The life after football stories of some of Ghana’s legendary footballers is often about them living in poverty and struggling to make ends meet.
Most of them tend to live the moment during their active days and fail to plan about life after football.
The same cannot be said about former Asante Kotoko goalkeeper, Mohammed Odoom, who made good use of his football earnings and began to own desirable assets even in high school.
Odoom revealed in an interview with Dan Kwaku Yeboah that, he became a landlord and a car owner during his first year in secondary school.
“I bought a car in 1979. I have a house in North Suntreso (in Kumasi), I bought it in 1979 when I was in secondary school form 1(first year).”
When asked how he managed to afford a car and a house at that young age, he said it was as a result of a big money move to Eleven Wise.
Odoom said he made a wholesome amount from his transfer from Cornerstones to Eleven Wise after Wise owner, Ackah Blay Miezah broke the bank to sign him.
“That was the money Blay bought me with…I bought it(house) 1.3 but I don’t know how to express the price in today’s currency. The house is still there and I have even restructured it into a three-story building. It was an estate house.”
Odoom had excelled and saved Cornerstone from relegation as a reserve goalkeeper, exhibiting exceptional talent.
The former Black Stars goalkeeper narrated how his mother made Blay Miezah enrol him in a new school in Takoradi before the deal could materialize.
“Ackah Blay Miezah bought me from Corners to Wise at the time I had been enrolled in TI Amass(T.I. Ahmadiyya Senior High School, Kumasi). My mother made Blay-Miezah enrol me in another school so I continued my education in Fijai (Fijai senior high school). He got me the school and did all the necessities before I had to join them.”
Ackah Blay Miezah during his time as Eleven Wise chairman made the team one of the most appealing clubs in Ghana and Africa.
Blay Miezah made Wise the team to beat in the 1980s, as well as every player’s dream team.
Blay paid for the team’s three-week pre-season trip to Brazil before the start of the 1984 League, making them the first Ghanaian club to do so.
When they returned, each player wore a branded tracksuit and had their own ball, which was unusual at the time. As a result, they earned the name “Africa Brazil,” due to their beautiful brand of football and visiting Brazil.
ghanaweb.com