Sammy Kuffour will bring a colourful and controversial playing career to an end in Kumasi on Friday.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe former Ghana star is hosting a testimonial featuring some of the biggest names in African and world football.<\/p>\n
The 35-year-old defender is the most decorated footballer ever to have come out of Ghana.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have had a wonderful career and I leave a very happy man \u2013 football has been good to me,\u201d Kuffour told the BBC.<\/p>\n
He is hoping that fans in his home town will give him a rousing final farewell.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel I gave everything during my playing career whether I was playing for Ghana or for my club and I hope the fans will come out in their numbers to show appreciation for that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Organisers of the game say a host of big names \u2013 many of whom played with and against Kuffour \u2013 will be on hand in Kumasi to grace the occasion.<\/p>\n
Former Germany stars Lothar Mattheus and Oliver Kahn are scheduled to make an appearance as are former Manchester United striker Andy Cole, Cameroon international Samuel Eto\u2019o and Nigeria legend Jay Jay Okocha.<\/p>\n
The former BBC African Footballer of the Year has not played professionally since he left Ajax Amsterdam three years ago.<\/p>\n
His breakthrough came in 1991 when he was a member of the Ghana side which won the World U-17 title and he represented his country at the four Africa Cups of Nations and at the World Cup.<\/p>\n
It was at club level that he won the most honours however, winning every domestic honour in Germany with Bayern Munich before taking the European Champions League in 2001.<\/p>\n
While there were many high points, there were lows too.<\/p>\n
The sight of Kuffour beating the ground in tears after Manchester United\u2019s dramatic late winner denied Bayern the champions league title in 1999 still haunts him.<\/p>\n
And once he left Bayern Munich he struggled to impress elsewhere \u2013 failing to hold down regular places at AS Roma in Italy and Ajax Amsterdam, where he spent his final months on loan.<\/p>\n
He also had disciplinary problems \u2013 being sent home from the Cup of Nations in Mali in 2002 after breaking a team curfew.<\/p>\n
But the abiding image of him in Ghana is of a player who gave his all and represented the country with distinction everywhere.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe will go down as one of this country\u2019s best defenders \u2013 the manner in which he played for club and country are examples many footballers can learn,\u201d Ghana Football Association President Kwesi Nyantakyie said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis career proves that when you put in the effort, you get the reward.\u201d<\/p>\n
All that was never enough to earn an accolade most people feel he deserved: The official recognition as the best player on the continent from the Confederation of African Football \u2013 but that blemish cannot mask one of the most colourful and successful careers of any defender on the continent.<\/p>\n
A career which comes to an end, officially, on Friday.<\/p>\n
Source: BBC<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Posted On Friday, 23rd December 2011 Sammy Kuffour won every domestic trophy in Germany over a hugely successful career with Bayern Munich Sammy Kuffour will bring a colourful and controversial playing career to an end in Kumasi on Friday. The former Ghana star is hosting a testimonial featuring some of the biggest names in African and world football. The 35-year-old defender is the most decorated footballer ever to have come out of Ghana<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n
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