Ghanaian police corporal Samuel Sarfo is making headlines for playing for the senior national football team, the Black Stars of Ghana, barely 12 months after he was on duty for the team.
The 26-year-old plays football for the local amateur side Liberty Professionals FC and works as a corporal for the Ghana Police Service, according to the Sun.
Photo credit: GhanaWeb
A year after joining Liberty FC, he was handed the captain’s arm band and is currently the league’s highest-scoring defender with 6 goals and 2 assists to his name.
Samuel Sarfo playing for Liberty
During an African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier match between Rwanda and Ghana, Sarfo was one of the policemen drafted to provide security for the superstars on the Ghanaian national team.
In recognition of his impressive football development, Sarfo earned a debut call up to the Black Stars for June’s 2019 AFCON qualifier against Ethiopia.
Now he is sharing a dressing room with the likes of Asamoah Gyan and Jordan Ayew of the Black Stars.
Perhaps the crowning achievement in Sarfo’s incredible progress so far, though, is his 9-minute substitute appearance for the Black Stars in Saturday’s friendly match against the United States.
Sarfo received praise for his performance during the match even though the Black Stars went on to lose 2-1 to the United States.
In an interview after the match, Sarfo said, “It was a dream come true. That is the dream of every young chap growing up in Ghana. To don the national colors. I happen to be one of them.”
Sarfo says the secret of his meteoric rise perhaps lies in the fact that he grew up playing street football with several key figures of the Ghana Black Stars. He says they often give him advice on how to best to manage his commitments as a policeman and a footballer.
Ultimately, he hopes to combine his life as a footballer with his day job as a police officer.
