Former Black Meteors midfielder Obed Ansah has narrated how Black Meteors management handled the Damba/Iran bribery allegation Iran.
Damba allegedly tried to buy a 0-2 loss for the Meteors in an international friendly against Iran, in which the Middle East side won 4-2 in Tehran, by paying $1000 to six players generated by some gamblers in Iran.
Tuaha Khamix allegedly chose to report the matter to his head coach, who then told the delegation’s leader, Randy Abbey.
According to Obed Ansah, Randy Abbey called a meeting, and players who took money were asked to raise their hand. Ansah said to his surprise a lot of players raised their hand.
“Black Stars got a friendly international match but the U23…in Iran that time Claude Le Roy was managing Black Stars. Randy Abbey was our chairman and I heard that we should come for a meeting when I got to the meeting I was sitting in front. Then we were told that all those who went to Damba and he gave them money should raise their hand. I was in front and to my surprise Saban was up and counting (the hands) 1,2,3 and it was still going on,” he said Dan Kwaku Yeboah TV on Youtube.
“Later on Emmanuel Alan Skido who played for Liberty told me that Damba was calling me and I told him to tell him (Damba) that I am bathing so when I finish I will come. I did not know we were all in the meeting with Damba he was the keepers trainer. What I was told was that the money was with Damba and each player was to get 1000 but when they went he gave them 500,”
“What surprised me is that time there was a new phone on the market Erisson or Nokia phone it was expensive and we were all waiting to receive the per diem so that we buy the phone. All that I saw was all the players holding the phone the hotel we were in the phone was been sold in a shop at the ground floor reception. Seven players were holding the phone and I ask myself these people when coming they don’t have that kind of money where did they get this kind of money so later the matter got to management and I realise that bribe issue made it possible for them to buy the phone,”
