Former Ashanti Gold striker, Augustine Arhinful, has recounted a game against Hearts of Oak when the latter showed up an hour late for the game in 1990.

Arhinful shared that the game was the first-ever league game played at the Obuasi Len Clay Sports Stadium in 1990.

He narrated that the Phobians refused to show up for the scheduled 3 PM kickoff time and instead arrived an hour later, which sparked controversies.

"The match was supposed to start at 3:00 PM; they came to the stadium at 4 PM. So, any other referee would properly call off the match and give the points to Ashanti Gold. The stadium was packed, and Hearts came at 4 o'clock. When they arrived, there was trouble. The match eventually started, and they beat us 1-0," he told Dan Kwaku Yeboah TV.

He said that after the win, Hearts of Oak, who escaped sanctions for their actions, claimed they intentionally delayed the kickoff on the advice of a juju man.

"They said they had been told that they would lose the match if the game started at 3, so they had to find a way to delay kickoff. They came late, there were problems, and they won the match without sanctions."

The Len Clay Sports Stadium, which opened on 10 May 1990 and was renovated in 2005, is a 20,000-capacity venue, serving as the home venue for Ashanti Gold.

The stadium has been inactive in the last two years following Ashanti Gold's ban.


Watch Augustine Arhinful's narration via the video below from the 9th minute




EE/NOQ