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Edward Acquah

{{short description|Ghanaian footballer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Edward Acquah

| image =

| caption = Edward Acquah of Ghana

| fullname = Edward Kobina Acquah

| birth_date = {{birth date|1935|7|23|df=yes}}

| birth_place =

| death_date = {{death date and age|2011|10|5|1935|7|23|df=yes}}

| death_place = Takoradi, Ghana

| height =

| position = Forward

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1956-1962

| clubs1 = Eleven Wise

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 1962-1965

| clubs2 = Real Republicans

| caps2 =

| goals2 =

| totalcaps =

| totalgoals =

| nationalyears1 = 1956-1964

| nationalteam1 = Ghana

| nationalcaps1 = 41

| nationalgoals1 = 45{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/gha-acquah-intlg.html|title=Edward Acquah - Goals in International Matches|website=www.rsssf.org}}

}}

Edward Kobina Acquah (23 July 1935 – 5 October 2011){{cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201110080041.html |title=Ex-Striker Acquah Passes Away At 76 |access-date=12 October 2011 |work=allafrica.com}} was a Ghanaian footballer who played as a forward. He competed for the Ghana national team at the 1964 Summer Olympics.{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ac/edward-acquah-1.html |title=Edward Acquah |access-date=12 October 2011 |work=sports-reference.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120201165009/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ac/edward-acquah-1.html |archive-date=1 February 2012}} He also scored four goals for Ghana in the 1963 African Cup of Nations.{{cite web |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tables/63a.html |title=African Nations Cup 1963 |access-date=28 March 2012 |work=RSSSF}}

Club career

Edward started his playing career for Sekondi Eleven Wise F.C., following his father's footsteps. His father's name was Kojo Acquah and he was regarded as one finest strikers of his time. However, Edward did not start his career as a striker, instead, due to his tall stature, was deployed as a goalkeeper in his early years. He was summoned to play as a striker when their first choice keeper, betrayed Eleven Wise and went to play for another club. During this game, Edward scored 2 goals as Eleven Wise were victorious. He was also sometimes deployed as a right-winger on occasions, but he was never better than the great Baba Yara, therefore he stayed as a centre-forward.{{Cite web|url=https://fiifianaman.medium.com/ghana-mr-sputnik-goals-34626bc5fafa|title=Ghana. Mr Sputnik. Goals.|first=Fiifi|last=Anaman|date=10 February 2023}}

In the 1959/1960 season, Eleven Wise unfortunately finished bottom of the league with only 6 points and 10 losses. Due to Ghana not having a second division at the time, Sekondi stayed up and in the succeeding season, did the unthinkable. Acquah led Eleven Wise to one of the most entertaining seasons throughout the history of Ghanaian football. Previous season's winners Asante Kotoko were looking to become the first team in the Ghana Premier League's history to win in it back-to-back years. However, Eleven Wise won the championship, bettering Asante Kotoko by just two points. The final game of the season, Eleven Wise were losing 1–0 to Hasacaas in the Sekondi derby, but in the 85th minute Eleven Wise won a penalty which Acquah converted with ease. All Eleven Wise had to do was wait, Asante Kotoko played their game later on in the day, against Cornerstones. Surprisingly, Asante Kotoko lost 2-0 and this meant that Eleven Wise were champions.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesg/gha60.html|title=Ghana 1959/60|website=www.rsssf.org}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesg/gha61.html|title=Ghana 1960/61|website=www.rsssf.org}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/SportsArchive/Sekondi-Eleven-Wise-crowned-champions-of-national-football-league-1161757|title=Sekondi Eleven Wise crowned champions of national football league|date=22 January 2021|website=GhanaWeb}}

According to Ohene Djan, Ghana's former FA chairman and first Director of Sport, Acquah scored over 400 goals in his club career and also 166 goals in 77 games, internationally. The club statistics contain friendly games and the international statistics contain regional games and unofficial games, totalling to 566 goals in his career. This tally could increase further, through research in newspaper reports of the time. He may be in contention of being part of RSSSF's list of players with over 500 goals

International career

Acquah was called up to the Gold Coast team on 16 December 1956 scoring a hat-trick on his debut against Sierra Leone, in a tight 4–3 victory in the Akewe Cup. Three months later, Ghana celebrated their independence from British colonial rule, thereby making this game Acquah's only appearance for the Gold Coast team.

The team carried on playing, but now as Ghana. On 19 August 1962 the Real Madrid squad that had won the European Cup 5 times consecutively visited Ghana for a game. The game was electrifying; at one point Ghana led 3–2, with Acquah scoring, but a blinding pass by Ferenc Puskas set up Yanko Daucik to score the equalising goal, with only minutes to go. Acquah played a further 40 official games for Ghana, scoring 42 goals since independence, before hanging up his international boots in 1964.

Career statistics

=International =

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ List of international goals scored by Edward Acquah

scope="col"|No.

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Opponent

!scope="col"|Result

!scope="col"|Competition

align="center"|1rowspan="3"| 16 December 1956rowspan="3"|Sierra Leonerowspan="3" style="text-align:center"|4-3rowspan="3"| Akwei Cup
align="center"|2
align="center"|3
align="center"|4rowspan="2"| 25 October 1959rowspan="2"|Nigeriarowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|4-1rowspan="2"| Ol. Qualifier
align="center"|5
align="center"|6rowspan="2"| 6 December 1959rowspan="2"|Egyptrowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|2-0rowspan="2"| Ol. Qualifier
align="center"|7
align="center"|8rowspan="2"| 7 February 1960rowspan="2"| Sierra Leonerowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|6-2rowspan="2"| Kwame Nkrumah
align="center"|9
align="center"|10rowspan="1"| 3 July 1960rowspan="1" | Egyptrowspan="1" style="text-align:center"|2-2rowspan="1"| Friendly
align="center"|11rowspan="1"| 28 August 1960rowspan="1"|Nigeriarowspan="1" style="text-align:center"|4-1rowspan="1"| WC Qualifier
align="center"|12rowspan="2"| 10 September 1960rowspan="2"|Nigeriarowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|2-2rowspan="2"| WC Qualifier
align="center"|13
align="center"|14rowspan="2"| 2 October 1960rowspan="2"| Malirowspan="2" align="center"|4-1rowspan="2"| Kwame Nkrumah
align="center"|15
align="center"|16rowspan="2"| 7 October 1960Nigeriarowspan="2" align="center"|3-0rowspan="2"| Kwame Nkrumah
align="center"|17
align="center"|18rowspan="1"| 5 March 1961rowspan="1"| Malirowspan="1" align="center"|3-0rowspan="1"| Friendly
align="center"|19rowspan="1"| 30 April 1961rowspan="1"|Nigeriarowspan="1" style="text-align:center"|2-2rowspan="1"| African Cup Qualifiers
align="center"|20rowspan="3"| 17 December 1961rowspan="3"| Nigeriarowspan="3" style="text-align:center"|5-1rowspan="3"| Azikiwe Cup
align="center"|21
align="center"|22
align="center"|23rowspan="2"| 29 September 1962rowspan="2"| Kenyarowspan="2" align="center"|6-2rowspan="2"| Uhuru Cup
align="center"|24
align="center"|25rowspan="1"| 10 October 1962rowspan="1"|Ugandarowspan="1" style="text-align:center"|4-1rowspan="1"| Uhuru Cup
align="center"|26rowspan="3"| 12 October 1962rowspan="3"| Kenyarowspan="3" align="center"|4-0rowspan="3"| Friendly
align="center"|27
align="center"|28
align="center"|29rowspan="4"| 15 October 1962rowspan="4"| Malawirowspan="4" align="center"|12-0rowspan="4"| Friendly
align="center"|30
align="center"|31
align="center"|32
align="center"|33rowspan="1"| 18 October 1962rowspan="1"|Tanzaniarowspan="1" style="text-align:center"|6-2rowspan="1"|Friendly
align="center"|34rowspan="1"| 24 February 1963rowspan="1"|Nigeriarowspan="1" style="text-align:center"|5-0rowspan="1"| Kwame Nkrumah Cup
align="center"|35rowspan="3"| 3 March 1963rowspan="3"|Malirowspan="3" style="text-align:center"|4-0rowspan="3"| Kwame Nkrumah Cup
align="center"|36
align="center"|37
align="center"|38rowspan="2"| 26 November 1963rowspan="2"|Ethiopiarowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|2-0rowspan="2"| African Nations Cup
align="center"|39
align="center"|40rowspan="2"| 1 December 1963rowspan="2"|Sudanrowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|3-0rowspan="2"| African Nations Cup
align="center"|41
align="center"|42rowspan="2"| 18 January 1964rowspan="2"|Liberiarowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|5-4rowspan="2"| Olympic Qualifiers
align="center"|43
align="center"|44rowspan="1"| 21 June 1964rowspan="1"|Tunisiarowspan="1" style="text-align:center"|1-2rowspan="1"| Olympic Qualifiers
align="center"|45rowspan="1"| 12 October 1964rowspan="1"|Argentinarowspan="1" style="text-align:center"|1-1rowspan="1"| Olympics

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year

National teamYearAppsGoals
rowspan="9"|Ghana

|1956

13
195720
195810
195954
196079
196152
1962611
1963510
196484
colspan="2"|Total4145

Honours

=Club=

=International=

  • AFCON: 1963
  • Nkrumah Cup: 1959, 1960, 1963{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/nkrumah.html|title=Dr Kwame Nkrumah Gold Cup - West African Soccer Federation championship|website=www.rsssf.org}}
  • 1962 Ugandan Independence Tournament: 1962{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesu/uga-ind62.html|title=Uganda Independence Tournament 1962|website=www.rsssf.org}}

See also

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • {{sports links}}
  • {{NFT|57680}}

{{Ghana squad 1964 Summer Olympics}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Acquah, Edward}}

Category:1935 births

Category:2011 deaths

Category:Ghanaian men's footballers

Category:Men's association football forwards

Category:Ghana men's international footballers

Category:Olympic footballers for Ghana

Category:Footballers at the 1964 Summer Olympics

Category:1963 African Cup of Nations players

Category:Africa Cup of Nations–winning players

Category:Sekondi Eleven Wise F.C. players

Category:Footballers from Sekondi-Takoradi

Category:Real Republicans F.C. (Ghana) players

Category:20th-century Ghanaian sportsmen