Nii Ayi Bonte II pledges support for Appiah

The testimonial of former Black Stars Captain, Stephen Appiah, yesterday received royal approval from the Chief of Gbese, Nii Ayi Bonte II, who pledged the support of his stool for the big game.

Nii Ayi Bonte II explained that Appiah had been a loyal servant of the nation and, therefore, merited the support of all traditional authorities as he takes to the pitch for the last time on June 27 at the Accra Sports Stadium.

He made the call yesterday when Appiah and organisers of the match, Primeval Media Ghana Limited, paid a courtesy call on him at the Gbese Mantse’s Palace in Accra.

He said, "Stephen Appiah has been like a son to me ever since I spotted him playing colts football with Mighty Victory as a youngster and brought him to Hearts.

"He has always remained humble and I urge all Ghanaians to wish him and his family blessings as he brings his career to an end. I also pledge the support of my stool to make this testimonial a huge success," the former Hearts Chief Executive Officer (CEO) added.

Appiah lauded Nii Ayi Bonte II for the influential role he played throughout his career as a footballer and also in his private life.

"Nii Ayi Bonte has always been like a father to me. 

“I recall that he gave me pocket money regularly when I started training with Auroras. I will forever be grateful to him," the former Juventus ace disclosed.

The CEO of Primeval Media Ghana Limited, Larry Opare Otoo, announced that invites had been sent to Appiah's former teammates and friends at club level, including George Boateng, Yaya Toure, Kolo Toure, Didier Drogba, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Rustu Rencber, who were all eager to participate in the match.