action
A day after the disturbing revelations, officials of the club visited Oyerepa FM to engage with the mother and host of the show.
The club have also issued a statement suspending the coach, pending further investigations.
Meanwhile, the 16-year-old is on admission at the Komfo Anokye Hospital with his mother appealing for support to cover his medical bills.
EK
