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Mohammed Gargo

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Mohammed Gargo
Personal information
Date of birth (1975-06-19) 19 June 1975 (age 49)
Place of birth Accra, Ghana
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1991 Real Tamale United
1991–1996 Torino 0 (0)
1993–1994 → Borussia Dortmund II (loan) 0 (0)
1994–1995 → Bayern Munich II (loan) 0 (0)
1995 → Stoke City (loan) 0 (0)
1995–1996 → Udinese (loan) 0 (0)
1996–2004 Udinese 88 (2)
2003 → Venezia (loan) 18 (0)
2004–2005 Genoa 44 (0)
2005–2007 Al-Wakrah
2007–2008 Ashanti Gold
International career
1992–2001 Ghana 20 (4)
Managerial career
2009–2010 New Edubiase United
2010–2012 Real Tamale United
2015 BA United
2016 Okwawu United
2018–2019 Tura Magic
2019–2020 African Stars
2020– Steadfast
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
Medal record
Men's association football
Representing  Ghana
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 1992 Barcelona Team competition

Mohammed Gargo (born 19 June 1975) is a Ghanaian former professional footballer who played as a defender.

Playing career

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Club

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Torino

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Gargo's performances at the 1991 FIFA U-17 World Championship brought him to the notice of European clubs' scouts. He had initially agreed to join Bayer 04 Leverkusen alongside fellow Ghana national under-17 football team member Sebastian Barnes.[1] However Leverkusen withdrew from the Gargo transfer when it became evident that they could not compete financially with a much larger offer from Torino.[2]

In October 1991 a payment of 100,000,000 Italian lira to Gargo's parents secured his move to Turin, where he was joined by his national under-17 team colleagues Samuel Kuffour and Emmanuel Duah.[3] Torino's president Gian Mauro Borsano planned fake employment for the three players as "messengers" in his construction company until they were 18 years old and eligible to be registered as professional footballers.[4]

The plan was controversial and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) refused to register the Ghanaian players as either amateurs or professionals. FIGC president Antonio Matarrese compared the situation to the trafficking of children.[5][6] Although Gargo and his father emphasised that they were happy with the arrangements in Turin, the football authorities retained their opposition.[3] An appeal by Torino and Gargo to Confederation of African Football (CAF) was thrown out in October 1992, by which time Kuffour and Duah had already left the club.[7] CAF president Issa Hayatou was particularly hostile to Dominico Ricci, whose African Football Management agency had brokered the transfers.[8]

During the 1993–94 season, Gargo spent time at Borussia Dortmund, where his cousin Ibrahim Tanko already played. He was restricted to the club's Amateure team in the Oberliga Westfalen, and when Dortmund tried to buy him outright Torino declined the transfer fee on offer.[9] In November 1994 Giovanni Trapattoni took Gargo to Bayern Munich.[10] He suffered the same fate he had at Dortmund and was unable to conclude a transfer.[9]

In May 1994 Gargo had appeared for Torino in a non-competitive game against rivals Juventus. The "Memorial Giorgio Calleri" fixture was staged in Novara and was marred by poor attendance and hooliganism. Gargo was subjected to racist chanting, while Torino supporters mocked the recent death of Andrea Fortunato.[11] Gargo scored in a 2–2 draw before Torino lost the penalty shootout.[12][13] Despite his three years of inactivity, Gargo maintained ambitions of playing competitively for Torino.[14] However he was not favoured by the club's incoming president Gianmarco Calleri.[10]

Stoke City

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Gargo joined Stoke City as a pre-season trialist ahead of their 1995–96 campaign. After fielding him in a friendly match with Stockport County, Stoke's manager Lou Macari was impressed with Gargo's potential. However, Macari was less impressed with Gargo's poor attendance record and sudden unexplained departure, which took place shortly afterwards.[15]

Udinese

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Increasingly unhappy at his lack of competitive football, Gargo then joined Italian team Udinese in October 1995.[9] After a further year of inactivity, Gargo was allowed to register with Udinese before their 1996–97 season.[16] He transferred to Udinese on a free transfer, on the expiry of his five-year contract with Torino. Real Tamale United remained entitled to a sell-on fee and Gargo gave his former club a promissory note for $20,000 so they did not dispute his transfer to Udinese.[17]

In Alberto Zaccheroni's progressive 3–4–3 formation, Gargo was usually deployed in defence, but was also capable of playing in midfield.[18] The team performed above expectations although Gargo sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury in a 4–0 defeat at Sampdoria on 18 May 1997.[16]

With Udinese Gargo came to be recognised as a competent Serie A central defender, although troubled by frequent injuries.[19] With his contract due to expire in 2001, he was linked with transfers to Inter Milan,[20] and even an improbable return to Torino.[21]

In January 2003 he was loaned to Venezia and in January 2004 sold to Serie B side Genoa along with Vittorio Micolucci, in exchange for Rodrigue Boisfer and Valon Behrami, all in a co-ownership deal, which few years later accused for inflated price in order to create paper profit.[22] Udinese and Genoa were already fined in June 2008 by FIGC[23] and criminal charge were continued.

International

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Gargo was a member of the men's national team that won the bronze medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain,[24] and gold in the 1991 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Italy.

In 2013 Gargo claimed that he had refused an approach to play for Ghana at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the first time the nation had qualified, after being asked to pay a bribe.[25]

Coaching career

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Gargo started after his retirement the job as coach in February 2010 by New Edubiase United.[26] He trained the club of the Poly Tank Division One League until summer 2010. On 6 August 2010, he was named as the new manager of Poly Tank Division One League rival Real Tamale United.[27] He coached the club RTU until November 2012 and resigned after the relegation from the Ghana Premier League his contract.[28]

Gargo was appointed manager of Ghana Premier League club BA United in March 2015, but was sacked after one match when he accused his players of betting against themselves.[29] The following year a short spell in charge of Okwawu United ended when he fell out with his players again, this time accusing them of "sexually promiscuous acts" in the club house.[30] In September 2018 Namibian Premier League club Tura Magic F.C. signed a contract with Gargo as their head coach.[31]

Personal life

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Gargo was born in the Burma Camp in Accra, where his father was a Physical training instructor in the Ghana Army.[32] The family hailed from Bawku, part of the Busanga tribe of Mandé ethnicity.[32]

Honours

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Udinese

References

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  1. ^ Boddenberg, Johannes (23 September 1991). "Dynamische Angsthasen" (in German). Die Tageszeitung. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  2. ^ ""Gnadenlos ausgenommen"" (in German). Der Spiegel. 29 December 1991. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  3. ^ a b Crosetti, Maurizio (31 October 1991). "Lasciateci sognare" (in Italian). la Repubblica. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  4. ^ Piva, Andrea (25 November 2018). ""Che fine hanno fatto?" Duah, Gargo e Kuffour: i tre "fattorini" ghanesi presi da Moggi" (in Italian). Toro.it. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  5. ^ "L' affare Ghana, Toro sotto inchiesta" (in Italian). la Repubblica. 30 October 1991. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  6. ^ Schoorl, John; Wagendorp, Bert (18 January 2001). "Piepjong voetbaltalent te koop via internet" (in Dutch). de Volkskrant. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  7. ^ "Il Torino non puo' tesserare Gargo" (in Italian). la Repubblica. 16 October 1992. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  8. ^ Oliver, Brian (13 February 2000). "'Slaves' on a fortune". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  9. ^ a b c "Gargo, 5 anni e la voglia di rivincita" (PDF) (in Italian). l'Unità. 24 August 1996. p. 22. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  10. ^ a b "Calcio News" (in Italian). la Repubblica. 14 November 1994. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  11. ^ "Il Calcio vile va in Provincia" (in Italian). la Repubblica. 30 May 1994. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  12. ^ "Memorial Giorgio Calleri 1994, 28/05/1994 Juventus-Torino 2-2" (in Italian). Juworld.net. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  13. ^ "Juve - Torino, Che Vergogna" (in Italian). la Repubblica. 29 May 1994. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  14. ^ Benigno, Aurelio (30 May 1994). "Gargo: sarò il Rijkaard granata" (PDF) (in Italian). La Stampa. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  15. ^ Smith, Peter (13 April 2013). "What Paul Lambert should have said to AWOL disgrace Jese". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  16. ^ a b "Alberto Zaccheroni" (in Italian). Udinese Calcio. 1 May 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  17. ^ "Gargo moved to Udinese on free transfer - Jones". Ghana Review International. 13 October 1999. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  18. ^ Barcellona, Fabio (1 April 2020). "Come giocava l'Udinese di Zaccheroni" (in Italian). l'Ultimo Uomo. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  19. ^ "Accadde oggi | Mohammed Gargo" (in Italian). Udinese Calcio. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  20. ^ "Italy's African market place". BBC Sport. 5 July 2001. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  21. ^ Casella, Daniele (28 August 2001). "Il ritorno del Toro sulle tracce di Gargo" (in Italian). TUTTOmercatoWEB. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  22. ^ "Udine, indagati Pozzo e Pierpaolo Marino". Tutto Mercato Web (in Italian). 31 July 2008. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  23. ^ "COMUNICATO UFFICIALE N. 66/CDN (2007–08)" (PDF). FIGC (in Italian). 18 June 2008. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  24. ^ "Mohamed Gargo Biography and Statistics". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
  25. ^ "I refused to pay bribe for 2006 World Cup place - Gargo". My Joy Online. 21 April 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  26. ^ "Mohammed Gargo Named Edubiase Coach". Archived from the original on 16 March 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  27. ^ Glo Ghana Premier League Welcomes Real Tamale United Back
  28. ^ Mohammed Gargo refuses to give up on Real Tamale United
  29. ^ "Record breaking: B.A United fire Gargo as coach after just one match". Modern Ghana. 10 March 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  30. ^ "Okwawu United suspend coach Mohammed Gargo indefinitely". Modern Ghana. 17 June 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  31. ^ Mohammed Gargo appointed as Tura Magic head coach, Namibia Press Agency, 11 September 2018.
  32. ^ a b Ofosu Larbi, Yaw (9 March 2021). "Mohammed Gargo: An incredible career of intoxicating highpoints and tough lows". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  33. ^ "Udinese 4 - 2 Sigma (Aggregate: 6 - 4)". UEFA. 22 August 2000. Archived from the original on 23 June 2004. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
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