Following a glittering sojourn in Europe, former Black Stars midfielder, Sulley Muntari is set to return to the Ghana Premier League for the first time in 21-years.
As a youngster who cut his teeth with now Division One League side, Liberty Professionals while in the Ghana top flight, the 37-year-old left Ghana in 2001 for Italy with Udinese where he will spend five seasons after earlier trials with English giants, Manchester United. The move to Italy was preceded by an impressive FIFA U-20 World Cup final place loss to hosts, Argentina in 2001. The hard tackler, who is equally blessed with great passing skills and a ferocious left foot strikes, left Udinese after five seasons for then English Premier League club, Portsmouth where he will go on to win the FA Cup alongside fellow Africans, Kanu Nwankwo and John Utaka of Nigeria and Senegal’s Papa Bouba Diop in 2008.
After just a season in England, he will return to Italy with Inter Milan under the guidance of renowned manager, Jose Mourinho which ended up with two Serie A titles in 2008-09, 2009-10 seasons and a UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2009-10 season. Described as indiscipline on and off the pitch, Sulley Muntari had loan spells for clubs like, Sunderland, AC Milan before signing for Saudi based club, Ittihad on a 2-year deal. He returned to Italy with Pescara on a six month deal and brief moments with Spanish sides, Deportivo La Coruna and Albacete, the latter which he left in 2019. Muntari has been linked with a move to current league champions, Hearts of Oak until the end of the season. Head coach of the club, Hearts of Oak, Samuel Boadu believes Sulley Muntari’s acquisition will add a spice to his set up.
“Sulley [Muntari] is a motivator, he is a good guy. “The day that I saw him, how he advised the boys, it was amazing. “So I believe that, if Sulley will join the team things will change.” Samuel Boadu told StarTimes. Muntari was key with the Ghana national team at all the three FIFA World Cup appearances in 2006, 2010 and 2014 in Germany, South Africa and Brazil. He was a member of the Black Stars that finished third at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil and has earned 84 caps with 20 goals for the West African nation.
