Mohammed Polo
Ghanaian footballer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alhaji Mohammed Ahmed (born 11 November 1956), popularly known as Mohammed Polo and the "Dribbling Magician",[1] is a former Ghanaian international and local club football player. He is considered one of the best dribblers and Ghanaian player of his generation.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alhaji Mohammed Ahmed | ||
| Date of birth | 11 November 1956 | ||
| Place of birth | Accra, Ghana | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1972–1973 | Auroras FC | ||
| 1973–1979 | Hearts of Oak | 232 | (145) |
| 1979–1984 | Al-Wasl | ||
| 1985–1987 | Hearts of Oak | ||
| 1987–1988 | FC 105 Libreville | ||
| 1988–1989 | Shell FC | ||
| 1989–1992 | Hearts of Oak | ||
| 1992–1994 | Great Olympics | ||
| International career | |||
| 1973–1985 | Ghana | 54 | (20) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1994–1995 | Hearts of Oak | ||
| 2003 | Stade Malien | ||
| 2004 | Great Olympics | ||
| 2013–2014 | Hearts of Oak | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
He spent years of his soccer career playing as a left winger for Hearts of Oak in the Ghana Premier League in the 1970s and 1980s, and was also a key player in the Ghana squad that won the 1978 African Cup of Nations held in Ghana.[2][3]
Playing career
Club career
Early beginnings in the 70s
Polo played football with teams in Accra such as Auroras, Accra Great Olympics and for Hearts of Oak, where along with Mama Acquah, Anas Seidu, Peter Lamptey and Robert Hammond were known as the “Fearsome Five”.[3]
Late 70s and 80s at Al Wasl
From 1979 to 1984, Mohammad Polo played for the famous Dubai club, Al Wasl, where he was popular with the fans.[4][5]
Later career
In 1985 Polo returned to the league of Ghana for Hearts of Oak where he stayed for 2 seasons. He returned to Hearts of Oak in 1989 for another 3-year spell with the club. In 1992 he signed again for Accra Great Olympics ending his career in 1994, aged 38, to move into coaching.
International career
He was first called-up to play for the Black Stars at age 17.[6] In the 1978 African Cup of Nations where Ghana won its third AFCON title, Polo scored a goal and was listed as a forward in the CAF Team of the Tournament along 3 other Ghanaian players.[7]
He played 54 times scoring 20 goals for Ghana national team from 1973 until 1985.
Post-playing career
He was appointed head coach of Ghana Premier League club Accra Hearts of Oak in 1994 and then in 2013 for seven months.[8][9] In 2004, Polo was appointed the technical head of the Ghanaian football club Accra Great Olympics.[10] Mohammed Polo owns the soccer academy Golden Stars Academy,[11] which trained at Legon, however has now been renamed Polo Soccer Academy. [citation needed]
Legacy
In 2020, as a speculation regarding Ghana's greatest player of all time had emerged, Polo claimed to be Ghana's best footballer ever[12][13] following a statement by Osei Kofi who said the same about himself. Polo's statement was also back by Abedi Pele,[14] Kwabena Yeboah and Kwabena Agyapong.[15][16] On 9 September 2021, Ghanaian-born singer and political activist Kwame Asare Obeng (aka A Plus) stated that Polo is the third greatest player in history, only behind Pelé and Diego Maradona praising his dribbling abilities.[17]
Honours
Polo has won the following honours[18][19][20][21][22][23]
| Award by | Honour |
|---|---|
| 1978 African Cup of Nations | Champions |
| 1978 African Cup of Nations | Team of the tournament |
| Ghana Football Association (1975) | Footballer of the year |
| France Football Magazine – African Player of the Year (1977) | 4th place |
| UAE League 1981–82, 1982–83 | Champions |
| Coca-Cola Award on Breaking Barriers (2006) | Awarded |