Sports News of Saturday, 24 June 2017

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Coach Herbert Addo laid to rest

Two of coach Addo's brothers and daughter at the funeral play videoTwo of coach Addo's brothers and daughter at the funeral

Methodist Hymn number 99 was sang by the handful of mourners who had been cleared by the Police personnel to enter cemetery, prayers were offered by officiating minister, Very Reverend Crowther Hagan and the coffin was gently lowered into the well-tiled grave. Coach Herbert Addo has been buried.

The former Hearts Oak manager who died on 24th March, 2017 was buried today at the Aburi Methodist Cemetery after a brief pre-burial ceremony at his Oyarifa residence on a wet Saturday morning.

The ceremony that was attended by president of the Ghana Football Association, Kwesi Nyantakyi, Black Starlets coach, Paa Kwesi Fabin and a host of other coaches was marred by a dispute between his siblings and wife.

Former Black Stars head coach Herbert Addo died after battling illness for about 4months.

Mr. Addo, who had coached for four decades starting from his first job with Armed Forces Team S.S. 74 in the Old Ghana Division One league, passed on 24th March, 2017.

He managed the Black Meteors (U23) (1981-82) and Black Satellites (U20) (1983-84) before graduating to the Black Stars (1983-86/87) and capping it off by winning the SWAG coach of the year award (1987).

The experienced coach also had a short stint with the Ghana Local Black Stars leading them in a CHAN tournament in 2010.

Herbert Addo won the Ghana Premier League on five occasions with four different clubs – and he remains the only coach to have achieved that feat in the history of the local game.

He won the league title with Asante Kotoko (1988), Goldfields S.C now Ashgold (1994/95 and 1995/96), Accra Hearts of Oak (2002), and Aduana Stars (2010).

The 66-year-old had stints with clubs like Accra Great Olympics (twice), Sekondi Hasaacas, Kumasi Cornerstone (where he won the WAFU Champions Cup in 1987), Goldfields (now Ashanti Gold), Asante Kotoko, Accra Hearts of Oak, Ghapoha, Okwahu United, Samartex FC, Gamba All Blacks, Pure Joy, Wassaman, and Inter Allies on his CV as clubs he has coached domestically.

Herbert Addo is survived by a wife and five children.