Incredible Story of How Ghana’s Jersey Went Missing Hours Before Important 2004 Olympic Games Match Revealed

• One of Ghana's worst-kept behind-the-scenes stories at an international competition has been revealed
• Ghana made a return to the Olympic Games in Athens 2004, drawn in the same group with Italy, Paraguay and Japan
• The Black Meteors will bow out of the competition at the group stages when they surprisingly stumbled to a narrow defeat to Japan

Ghana, a revered powerhouse in football on the African continent, made a return to the Olympic Games in 2004 after missing out on the previous edition, held in Sydney, Australia.

The Black Meteors, Ghana's Olympic team, were the first African side to win a medal at the Olympic Games back in 1992, where Ghana won bronze at the Barcelona Games and looked forward to an exciting competition in Athens, Greece.

Paired alongside Italy, Paraguay and Japan in Group B, the Yussif Chibsah-captained Black Meteors were poised to replicate the feat of the 1992 batch.

Maradona to Mertens: List of top 10 Napoli legends of all time ranked

Football

However, what was supposed to be a perfect return to the global sporting festival threatened to bring shame to one of Africa's representatives at the event with jerseys of the Black Meteors going missing hours before the first game against Italy.

What happened?

According to renowned Ghanaian sports journalist, Saddick Adams, "GFA Secretary Kofi Nsiah had picked the jerseys produced by local manufacturer Mingle and packaged them to the airport. It was the same night that GFA chairman Dr Nyaho-Nyaho Tamakloe was travelling to Greece via London to the tournament."

"There was a mix-up. Kofi Nsiah labelled the cargo with Nyaho’s name hoping Nyaho will carry them along to the team. Nyaho Tamakloe claimed he was completely unaware he had the cargo in his name so when his flight landed in London, he proceeded to Athens with only his luggage."

Meet the top 4 African stars who played for Eintracht Frankfurt

Football

A witty Team Manager gives Ghana an olive branch

Saddick Adams continued: "Hours before the opening game against Italy, Ghana’s Team Manager Owoahene Acheampong had to attend the mandatory pre-match conference where each team would present their team squad, outline match day event and colour of jerseys."

"Ghana’s jerseys were nowhere to be found. Owoahene nonetheless attended the pre-match meeting."

"During interrogation, Owoahene, with no jersey to show, surprisingly convinced the officials that Ghana will wear an all-yellow kit but he had forgotten them at the hotel."

Coach Mariano Barreto's Nike sponsorship deal to the rescue

"Coach Barreto was then sponsored by Nike and when they found out that he had led a team to Athens, Nike presented some training jerseys to him in a box. The jersey was yellow. He counted them and they were 18. Perfect, but they came without shorts and no names nor numbered

Inter Milan players' wives and girlfriends in 2024 with photos

Football

"The leader of Ghana's delegation was former GFA vice president Fred Pappoe. He went combing the streets of Volos to find a sports shop to buy yellow shorts and number the kits. There were no such shops in Volos unless Athens."

"Fred Pappoe then hired a cab from Volos to Athens on top speed. Upon arrival in Athens, the only shop where he could get the shorts and print the numbers had closed. The match was 1 pm the next day."

"The leader of the delegation then decided to sleep in the shabby hotel just opposite the sports shop and waited for the next morning. He was the first customer at the shop. The yellow shorts had numbers already so they printed the numbers on the kits and back to Volos by 11: 00 am."

PUMA unveils new Ghana jersey

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that German kit manufacturers PUMA have reportedly produced new jerseys for Ghana's Black Stars for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Real Madrid players' wives and girlfriends in 2024 with pictures

Football

Images of the new jerseys for both the home kits for the Mundial have been circulating online.

In a photo posted on Twitter, spotted by Sports Brief, the new white kit features the striking red, gold and green colours of the national flag on the sleeve cuffs.