Veteran Ghanaian football trainer J E Sarpong has described how he was arrested by police in Cameroon for failing to prove his identity.
The former Asante Kotoko, Hearts of Oak and Ghana coach told the story of how he was picked up by police when he had gone out to buy soft drink during his early years in the Central African country.
Sarpong, then head coach of Cameroonian side Lunget FC, spent a full night in police custody after he failed to provide immediate proof of his identity.
He told Benjamin Willie Graham how he was only rescued by President of the club who was an influential politician in the Golf country.
“I had gone out to buy a bottle of coke for myself just across the street from my home. Unfortunately I was approached by Police officers who requested to see my identity card. I didn’t have it on me. I introduced myself as a Ghanaian coach but they will had none of it. All I could hear was [vite, vite] [montée], [montée] which means fast fast, climb climb. So I jumped into the vehicle and there I spent the entire night there until around 3AM I was rescued by my boss,” he explained.
Sarpong spent 3 seasons coaching in Cameroon and later returned to Ghana to take on other coaching jobs. He assisted the legendary Sir Cecil Jones Attuquayefio as Ghana U23 coach.
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