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The Ghana Sports Writers Association (SWAG) has awarded a meritorious award to former Ghanaian striker Nii Odartey Lamptey.
The award was presented to Odartey by the president of the association, Mr. Kwabena Yeboah on Monday in Accra.
The president of SWAG in his presentation of the award read the quote as follows;
“He dazzled the prime minister playing for Aston Villa after his exploits with Anderlecht. He is known to be one of the few Ghanaians to feature on all the national teams. Your life after football is an inspiration to today’s generation as the owner of Glow Lamp Soccer Academy, Glow Lamp Farms, and Glow Lamp School. SWAG proudly presents him with the Meritorious Award for his outstanding contribution to sport in Ghana. “
Odartey won the SWAG Footballer of the Year award in 1990/91 after helping Ghana’s U-17 team, the Black Starlets, win the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
At 15, Nii was a household name in Ghanaian football circles and appeared for the Black Stars at the 1992 African Cup of Nations held in Senegal. Ghana won silver after losing to Ivory Coast on penalties.
In recognition of his exquisite football that he displayed at the FIFA U-17 Tournament, he was named the fifth best African footballer of the year in 1991. Lamptey’s brilliance led the enterprising and unpredictable Black Satellites to win the African Cup of Nations. Under-20s and later won silver at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Australia in 1993.
The former Aston Villa star also participated with the Ghana Black Meteors at the 1992 Olympics held in Barcelona when Ghana won bronze.
Nii Odartey retired from soccer in 2008. He is currently a cattle and sheep rancher on the outskirts of Accra and runs a Glow Lamp academy and school.
He then expressed his appreciation to SWAG for the great recognition of their work and influence in Ghana soccer.
The 45th edition of the SWAG MTN Awards will be held at the Splash Alisa Hotel on Saturday, October 10, with the Chief Justice honoring the event.
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