Derek Boateng recalls being ‘bribed’ to miss a Hearts of Oak clash

Former Ghana international Derrick Boateng has narrated how he missed a Ghana Premier League clash against Hearts of Oak.

Derrick Boateng recounted how he was bribed not appear for a crucial league fixture during his stint at Accra based Liberty Professionals.

Boateng, 37, noted that his form at the time scared some fans of Accra Hearts of Oak who decided to eliminate him from the squad of the Dansoman-based club ahead of their clash in 1999.

He admitted taking the money but what the fans didn’t know was that he was already on his way out for trials with Greek side Kalamata F.C before they contacted him.

“I remember when I started playing for Liberty Professionals, my mum told me that if I play against Hearts of Oak, she will not allow me to eat in the house [laughs].” He told Nathaniel Attoh on the Joy Sports Link.

“We knew Liberty Professionals was the place to start your career so that was why I moved there. You know I played only four games for Liberty Professionals.”

“The fifth game I was supposed to play was against Hearts of Oak but I had to go to Greece to sign my first professional contract. I was being played as a number 10 and I was on fire,”

“Some of the die-hard Hearts of Oak fans called me to give me some money not to show up for that game. I took that money but they didn’t know that I was already scheduled to travel to Greece before the game on Saturday. It was good money. I left on Friday.”

“They thought it was the money that made me stay away but at that time I was already done with Ghana football.”

Boateng featured for several clubs in Europe including Gatefe, Eibar, Rayo Vallecano, FC Koln, Fulham FC among others.

He capped 47 times for the Black Stars of Ghana