How Retired Ghana International Abandoned School to Pursue His Football Dreams With Dortmund Revealed

• Ibrahim Tanko, who has transitioned into coaching after hanging his boots, has opened up on how he sacrificed his education for his football dream
• He joined the German giants Borussia Dortmund as a teenager and made 71 appearances in his seven-year stint with the Black and Yellows
• Despite struggling to break into Dortmund's first team mainly due to injuries and loss of form, Ibrahim Tanko won two Bundesliga titles and a UEFA Champions League title

Retired Ghana international Ibrahim Tanko has opened up on how he had to forgo his high school education to chase his football dreams.

Tanko, currently the technical director of Ghana Premier League club Accra Lions, left the shores of Ghana at a tender age to realize his football ambitions.

Born in Kumasi, the 44-year-old joined Borussia Dortmund at age 17 going on to become the third-youngest player to play for the German outfit behind Nuri Şahin and Lars Ricken.

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The former Black Stars assistant coach, who was in high school at the time, disclosed he had to sacrifice his education for his burgeoning football career.

"I was in Secondary School at Osei Kyeretwie Senior High School [OKESS] when I got the deal to move to Dortmund in Germany. The club wanted a young striker from Africa and I got recommended so I had to abandon High school education to move abroad." Tanko told Angel TV.

Despite joining Dortmund at a young age, Tanko's career never reached the heights expected primarily due to niggling injuries.

He made a total of 71 appearances in all competitions for Dortmund in all competitions and scored three goals.

Ghana Premier League club appoints Ibrahim Tanko as club's Technical Director

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that former Ghana national U-23 coach Ibrahim Tanko has landed a Technical director role at Ghana Premier League club Accra Lions.

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The former Dortmund player has been out of a job since leaving his role as the head coach of the Local Black Stars after just five months in charge of the team.

The 44-year old was heavily linked with the Black Stars job following the dismissal of coach Milovan Rajevac but the FA instead settled for former Black Stars player Otto Addo.