The quiet plea of former Black Stars Deputy Captain Haruna Yussif should trouble the conscience not only of football lovers, but the nation as a whole.
The plea is not merely the lamentation of an ageing footballer battling illness and poverty; but the collective voice of a golden generation that brought Ghana continental glory in 1978 and 1982, yet today has largely been forgotten.
Yussif’s story is not only painful but very familiar.
Once a fearless overlapping right-back, he now struggles with severe waist and leg ailments and cannot afford medical treatment.
While he remains grateful to Allah for his life, he recounts how some of his former teammates lived in squalor and eventually died in poverty.
These are men who wore the national colours with pride, at a time when football was driven by patriotism rather than lucrative contracts.
Their reward was national honour, public admiration and the promise, whether spoken or implied, meant that the country would remember them.
Sadly, remembrance has been selective. While acknowledging the goodwill shown by President John Dramani Mahama in 2014, Yussif’s appeal underscores a larger issue: appreciation without sustained support is insufficient.
Occasional ceremonies and symbolic gestures, though important, do not put food on the table or pay hospital bills.
It is for this reason that we on The Ghanaian Times view the call for a structured pension scheme for past national heroes as neither unreasonable nor unprecedented.
It is important to emphasise that many nations that value their sporting heritage have long institutionalised welfare systems for former internationals, and Ghana, with its proud football history, cannot be any different.
The achievements of the 1978 and 1982 Black Stars squads are not just footnotes in our sporting annals; they actually remain our last continental triumphs, moments that united the country and placed Ghana firmly on Africa’s football map.
The men who delivered those victories did so under far harsher conditions than today’s professionals, with limited incentives, yet they showed unlimited commitment.
It is therefore not ironic and troubling that current and former players often express fear about life after football.
Yussif’s message to today’s Black Stars is instructive: play for Ghana first, give everything for the nation. But patriotism must be reciprocal.
A country that demands sacrifice must also offer care.
This is not a call for charity, but for dignity.
We are therefore calling on the state, working with the Ghana Football Association, corporate bodies and other stakeholders, to urgently develop a sustainable welfare framework for retired national players.
Such a system, we believe, must address issues of healthcare, pensions and basic social support while ensuring that those who once inspired millions are not left to struggle in silence.
Honouring our heroes should not wait until funerals or anniversaries. It should be reflected in policies that protect them while they are alive.
Haruna Yussif’s cry is a reminder that national gratitude must be measured not by applause, but by action.
Ghana owes its football heroes more than memories; she owes them care, respect and lasting support.
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The post A debt Ghana must not ignore appeared first on Ghanaian Times.
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