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A Shamo Quaye of our time

Former Ghana Premier League team Liberty Professionals' Latif Blessing, a Shamo Quaye of our time

He was one of the most exciting players to watch in the ongoing Ghana Premier League.

As an ardent follower of the Ghana Premier League for the past 15 years, I can confidently say the diminutive winger is truly the Shamo Quaye of our time and no one can dispute that fact.

But still there will be an avalanche of questions as to why Latif Blessing is the Shamo Quaye of our time and there are facts to prove that.

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First of all, who is this Shamo Quaye, a name that is common on the lips of Ghanaians?  Quaye is late but his name will forever live as long as football goes on in Ghana.

Quaye started his footballing career at Hearts of Oak’s junior side Auroras in the 80’s. He graduated to the senior team when Dr. Nyaho Tamakloe took over the club.

The late Quaye was Hearts of Oak’s dangerous player on the field; a play make. He [Quaye] in his days had support from the likes of the late Santrofi Acquah and Ablade Kumah. That Hearts of Oak team was referred to as the “Musical Youth” by the club’s followers.

Quaye was an offensive midfielder player who can play at the right or left flank and also behind the main attacker. He was very skillful and could use both feet. Quaye was a goal poacher.

One thing that Ghanaians will not forget about the departed legend is his pre-match predictions and how he normally rubbed his face with white powder when there was a big game.

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When Shamo Quaye promised, he fulfilled. He was given the name “Shamo Leather”. He featured for the Black Meteors in the 1992 Olympics games in Barcelona when Ghana won bronze in the football category.

Until his death in 1997, he was playing for Swiss side Umea FC.

Now, the current top-scorer in the Ghana Premier League with six goals after eight games is Liberty’s Latif Blessing.

The diminutive midfielder began his career from the colts; he played for clubs like Kaizer FC and Elefeba FC before he moved to lower tier side Blessing FC based in Adabraka, a suburb in Ghana’s capital, Accra.

Latif joined Liberty Professionals’ youth team in 2013 and was graduated to the senior team a year later. He was however on the bench for most games.

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He was unperturbed for warming the bench, kept his cool until he was given the opportunity by coach George Lamptey. He shot to fame when he inspired his team to thrash Asante Kotoko 3-1 at the Carl Reindoff Park in Dansonman in a Premier League game.

Latif scored in that game and provided two assists as he was a torn in the flesh of the Ghanaian giants. Since then the young chap has never looked back.

Prior to the start of the season in his interviews, he kept on saying that he will take the Premier League by storm, and he is so far on course.

Before Liberty’s week 8 league game against Kotoko, he said he will score and he did that by scoring in the second minute His team however lost the game 3-1.

Let us look at Latif’s quality and juxtapose it to the late Shamo Quaye. Latif can use both his legs same as Shamo Quaye.

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He can score, dribble and play at the right or left side of attack and also behind the main striker same as the departed Hearts of Oak’s legend.

With Latif’s quality let me borrow my colleague Muftawu Abdulai Nabila's words on how he described him in one of his articles – “He has the pace of a cheetah, the trickery of Ronaldihno during his peak form, and the finishing of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.”

Those who had the opportunity to watch the late Shamo Quaye and those couldn’t watch him should watch Laift Blessing and they will confirm that he is the Shamo Quaye of our time. Yes he is!!!!!

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