Some footballers are remembered for the goals they scored. Others are remembered for the trophies they won.

For Isaac Paha, however, the bigger story is the service he rendered to Ghanaian football across generations.

Born on May 23, 1953, Paha was a defender who played for Sekondi Hasaacas before earning a place in the Black Stars. He became part of Ghana’s historic 1982 Africa Cup of Nations-winning team in Libya.

Paha started all five of Ghana’s matches at the tournament, including the opening 2-2 draw against hosts Libya, the 3-2 extra-time semi-final victory over Algeria and the dramatic final against Libya.

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The final ended 1-1 after extra time before Ghana prevailed 7-6 on penalties to claim their fourth AFCON title.

Paha was one of only a handful of Ghana players to feature in every match of that campaign.

Two years later, he reached another milestone when he became Black Stars captain in 1984.

But Paha’s contribution did not end when his playing career faded.

He moved into coaching and worked with Ghana’s youth structures before taking charge of the Black Queens. Appointed in 2006, he guided the senior women’s team through 17 international matches, recording 12 wins, one draw and four defeats.

His biggest assignment came at the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup in China, where Ghana faced Norway, Canada and Australia. The Black Queens lost all three group matches, but Paha stressed the importance of learning from the experience and building for the future.

That commitment to the next generation was evident when he promoted Black Princesses players Diana Ankomah and Sheila Owusu into the senior setup ahead of Olympic qualifying.
Both had been members of Ghana’s bronze-winning 2007 All-Africa Games team.

Paha’s family also occupies a special place in Ghana’s football history. His brother, P S K Paha, was part of Ghana’s 1978 AFCON-winning generation.

One brother helped Ghana win in 1978. The other was part of the 1982 triumph.

Isaac Paha’s legacy, therefore, stretches beyond one trophy. It is a story of a defender, an AFCON champion, a Black Stars captain, a coach and, above all, a football man who continued creating opportunities for those who came after him.

FKA/VPO

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