Ex-Ghana international Odartey Lamptey has opened up on how the absence of Abedi Pele in the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations final, affected the Black Stars against Ivory Coast.
Pele, who had played an instrumental role in the team's campaign at the AFCON held in Senegal, received a red card in their semi-final game against Nigeria.
His teammate, Odartey Lamptey in an interview with Sienu TV expressed that the Black Stars would have clinched 1992 Africa Cup of Nations if the team's skipper had featured in the final game against Cote D'Ivoire.
Lamptey recounted how he tried to plead with the referee not to send Pele off with a second yellow card, but to no avail.
"I ran to the referee and pleaded with him not to give Abedi Pele a red card. I did that, but I think the word that he used maybe the referee was a bit frustrated and showed him a second yellow card," he told Sienu TV
Lamptey was confident that Pele's presence on the field would have made a great impact in the final, which Ghana ultimately lost 11-10 in a marathon penalty shootout to the Elephants of La Cote D'Ivoire.
Abedi Pele ended the tournament as the best player when he notched up three goals for Ghana.
"I knew the final was going to be a war for us because (Pele) was a player who had achieved everything, and when he's on the pitch, it's like having three or four players who follow him and take advantage. I think his absence in the final cost us; we should have won that trophy," he added.
The 1992 final is one of three finals that Ghana have lost since the West African nation won their last Africa Cup of Nations title in 1982.
The Black Stars of Ghana will be hoping to end their 41-year trophy drought at the 34th edition of the continental competition slated for January to February 2024 in Ivory Coast.
