Polo on Why Hearts Failed to Win 1977 CAF CL : Iconic Ghana soccer star Mohammed Polo has disclosed why Hearts of Oak failed to win the 1977 CAF Champions League final against Hafia FC of Guinea.
The Guinea side defeated the Phobians by 1-0 thanks to Amara Toure’s single strike on 4th December 1977 at the Accra Sports stadium before Hearts of Oak lost the return leg again by 3-2 in Conakry on December 18th.
“There is also always things like that in African football but it doesn’t happen in Europe because when you are caught you will be banned for life. That is bribery and corruption and it is still in the system.” , Mohammed Polo said on Kumasi-based Fox FM.
“The Mallams , Pastors and co were saying that anyone who scores the first goal in the match will die. You know the ways and means in football. Anas Seidu just passed away recently and it is his time to go and he is gone but this issue we are talking about is in the 70s and nobody wanted to die at that time.”
“Before the final game we were told by the Hearts of Oak management and some supporters that the player who will score the first goal of the match will die. How can you tell a player this message ahead of a final game like that. That is why Anas Seidu intentionally wasted the penalty we had in Accra because no one wanted to die.
At that time were not taking any salaries , it was purely sacrificial job we were doing and so how could they tell us that the player to score the first goal of the game will die. So that was what happened” , Polo recounted.
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