Mohammed Polo is the greatest Ghanaian player – Sam Foyoo Johnson

Former Ghana International, Sam Foyoo Johnson has acknowledged Hearts of Oak legend Mohammed Ahmed Polo as the greatest footballer to have come from this country.

Foyoo was a young footballer trying to make a name for himself when Mohammed Polo was at his peak and he is convinced that Ghana has never had nor seen a better footballer than the man known as the ‘Dribbling Magician’.

Widely regarded as one of the most technically gifted players in Ghana’s football history, Polo became a household name for his incredible dribbling and passing skills and Sam Johnson still have memories of some of the magical moments the legend had on the field.

“For the players that I saw play, I can confidently say that Polo is the best. I can put across that he is the best ever. I saw his greatness the day Hearts played against Kotoko. I was watching the game as a ball boy and Hearts passed the ball first. As soon as Ayipei passed the ball to him, he turned back (facing the Hearts post) and turned back (facing the Kotoko post now) and by then he had finished all the Kotoko players. From where he was standing, he gave a banana pass and the ball went straight to Ayipei’s leg. Ayipei spoiled the chance and Polo was surprised”, he recounted.

Mohammed Polo is viewed by many of the people who watched him in his prime as not only a Ghanaian football icon but the best dribbler to have graced the game.

Veteran coach JE Sarpong who was a witness to Polo’s trophy-laden career is of the view that Polo was a better dribbler than 5-time World Champion Lionel Messi.



“I can confidently tell you that Mohammed Ahmed Polo is better than Lionel Messi,” he told Accra FM.

“Even though there was no technology in Polo’s era to determine an offside as compared to today, with the way he [Mohammed Polo] was playing, no player could have been compared to him if he should have played in Europe.”

Polo’ was part of the Ghana national football team that won the 1978 African Nations Cup on home soil.