Ghanaian FIFA award winner Sumaila Abdallah pays courtesy call on ex-GFA spokesperson Sannie Daara

Former Ghanaian goalkeeper Sumaila Abdallah paid a courtesy call on ex-Ghana Football Association (GFA) Communications Director, Sannie Daara, who masterminded his global fame 20 years ago on Tuesday.

Abdallah visited the former BBC journalist, who now works with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), at his office in Nima, Accra as the former Dawu Youngsters player marks 20th anniversary of being honoured by world football governing body.

“I have just received a delegation in my Accra office to celebrate the second African to win an award at the FIFA Player of Year Awards even,” Sannie Daara posted.

“This month marks the 20th anniversary of Ghanaian goalkeeper Sumaila Abdallah winning the FIFA Fair Play Award. In 1996, the current President of Liberia, George Weah, who was then a player of AC Milan, became the first African to win an award on that stage when he clinched the Player of the Year award.

“Then on 17 December 2001 in Zurich, Abdallah lined up with Portuguese Luis Figo, Spaniard Raul Gonzalez and England star David Beckham to become the second African to climb that stage and the first Ghanaian to do so.

“Abdallah got the award because, as a young journalist, I wrote to #FIFA to ask them to recognize his selfless act that saved a life of his opponent during a league match in Ghana. During a league match against Hearts of Oak in Accra, opposing striker Charles Taylor attempted a bicycle-kick and collapsed on the pitch afterwards.

“Abdallah, the goalie of Dawu Youngsters, rushed to Taylor’s aid and revived the striker with a mouth-to-mouth resuscitation despite all the health risks to himself before the medics arrived. Such an action is rare in football globally and I urged #fifa to consider the goalkeeper for the award for his magnanimity.

“They did! I travelled with Abdallah, the Ghana legend Abedi Pele and George Weah to Switzerland to witness the event on 21 December 2001. The award was given by Abedi Pele.

“Most importantly, Abdallah’s intervention led to the best outcome and truly exemplified the core values of sport.”

Read some of the news coverage below and pictures of then and now:

https://lnkd.in/eyXAa_pu

https://lnkd.in/eKR7YtDC

https://lnkd.in/eykbKQcK

https://lnkd.in/e3KnaqME