Nii Lamptey
Encyclopedia
Nii Odartey Lamptey is a former Ghana
ian footballer. He is known foremost for his erratic career, in which he became a superstar as a teenager and then suffered a long string of failures which burnt him out well before his time. Lamptey has been used as a byword for a cautionary tale of putting too much pressure on young players to be successful.
, but grew up in the two biggest Ghanaian cities, Accra
and Kumasi
. He had a miserable childhood, as his parents abused and neglected him. His father was an alcoholic who often beat and lashed him and sometimes burnt his body with cigarettes. Lamptey often refused to spend the nights home and frequently skipped school, only finding refuge in football. Soon, he began to excel in this sport, despite his alcoholic father heckling him and hurling verbal abuse from the sidelines whenever he watched his son play football.
When Lamptey was eight, his parents divorced, and his stepfather threw him out of the household. Lamptey found refuge in a Muslim
football camp and converted from Christianity
to Islam
to qualify for entry. When his stepfather found this out, he accused his stepson of sacrilege and often quarreled in front of the football camp. But soon, it became evident what talent young Lamptey had, and he was called up to Ghana's junior squads. He was eventually reconciled with his father – and readopted Christianity – in 1997, only to lose him to an alcohol-related illness.
to win the 1991 FIFA U-17 World Championship
with the team known as the Black Starlets after playing in the 1989 version as a 15 year old. He won the FIFA Best Player of the tournament – the Golden Ball award
in a competition that also included Argentina's Juan Sebastian Verón
and Marcelo Gallardo
and Italy's Alessandro del Piero
, Lamptey's star shone more brilliantly than them all, as he dominated everyone in the competition. He was subsequently touted as the next Pelé
; by Pelé himself. He scored four goals in that Tournament.
could only go to one of the members of the victorious Ghanaian side, and so it was, with Lamptey taking home a very special souvenir from his Italian sojourn. Lamptey was the beating heart of a very good side. His fast feet, speed of thought, and clever interplay with captain Alex Opoku and fellow midfielders Mohammed Gargo
and Emmanuel Duah were on display for all to see. His willingness to get into the box was critical too, and his four goals made him joint top-goalscorer. See also 1991 Ghana U-17 Ghana Squadhttp://www.fifa.com/en/comp/PrevSquad/0,4355,GHA-U17-1991-191544-19,00.html
In recognition of his exquisite football he displayed at the FIFA U-17 Tournament, he was named the 1991 5th Best African Footballer of the Year
.
from Youth team, Young Corners in Accra
, Ghana
.
He was hailed as the new Pelé
and age limit rules in Belgium were changed to allow him to debut at the age of 16 for Anderlecht. Lamptey signed his first contract at Anderlecht
when he was 16, becoming the youngest-ever player to play in the Belgian league
. He quickly established himself as a prolific scorer, dazzling onlookers with his flashy play and obvious talent. After two highly spectacular seasons, he was transferred to PSV Eindhoven, where he made a similar impact and awed fans and experts with his game.
team, known as the "Black Satellites" to win the 1993 African U-20 Cup of Nations and then lost the final of the 1993 FIFA World Youth Championship
held in Australia
to Brazil
, who came from a goal down to win the trophy at the death, 2-1. He also scored in the match against Portugal
, which Ghana won 2-0.
to win a Bronze medal
at the Barcelona
1992 Summer Olympics football tournament. Ghana, who had the youngest team by far in the competition (the average age of the squad was 18.8 years), were surprise bronze medal
lists, becoming the first Africa
n nation to earn a medal
. They did so in a 1-0 victory over yet another surprise, Australia.
Lamptey thus led Ghana
to success at any Youth International Tournament in which he played.
Qualifying home match against Togo
in the 43rd minute. Ghana won the match 2-0.
He became a regular International and his superb performances earned him a starting spot in the ‘’Black Stars’’, forming a potent attacking force together with team captain Abedi Pele
and Super striker Tony Yeboah
. Ghana lost the final of the 1992 African Cup of Nations
to Ivory Coast on a marathon penalty shoot-out in Senegal
, a game the mercurial Lamptey started at just 17 years. He continued to blossom at senior International level at such a young age, playing any and every Ghana International game since then.
His international career with Ghana dried up after he was sent off in the 1996 African Cup of Nations
Semi-final game http://www.rsssf.com/tables/96a-det.html against South Africa
on 31 January 1996. The Black Stars finished fourth, after losing to Zambia
in the 3rd Place play-off game without the suspended Lamptey.
Lamptey did not play for Ghana again after they lost 8-2 to Brazil
in São José do Rio Preto
, Brazil
, 27 March 1996 in a Pre-1996 Summer Olympics
friendly match. Many observers believe that the numerous back and forth travels to Africa for International matches, stalled his young career at Club level. His career later went into a slump.
bought Lamptey to Aston Villa
in the summer of 1994. This move came as a surprise, as PSV was a more successful club than Aston Villa at the time and Lamptey was one of the star players at PSV.
However, on German TV (see below), Lamptey recalled that when he came to Europe, he had signed an exclusive marketing contract with an Italian player agent. Naive as he was, he thought that the agent would only act in his best interest. In fact, the player's agent (Antonio Caliendo) was "a shady character who held Lamptey's transfer rights like a slave owner held his slave" (quote by a fellow German player agent, and an opinion also supported by Lamptey's trainer Otto Pfister
). He thought only of where to sell Lamptey for the best price, to bag ~25% of the transfer sum for himself, and so he sold him to Aston Villa. Too late Lamptey realized that the exclusive contract was a trap he could not flee.
He failed to impress at Villa Park, scoring just three times, all of which came in the League Cup against Wigan Athletic (once in the home leg and twice in the away leg). Following Atkinson's dismissal as Villa boss, he re-signed Lamptey for his new club Coventry City
. Again Lamptey would score his only goals in the League Cup, netting twice against Hull City
(once in the home leg and once in the away leg). His time at Coventry further proved that Lamptey was not cut out for Premiership
football, and another engagement in Venice
was also a flop. Lamptey went on to join a string of lower status clubs. This began a vicious circle that the honest but naive Lamptey could not break.
in Argentina
. There, he and his wife had their third child, Diego. But soon, Diego died of a rare disease. A major emotional blow was also the fact that Lamptey wanted to bury his son in Ghana, but the authorities declined. Heartbroken, Lamptey temporarily gave up football.
After unsuccessful stints at Ankaragücü
and União Leiria
, Lamptey got himself a new German player agent who transferred him to SpVgg Greuther Fürth
. However, Lamptey and his wife were unhappy there, unable to live through the culture shock
in Germany. Lamptey was not entirely unsuccessful, being a reliable backup, but was found too fragile for the rough Second Bundesliga. He was also reportedly ignored by his German colleagues, and once, a colleague flat out refused to sleep in the same hotel room as him. This blatant racism
shocked Lamptey, but even worse was the fact that his child Lisa also died soon after birth. Also Lamptey's second dead child was buried abroad, in Germany. The Lampteys soon left for Asia.
in China
. He described his time there as the happiest time of his life, finally being accepted and loved by fans and experts again. He then moved to Al-Nasr
and then back to Ghana to Kumasi Asante Kotoko
, becoming the first Ghanaian star to return to his roots again as a player.
Lamptey has said that despite everything, he does not feel like a loser, but rather as a hardened survivor who refuses to be destroyed. He has also founded a school, which bears his name and is his whole pride. As a father who has lost two kids, he wants to make other children happy and give back to society. As of 2008, his school boasts of almost 400 pupils.
On 5 March 2007 Lamptey signed for South African side Jomo Cosmos
, played here between 1 December 2007. Lamptey now breeds cattle on a farm on the outskirts of Accra.
; here he assisted the new Head Coach Charles Akonnor.
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 footballer. He is known foremost for his erratic career, in which he became a superstar as a teenager and then suffered a long string of failures which burnt him out well before his time. Lamptey has been used as a byword for a cautionary tale of putting too much pressure on young players to be successful.
Early years
Nii Lamptey was born in TemaTema
Tema is a city on the Atlantic coast of Ghana, lying east of the Ghanaian capital city, Accra, in the region of Greater Accra. As of 2005, Tema had a population of 209,000. The Greenwich Meridian passes directly through the city...
, but grew up in the two biggest Ghanaian cities, Accra
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
and Kumasi
Kumasi
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...
. He had a miserable childhood, as his parents abused and neglected him. His father was an alcoholic who often beat and lashed him and sometimes burnt his body with cigarettes. Lamptey often refused to spend the nights home and frequently skipped school, only finding refuge in football. Soon, he began to excel in this sport, despite his alcoholic father heckling him and hurling verbal abuse from the sidelines whenever he watched his son play football.
When Lamptey was eight, his parents divorced, and his stepfather threw him out of the household. Lamptey found refuge in a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
football camp and converted from Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
to qualify for entry. When his stepfather found this out, he accused his stepson of sacrilege and often quarreled in front of the football camp. But soon, it became evident what talent young Lamptey had, and he was called up to Ghana's junior squads. He was eventually reconciled with his father – and readopted Christianity – in 1997, only to lose him to an alcohol-related illness.
FIFA U-17 Dominance
Lamptey first began to attract global attention in 1991 he led GhanaGhana 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...
to win the 1991 FIFA U-17 World Championship
1991 FIFA U-17 World Championship
The 1991 FIFA U-17 World Championship was held in the cities of Florence, Montecatini, Viareggio, Massa, Carrara, and Livorno in Italy between 16 August and 31 August 1991...
with the team known as the Black Starlets after playing in the 1989 version as a 15 year old. He won the FIFA Best Player of the tournament – the Golden Ball award
Golden Ball
Golden Ball may refer to:In sport:*Ballon d'Or , award given to the best football player of the year by France Football magazine*Golden Ball Award, award given to the best player of the FIFA World Cup...
in a competition that also included Argentina's Juan Sebastian Verón
Juan Sebastián Verón
Juan Sebastián Verón is an Argentinian professional football player who is the current captain and midfielder for Estudiantes de La Plata in the Argentine Primera División....
and Marcelo Gallardo
Marcelo Gallardo
Marcelo Daniel Gallardo is an Argentine ex footballer who is currently the manager for Nacional de Uruguay....
and Italy's Alessandro del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus, of which he is also club captain....
, Lamptey's star shone more brilliantly than them all, as he dominated everyone in the competition. He was subsequently touted as the next Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
; by Pelé himself. He scored four goals in that Tournament.
Player of the Tournament
The adidas Golden BallGolden Ball
Golden Ball may refer to:In sport:*Ballon d'Or , award given to the best football player of the year by France Football magazine*Golden Ball Award, award given to the best player of the FIFA World Cup...
could only go to one of the members of the victorious Ghanaian side, and so it was, with Lamptey taking home a very special souvenir from his Italian sojourn. Lamptey was the beating heart of a very good side. His fast feet, speed of thought, and clever interplay with captain Alex Opoku and fellow midfielders Mohammed Gargo
Mohammed Gargo
Mohammed Gargo is a former Ghanaian footballer.-Club career:Gargo joined Italian side Udinese in 1995. In January 2003 he was loaned to Venezia and in January 2004 sold to Serie B side Genoa along with Vittorio Micolucci, in exchanged for Rodrigue Boisfer and Valon Behrami, all in co-ownership...
and Emmanuel Duah were on display for all to see. His willingness to get into the box was critical too, and his four goals made him joint top-goalscorer. See also 1991 Ghana U-17 Ghana Squadhttp://www.fifa.com/en/comp/PrevSquad/0,4355,GHA-U17-1991-191544-19,00.html
In recognition of his exquisite football he displayed at the FIFA U-17 Tournament, he was named the 1991 5th Best 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...
.
A superstar at 19
Dutch football Coach Aad de Mos signed Lamptey as a 15-year-old and brought him to Belgian giants R.S.C. AnderlechtR.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
from Youth team, Young Corners in Accra
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
, Ghana
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...
.
He was hailed as the new Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
and age limit rules in Belgium were changed to allow him to debut at the age of 16 for Anderlecht. Lamptey signed his first contract at Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
when he was 16, becoming the youngest-ever player to play in the Belgian league
Jupiler League
The Belgian Pro League is the top league competition for association football clubs in Belgium. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Belgian Second Division...
. He quickly established himself as a prolific scorer, dazzling onlookers with his flashy play and obvious talent. After two highly spectacular seasons, he was transferred to PSV Eindhoven, where he made a similar impact and awed fans and experts with his game.
FIFA U20 World Cup final
Lamptey's brilliance led an enterprising and unpredictable Ghana's U-20Ghana 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...
team, known as the "Black Satellites" to win the 1993 African U-20 Cup of Nations and then lost the final of the 1993 FIFA World Youth Championship
1993 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 1993 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in Australia for second time from 5 to 20 March 1993. The 1993 championship was the 9th contested. The tournament took place in five venues: Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide....
held in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
to Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
, who came from a goal down to win the trophy at the death, 2-1. He also scored in the match against Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
, which Ghana won 2-0.
1992 Summer Olympic medal
In the Summer of 1992, young superstar Nii Lamptey led GhanaGhana 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...
to win a Bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
at the Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
1992 Summer Olympics football tournament. Ghana, who had the youngest team by far in the competition (the average age of the squad was 18.8 years), were surprise bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
lists, becoming the first Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n nation to earn a medal
Medal
A medal, or medallion, is generally a circular object that has been sculpted, molded, cast, struck, stamped, or some way rendered with an insignia, portrait, or other artistic rendering. A medal may be awarded to a person or organization as a form of recognition for athletic, military, scientific,...
. They did so in a 1-0 victory over yet another surprise, Australia.
Lamptey thus led Ghana
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...
to success at any Youth International Tournament in which he played.
International career
At just 16 years, Nii Lamptey scored on his senior debut International for Ghana in a 1992 African Cup of Nations1992 African Cup of Nations
The 1992 African Cup of Nations was the 18th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Senegal. The field expanded to twelve teams, split into four groups of three; the top two teams in each group advanced to the quarterfinals...
Qualifying home match against Togo
Togo national football team
The Togo national football team, nicknamed Les Eperviers The Togo national football team, nicknamed Les Eperviers The Togo national football team, nicknamed Les Eperviers (The Sparrow Hawks, is controlled by the Fédération Togolaise de Football.They played at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Their team bus...
in the 43rd minute. Ghana won the match 2-0.
He became a regular International and his superb performances earned him a starting spot in the ‘’Black Stars’’, forming a potent attacking force together with team captain Abedi Pele
Abédi Pelé
Abedi Ayew, known professionally as Abedi Pele is a former Ghana International football player and captain. Having been given the nickname "Pelé" in recognition of his superior ability that evoked comparisons to Brazilian great Pelé, he found fame in France's Ligue 1 with Lille OSC and Olympique...
and Super striker Tony Yeboah
Tony Yeboah
Anthony "Tony" Yeboah is a Ghanaian former footballer most noted for his time at European clubs 1. FC Saarbrücken, Eintracht Frankfurt, Leeds United and Hamburger SV during the 1990s...
. Ghana lost the final of the 1992 African Cup of Nations
1992 African Cup of Nations
The 1992 African Cup of Nations was the 18th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Senegal. The field expanded to twelve teams, split into four groups of three; the top two teams in each group advanced to the quarterfinals...
to Ivory Coast on a marathon penalty shoot-out in Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
, a game the mercurial Lamptey started at just 17 years. He continued to blossom at senior International level at such a young age, playing any and every Ghana International game since then.
His international career with Ghana dried up after he was sent off in the 1996 African Cup of Nations
1996 African Cup of Nations
-Group B:---------------------Group C:------------ withdrew, so their three matches were canceled.*vs. , January 16, 1996*vs. , January 19, 1996*vs...
Semi-final game http://www.rsssf.com/tables/96a-det.html against South Africa
South Africa national football team
The South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...
on 31 January 1996. The Black Stars finished fourth, after losing to Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
in the 3rd Place play-off game without the suspended Lamptey.
Lamptey did not play for Ghana again after they lost 8-2 to Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
in São José do Rio Preto
São José do Rio Preto
São José do Rio Preto is a city and municipality in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Is located at the north/northwest portion of the state, 450 km from the city of São Paulo and 700 km from Brasília....
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, 27 March 1996 in a Pre-1996 Summer Olympics
Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics
The association football competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics was held in Birmingham, Alabama; Washington, D.C; Orlando, Florida; Miami, Florida; and Athens, Georgia....
friendly match. Many observers believe that the numerous back and forth travels to Africa for International matches, stalled his young career at Club level. His career later went into a slump.
First signs of trouble
Ron AtkinsonRon Atkinson
Ronald Ernest Atkinson, commonly known as "Big Ron" and "Bojangles" is an English former football player and manager. In recent years he has become one of Britain's best-known football pundits...
bought Lamptey to Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
in the summer of 1994. This move came as a surprise, as PSV was a more successful club than Aston Villa at the time and Lamptey was one of the star players at PSV.
However, on German TV (see below), Lamptey recalled that when he came to Europe, he had signed an exclusive marketing contract with an Italian player agent. Naive as he was, he thought that the agent would only act in his best interest. In fact, the player's agent (Antonio Caliendo) was "a shady character who held Lamptey's transfer rights like a slave owner held his slave" (quote by a fellow German player agent, and an opinion also supported by Lamptey's trainer Otto Pfister
Otto Pfister
Otto Pfister is a German football manager, and one of Germany's most successful coaching exports, voted Africa's Manager of the Year in 1992. He has been to four African Cup of Nations competitions with Upper Volta , Zaire, Cameroon and Ghana) and reached the African Cup of Nations final twice,...
). He thought only of where to sell Lamptey for the best price, to bag ~25% of the transfer sum for himself, and so he sold him to Aston Villa. Too late Lamptey realized that the exclusive contract was a trap he could not flee.
He failed to impress at Villa Park, scoring just three times, all of which came in the League Cup against Wigan Athletic (once in the home leg and twice in the away leg). Following Atkinson's dismissal as Villa boss, he re-signed Lamptey for his new club Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
. Again Lamptey would score his only goals in the League Cup, netting twice against Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
(once in the home leg and once in the away leg). His time at Coventry further proved that Lamptey was not cut out for Premiership
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
football, and another engagement in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
was also a flop. Lamptey went on to join a string of lower status clubs. This began a vicious circle that the honest but naive Lamptey could not break.
Decline, odyssey and personal tragedy
Lamptey joined Venezia in Italy and later Unión de Santa FeUnión de Santa Fe
Club Atlético Unión is a sports club from Santa Fe, the capital city of the province with the same name in Argentina. The club, founded in 1907, has a strong rivalry with Colón de Santa Fe....
in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. There, he and his wife had their third child, Diego. But soon, Diego died of a rare disease. A major emotional blow was also the fact that Lamptey wanted to bury his son in Ghana, but the authorities declined. Heartbroken, Lamptey temporarily gave up football.
After unsuccessful stints at Ankaragücü
Ankaragücü
MKE Ankaragücü is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Ankara. The club wears a yellow and navy kit and play their home matches at Ankara 19 Mayis....
and União Leiria
UD Leiria
União Desportiva de Leiria, commonly known as União de Leiria , is a Portuguese football club based in Leiria, central Portugal. Founded on 6 June 1966, it currently plays in the Portuguese first division, holding home matches at Municipal da Marinha Grande, with a 6,000-seat capacity.-Brief...
, Lamptey got himself a new German player agent who transferred him to SpVgg Greuther Fürth
SpVgg Greuther Fürth
SpVgg Greuther Fürth is a German association football club based in Fürth, Bavaria. The club was formed when the senior football side of newcomer Turn- und Sportverein Vestenbergsgreuth joined traditional club Spielvereinigung Fürth on 1 July 1996...
. However, Lamptey and his wife were unhappy there, unable to live through the culture shock
Culture shock
Culture shock is the anxiety, feelings of frustration, alienation and anger that may occur when a person is emplaced in a new culture.One of the most common causes of culture shock involves individuals in a foreign country. Culture shock can be described as consisting of one or more distinct phases...
in Germany. Lamptey was not entirely unsuccessful, being a reliable backup, but was found too fragile for the rough Second Bundesliga. He was also reportedly ignored by his German colleagues, and once, a colleague flat out refused to sleep in the same hotel room as him. This blatant racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
shocked Lamptey, but even worse was the fact that his child Lisa also died soon after birth. Also Lamptey's second dead child was buried abroad, in Germany. The Lampteys soon left for Asia.
Rebounding and coming home
Lamptey then joined Shandong Luneng Tai ShanShandong Luneng
Shandong Luneng Taishan is a Chinese Super League football club owned by Shandong Luneng Group, the biggest supplier of electric energy in Shandong province. They play at the Shandong Stadium in Jinan, Shandong. The predecessor of Shandong Luneng Taishan was the Shandong Provincial team organised...
in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. He described his time there as the happiest time of his life, finally being accepted and loved by fans and experts again. He then moved to Al-Nasr
Al-Nasr
Al Nassr FC is a Saudi Arabian football club based in Riyadh. Formed in 1955 the club plays its home games at King Fahd Stadium and Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium. Its home colours are yellow and blue.-History:...
and then back to Ghana to Kumasi 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...
, becoming the first Ghanaian star to return to his roots again as a player.
Lamptey has said that despite everything, he does not feel like a loser, but rather as a hardened survivor who refuses to be destroyed. He has also founded a school, which bears his name and is his whole pride. As a father who has lost two kids, he wants to make other children happy and give back to society. As of 2008, his school boasts of almost 400 pupils.
On 5 March 2007 Lamptey signed for South African side Jomo Cosmos
Jomo Cosmos
Jomo Cosmos is a South African football club based in Johannesburg that plays in the Premier Soccer League. The club is owned and coached by South African soccer legend Jomo "Black Prince" Sono....
, played here between 1 December 2007. Lamptey now breeds cattle on a farm on the outskirts of Accra.
Personal life
Lamptey is married and has fathered four children. However, two of them, Diego and Lisa, died soon after birth.Coaching career
On 19 February 2009 signed a contract as Assistant at Sekondi Wise FightersSekondi Wise Fighters
Sekondi Eleven Wise is a Ghanaian football Club, based in Sekondi, currently competing in the Poly Tank Division One League.-History:Affectionately called the Western Show Boys are arguably the most popular and best supported football team in the Western Region of Ghana...
; here he assisted the new Head Coach Charles Akonnor.
External links
- Nii Lamptey statistics
- The next Pele or next Nii Lamptey
- Nii Lamptey returns home
- A Portuguese Look at Nii's Career
- Boy wonder's lost years