![Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Baba_Yara_Sports_Stadium_in_Kumasi.jpg)
Baba Yara (real name Osman Seidu) was a Ghanaian international football player. He was popularly known as the
''King of Wingers''.
Early life
Baba Yara was originally named Osman Seidu Maada, after his father, Seidu Maada, and his uncle, who was named Osman. However, due to him having the same name as his father, his mother called him "Baba", meaning father. One day, upon striking the ball hard against a wall, behind which his mother sat, she exclaimed, “Ei, Baba Yara!”, therefore, his nickname stuck with him forever. He started his career as a horse jockey player as a youngster at the Accra Turf Club from 1950 to 1955.
Club career
Asante Kotoko
He was a former player of
Kumasi Asante Kotoko
Asante Kotoko Sporting Club, simply known as Asante Kotoko, is a professional football club founded on 31 August 1935 and based in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Nicknamed the ''Porcupine Warriors'', they compete in the Ghana Premier Le ...
in Ghana. He was signed by Asante Kotoko in 1955. Three month later in March 1955, he made his debut in a match against Dunkwa Town IX. The final score was 3-3 and Yara had managed to score all three of
Asante Kotoko
Asante Kotoko Sporting Club, simply known as Asante Kotoko, is a professional football club founded on 31 August 1935 and based in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Nicknamed the ''Porcupine Warriors'', they compete in the Ghana Premier Lea ...
's goals. His third match was against the
Hearts of Oak
Hearts most commonly refers to:
* Hearts (card game), a trick-taking game
* Hearts (suit), one of the standard four suits of cards
* Heart, an organ
Hearts may also refer to:
Music
* The Hearts, an American girl group closely related to the Jay ...
of Accra, one of the best teams across
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
. It was during this match that for the first time, Yara played right-winger adorning the number 7 shirt. The end result was 0-0, but his game was still excellent, meaning that
Asante Kotoko
Asante Kotoko Sporting Club, simply known as Asante Kotoko, is a professional football club founded on 31 August 1935 and based in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Nicknamed the ''Porcupine Warriors'', they compete in the Ghana Premier Lea ...
would go on a long run of great performances against their arch-rivals
Hearts of Oak
Hearts most commonly refers to:
* Hearts (card game), a trick-taking game
* Hearts (suit), one of the standard four suits of cards
* Heart, an organ
Hearts may also refer to:
Music
* The Hearts, an American girl group closely related to the Jay ...
.
For two years running, Baba Yara was handed the then unofficial,
Ghana Player of the Year
The Ghana Player of the Year (or ''Ghanaian Footballer of the Year'') is an annual award from Football Association of Ghana, govern in recognition of excellence to the best Ghanaian professional association footballer of the year.
The title has ...
award, in 1959 and in 1960.
Real Republicans
In the early 1960s,
President Nkrumah asked the powerful Ghanaian sports chief, Ohene Djan, to build a team with the some of the best players from all clubs in the country, to help the senior national team dominate African football. As predicted, the
Real Republicans proved to be a practically unbeatable team, also reaping successes at the continental level. During this time, Yara would team-up with one of the greatest African goalscorers of all-time, in
Edward Acquah
Edward Kobina Acquah (23 July 1935 – 5 October 2011) was a Ghanaian footballer who played as a forward. He competed for the Ghana national team at the 1964 Summer Olympics. He also scored four goals for Ghana in the 1963 African Cup of ...
. Both would link-up well during most games and Yara was the main man supplying
Acquah with the majority of his goals. However, it was while playing for the
Republicans
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, that a car accident suddenly ended the supreme rise of Baba Yara, just as he was at the peak of his career, forcing him to retire at the age of only 26.
He made his debut as a player for the
Black Stars in 1955. In 1961 he won the award for Most Distinguished Member of the
Black Stars team, regarded as the highest Ghanaian football honor of the time. He was part of Ghana National team that won African Cup of Nations in
1963
Events January
* January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cov ...
. He played for Ghana in their unsuccessful
1962 FIFA World Cup qualification
A total of 56 teams entered the 1962 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. Chile, as the hosts, and Brazil, as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for com ...
campaign. He is regarded as one of the best Ghanaian wingers of all time.
At the age of 26, he was injured in a motor collision at Kpeve in the Volta region while travelling back to
Accra
Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , ...
with his team, Real Republicans. His team played against Volta Heroes of
Kpandu
Kpando is a town and capital of Kpando Municipal District in the northern Volta Region of Ghana. It is near the north eastern arm of Lake Volta and the Togo border. Kpando is the fifty-fourth most populous place in Ghana, in terms of population, ...
and won on the 24th of March 1963. He suffered a spinal injury and was paralysed and never played again.
He was flown to
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
accompanied by a surgical specialist from
37 Military Hospital
The 37 Military Hospital is a specialist hospital located in Accra, on the main road between the Kotoka International Airport and central Accra. It is the largest military hospital in the Republic of Ghana after the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. The ...
by the name Dr. R. O. Addae where he was to be treated at
Stoke Mandeville Hospital
Stoke Mandeville Hospital is a large National Health Service (NHS) hospital located on the parish borders of Aylesbury and Stoke Mandeville, Buckinghamshire, England. It is managed by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.
It was establishe ...
for spinal injuries. Reports received from the hospital stated there was likely Yara will gain recovery within a period of 4–6 months. It did not happen and he returned home on 14 August 1963 in a wheelchair. He died on 5 May 1969 at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
In 2005, the
Baba Yara Stadium
Baba Yara Sports Stadium (also Kumasi Sports Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium in Kumasi, Ashanti. It is Ghana's largest stadium, with a seating capacity of 40,528.
The Kumasi Stadium is used mostly for football matches, although it is also us ...
was named in his honour.
Honours
Footballer of the Year
Distinguished Member of the Black Star Group: 1961
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yara, Baba
1936 births
1969 deaths
Ghana men's international footballers
Asante Kotoko S.C. players
Ghanaian Muslims
Ghanaian men's footballers
Men's association football midfielders