A Ghanaian sports journalist has criticised the country’s failure to showcase its sporting heritage during a recent visit by global YouTube star IShowSpeed.
Darius Osei, a presenter at Angel TV, said the absence of a national sports museum represented a “monumental missed opportunity” when the American content creator toured Ghana last weekend.
IShowSpeed, whose real name is Daryl Dooley Jr, drew enormous crowds during his 25-26 January visit to Accra, which included stops at Independence Square, Akropong and Jamestown. The 20-year-old, known for his passionate support of footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, has more than 50 million YouTube subscribers.
Ghana was the final stop on his 28-day “Speed Does Africa” tour spanning 20 countries: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The tour began in late December 2024, and IShowSpeed was subsequently granted Ghanaian citizenship.
‘Where are the jerseys?’
However, Mr Osei questioned why there was nowhere to take such a prominent visitor to experience Ghana’s rich sporting history. He said the country had failed to take advantage of the viral moment the global influencer’s visit presented.
“We rolled out the red carpet for a young man with over 50 million followers worldwide, someone who lives and breathes sports,” he said during his broadcast. “Yet we had nowhere to take him to experience the greatness of Ghanaian sports history. No museum. No hall of fame. Nothing.”
The journalist highlighted memorabilia from legendary players including Mohammed Polo, known as the “Dribbling Magician”, three-time African Player of the Year Abedi Pele, 1960s star Osei Kofi, Wilberforce Mfum, and boxing greats Azumah Nelson and Ike Quartey.
“Where are the jerseys of Mohammed Polo?” Mr Osei asked. “Where is Abedi Pele’s memorabilia from his time dominating African and European football? What about Osei Kofi’s boots from the 1960s, or Wilberforce Mfum’s medals? What about Azumah Nelson’s championship belts or Ike Quartey’s gloves?”
Abedi Pele starred for Marseille during their European successes in the early 1990s, whilst Osei Kofi was instrumental in Ghana’s Africa Cup of Nations victories.
Azumah Nelson, known as “The Professor”, was a three-time world champion and is widely regarded as one of Africa’s greatest boxers. Ike “Bazooka” Quartey held the WBA welterweight title and remained undefeated for much of his career.
‘Our legends deserve better’
Mr Osei argued that a museum visit could have introduced IShowSpeed’s global audience to Ghana’s sporting icons, creating content with genuine cultural value.
“IShowSpeed came here talking about Ronaldo, his idol,” he said. “Imagine if we could have shown him our own idols. Imagine if he could have stood in front of Abedi Pele’s golden boots, or seen the Black Stars’ Africa Cup of Nations trophies. That content would have reached 50 million people.”
Instead, the visit’s defining moment was IShowSpeed performing his signature backflip atop the Black Star Gate at Independence Square, which subsequently went viral on social media.
Whilst Ghana has museums dedicated to history, culture and the transatlantic slave trade, there is no dedicated facility for sporting heritage.
“Other nations understand this,” Mr Osei said. “They have halls of fame, museums, interactive experiences. They understand that sports history is national history. Our legends deserve better than to be forgotten.”
The journalist’s comments have reignited debate about the preservation of Ghana’s sporting legacy as the country continues to attract international celebrities and global attention.
