Afranie to be buried Feb 25 as football fraternity observe one-week celebration

Former national team coach, Emmanuel Kwasi Afranie, will be buried on February 25 next year, his younger brother, Nana Kwaku Duah, announced last Wednesday at the late coach’s one week celebration.

People from all walks of life, including politicians and former national stars thronged the hockey arena of the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi to mark one week celebrations of the veteran trainer known in football circles as Coach-hene (king of coaches) who died on November 10, 2016.

He suffered a mild stroke and was admitted to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra in the middle of the year.

A former coach of the Black Stars, Black Queens, Black Starlets, Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Afranie was killed in a motor accident while being transported to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi to continue with his recuperation.

A mourner signing the book of condolence

From ‘frontomfrom’ to ‘kete’ dance, hundreds of football fans and ex-Kotoko players, including former Stars coach Kwesi Appiah, immediate-past Kotoko General Manager Samuel Opoku Nti, onetime Black Stars defender Frimpong Manso, acting Kotoko head coach Michael Osei were among football personalities who participated the one-week celebrations.

The late Afranie, 73, hailed from Bonwire in the Ashanti Region.  

 Some of the retired footballers who observed the late Coach E.K Afranie’s one week celebration, included Opoku Nti, George Kennedy, Kwasi Appiah and Frimpong Manso