Ghana legend and coach Charles Kumi Gyamfi is reported dead in Accra at age 86.
According to confirmation recieved from the family, he died today at the Cocoa Affairs Clinic in Accra.
Charles Kumi Gyamfi was born to Mr. Charles Kumi Gyamfi from Akuapim Larteh and Mrs Diana Duodu from Accra in 1929.
He had his primary school education in Okorase near Koforidua and continued to Accra Royal where he obtained his middle school leaving certificate.
Having started his football career with Ariks football club as a goalkeeper with former Gold Coast XI captain EC BRiandt, he continued to Great Agonaut as a striker.
From Agonaut he joined Dwarfs before heading to Kotoko in 1949 with Asebi Boakye, Jamese Adjei and co. before joining Hearts of Oak in 1954/55.
He is the first African player to play in Germany, when he joined Fortuna Düsseldorf in 1960.
The government of Ghana named the National Sports College at Winneba in the Central Region after Charles Kumi Gyamfi who is also known as Nana Kumi Gyamfi I.
The decision was motivated by the fact that C. K. Gyamfi is arguably the most accomplished national football player, national football coach, Confederation of African Football and FIFA course instructor.
C. K. Gyamfi who was a Chief of Okorase, a town in the Eastern Region, received national honours as a National Sports Hero and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.
In his playing days, C. K Gyamfi captained the Black Stars in the late fifties and early sixties and led the Gold Coast XI on a tour of the United Kingdom and Wales.
He is reputed to be the first Ghanaian football player to play in soccer boots.
When he retired form active play, Dr Kwame Nkrumah's government sent him to train as a coach in the then West Germany.
He assumed coaching responsibilities with the Black Stars and guided the team to win two African titles back to back in Accra in 1963 and Tunis in 1965.
The honouree also served as the technical director when Ghana won her fourth title in Libya in 1982.
He became a CAF and FIFA instructor and served terms in Somalia and some other East African countries as national coach.
Nana Kumi Gyamfi I has been battling with a mild stroke, which afflicted him while he was on a CAF assignment in Nigeria in 2003.
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