Ibrahim Sunday
Encyclopedia
Ibrahim Sunday is a former Ghana
ian football
player and coach.
Asante Kotoko
, of which he became the captain. In 1970, he and his club won the African Cup of Champions, predecessor of the CAF Champions League
, the first international title obtained by the club. A midfielder
, he played the majority of his career for Ghanaian club Asante Kotoko
, and was also a member of the Ghana national team
, participating in two Africa Nations Cup
tournaments. In 1971, he won the African Footballer of the Year
award. In 1975, Sunday moved to Werder Bremen
in the German
Bundesliga
, where in two seasons he barely had any playing time, appearing in only one league match against Rot-Weiß Essen in December 1976.
, where he scored a goal against Laurent Pokou
's Côte d'Ivoire
on the semifinal won by Ghana 4-3. The Black Stars
lost the final to DR Congo. At the 1970 Nations Cup
, there was a rematch of the semifinal from two years before; Ghana defeated the Ivorians again 2-1, with Sunday scoring the opening goal. However, they lost in the final again, that time to hosts Sudan
. The 1970 final was Sunday's last Nations Cup match, as Ghana failed to qualify for the 1972, 1974, and 1976 continental tournaments. In 1971, while playing for Kotoko, Sunday was named African Footballer of the Year
(Ballon d'Or) by French magazine France Football
, being the first of three Ghanaian footballers that have earned such distinction to date. Ghana then qualified for the 1972 Olympic tournament in Munich
, and Sunday was part of the Olympic squad.
club Africa Sports
of Abidjan
, whom he also led to a the continental title in 1992. and now coached the MTN Sports Academy.
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
ian football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player and coach.
Playing career
Sunday started his career playing for local club KumasiKumasi
Kumasi is a city in southern central Ghana's Ashanti region. It is located near Lake Bosomtwe, in the Rain Forest Region about northwest of Accra. Kumasi is approximately north of the Equator and north of the Gulf of Guinea...
Asante Kotoko
Asante Kotoko
Asante Kotoko Football Club, also known as Asante Kotoko, is one of the biggest and most successful football clubs in Ghana as well as being one of the more successful teams in Africa, having won twenty national league titles. They have also twice been champions of Africa. The club's home ground is...
, of which he became the captain. In 1970, he and his club won the African Cup of Champions, predecessor of the CAF Champions League
CAF Champions League
The CAF Champions League is an annual international club football competition run by the Confederation of African Football . The top club sides from Africa's football leagues are invited to participate in this competition, which is the premier club football competition on the continent and the...
, the first international title obtained by the club. A midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
, he played the majority of his career for Ghanaian club Asante Kotoko
Asante Kotoko
Asante Kotoko Football Club, also known as Asante Kotoko, is one of the biggest and most successful football clubs in Ghana as well as being one of the more successful teams in Africa, having won twenty national league titles. They have also twice been champions of Africa. The club's home ground is...
, and was also a member of the Ghana national team
Ghana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
, participating in two Africa Nations Cup
African Cup of Nations
The Africa Cup of Nations, also referred to as the African Cup of Nations or African Nations Cup, officially CAN , is the main international association football competition in Africa. It is sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football , and was first held in 1957. Since 1968, it has been...
tournaments. In 1971, he won the African Footballer of the Year
African Footballer of the Year
The African Footballer of the Year award, presented to the best African football player each year, has been conferred by the Confederation of African Football since 1992. An earlier African Footballer of the Year Golden Ball award was given out between 1970 and 1994 by France Football magazine...
award. In 1975, Sunday moved to Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize...
in the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
, where in two seasons he barely had any playing time, appearing in only one league match against Rot-Weiß Essen in December 1976.
International play
He was first named to the Ghana national team in 1966, and his first official international tournament was the 1968 African Cup of Nations1968 African Cup of Nations
The 1968 African Cup of Nations was the sixth edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Ethiopia. The field expanded to eight teams, split into two groups of four; the top two teams in each group advanced to the semifinals...
, where he scored a goal against Laurent Pokou
Laurent Pokou
Laurent Pokou is a former footballer from Ivory Coast, who works for Académie de Sol Beni as Head Coach.-Career:He was a notable striker for French club Stade Rennais.-International career:...
's Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire national football team
The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...
on the semifinal won by Ghana 4-3. The Black Stars
Ghana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
lost the final to DR Congo. At the 1970 Nations Cup
1970 African Cup of Nations
The 1970 African Cup of Nations was the seventh edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Sudan. Just like in 1968, the field of eight teams was split into two groups of four...
, there was a rematch of the semifinal from two years before; Ghana defeated the Ivorians again 2-1, with Sunday scoring the opening goal. However, they lost in the final again, that time to hosts Sudan
Sudan national football team
The Sudan national football team represents Sudan in association football and is controlled by the Sudan Football Association, the governing body for football in Sudan. Sudan's home ground is Al Merreikh Stadium in Omdurman and their head coach is Mohammed Abdullah Mazda...
. The 1970 final was Sunday's last Nations Cup match, as Ghana failed to qualify for the 1972, 1974, and 1976 continental tournaments. In 1971, while playing for Kotoko, Sunday was named African Footballer of the Year
African Footballer of the Year
The African Footballer of the Year award, presented to the best African football player each year, has been conferred by the Confederation of African Football since 1992. An earlier African Footballer of the Year Golden Ball award was given out between 1970 and 1994 by France Football magazine...
(Ballon d'Or) by French magazine France Football
France Football
France Football is a French bi-weekly magazine containing football news from all over the world. It's one of the most reputable sports publications in Europe, mostly because of their photographic reports and accurate statistics of the big European Cup matches, and extensive coverage of the European...
, being the first of three Ghanaian footballers that have earned such distinction to date. Ghana then qualified for the 1972 Olympic tournament in Munich
Football at the 1972 Summer Olympics
Final results for the Football competition at the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Munich, Augsburg, Ingolstadt, Nürnberg, Passau, and Regensburg.-Medalists:-Group A: ---- -----------------Group B: ---- ----------------...
, and Sunday was part of the Olympic squad.
Coaching career
As a coach, he has managed his former club Asante Kotoko, leading them to their second African Cup of Champions victory in 1983. He also managed Abuakwa Susubiribi and Ashanti Goldfieds of Ghana, FC 105 of Gabon and Côte d'IvoireCôte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
club Africa Sports
Africa Sports
Africa Sports National is an Ivorian football club based in Abidjan. It was founded in 1948. They play at the Stade Houphouet-Boigny....
of Abidjan
Abidjan
Abidjan is the economic and former official capital of Côte d'Ivoire, while the current capital is Yamoussoukro. it was the largest city in the nation and the third-largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris, and Kinshasa but before Montreal...
, whom he also led to a the continental title in 1992. and now coached the MTN Sports Academy.
