Muntari urged to support Konongo, Owerriman FC

The Founder of Konongo-based Owerriman Football Club, Nana Batafo Acheampong Nti, has implored Ghana star, Sulley Ali Muntari, to use his influence and resources to support the development initiatives of the Konongo Municipality in order to leave a lasting legacy as a true son of the community.

He said Muntari had virtually neglected the community which propelled him to stardom. Besides failing to undertake any project at Konongo, the football administrator accused the player of abandoning Owerriman FC,  the Division Two side that offered him the platform to nurture his talent .

Transfer to Liberty Pros

“He started playing at a tender age at Owerriman FC before being transferred to Liberty Professionals in Accra in 2000 and was later  invited to play in the national U-17 side. A year after, he got the opportunity to play professional football with Udinese in the Italian Serie A,” recounted Nana Acheampong Nti, who is also the Chief of Konongo.

Lesson from teammates

The chief advised Muntari to emulate his Black Stars teammates such as Asamoah Gyan, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu and John Boye who have established foundations and initiated various projects in their hometowns and other deprived communities in Ghana to support the citizenry.

“Muntari has progressed from Division Two side Owerriman to play at the highest level, including Udinese, Portsmouth, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Sunderland and Ittihad of Saudi Arabia, among others. He has now established himself as one of the finest footballers in his generation.

“Just as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and other Ghanaian footballers are helping their people, especially in this era of the COVID-19 pandemic, Muntari should realise that his community, peers and the team that gave him the platform to market his talent in football are also yearning for his support in various ways,” Nana Nti told the Daily Graphic.

National teams record

Muntari, 35, is currently unattached to a club after completing a short-term contract with Spanish second-tier side, Albercete in July 2019.

A member of the Black Satellites team which finished as runners-up at the 2001 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Argentina,  Muntari made his Black Stars debut in an international friendly against Slovenia on May 17, 2002 at 17 years.  The midfielder has since made 84 appearances for the senior national team and scored 20 goals.

Muntari featured prominently in the 2008 and 2012 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and was a key member of the Black Stars teams at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup tournaments in Germany, South Africa and Brazil, respectively.