Sports News of Wednesday, 16 June 2021
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
2021-06-16
Former Black Stars goalkeeper Abukari Damba
• Damba says PSG were interested in him
• He says the French club scouted him during Black Stars training in France
• He disclosed that his performance against Algeria in 1993 cost him a move to the club
Former Black Stars goalkeeper Abukari Damba has disclosed how a poor display against Algeria in a 1993 World Cup qualifier cost him a dream move to French giants, Paris Saint-Germain, PSG.
Damba whiles speaking on GhanaWeb’s Sports Check program narrated that he was on the radar of the French giants and they had kept tabs on him from the Black Stars base in France to Algiers where the game was played.
He said due to some inexplicable reasons, he performed poorly in the game and that ended his chance of joining PSG or any top team.
“My biggest moment is when I was involved in the Ghana versus Algeria match in 1993. It was the second leg and if we had qualified, we would have gotten to the World Cup. I would have been one of the goalkeepers to qualify Ghana for the first time. That game meant a lot to me. That time made and unmade me.
“It was a time I was in my element. It was a time I would have shown whatever I had in me to the whole world by taking Ghana to the World Cup. It was in that particular game that I crumbled.
“Black Stars was in camp preparing for the Algeria game and whiles we were in France most of the clubs were scouting us and I was one of the hot cakes especially for PSG. I was on their radar and they followed the Black Stars to Algeria to watch the game. I was going to be given an opportunity to play and it was one of the worst performances of my life.”
The match
Ghana were on the cusp of their first ever World Cup appearance after the current black stars coach, CK Akonnor, shot the Black Stars in the lead in the 15th minute.
Ghana however succumbed to two goals in the second half by virtue of some misjudgment on the part of Damba and unfavorable weather conditions.
The game ended 2-1 in favor of Algeria who qualified to the 1994 World Cup held in the United States of America.