Don Bortey: I have my destiny in my own hands

    By Naabenyin Joojo Amissah Former Ghana international and Accra Hearts of Oak’s spearhead, Bernard Don Bortey, has revealed that he has his own destiny in his hands, as far as his football career is concerned. According to the former goal king in the local premiership, he still has what it takes to play […]

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By Naabenyin Joojo Amissah

Former Ghana international and Accra Hearts of Oak’s spearhead, Bernard Don Bortey, has revealed that he has his own destiny in his hands, as far as his football career is concerned.

According to the former goal king in the local premiership, he still has what it takes to play football in the local league and anywhere in the world, despite his age.

It would be recalled that the one-time deadly striker, who was named the ‘Serial Killer’, recently joined his idol club as a free player after a very long break of the romance between him and the Phobians.

His beautiful penalty kick against Aduana Stars in the just-ended GHALCA G6 competition final match at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium is well remembered by football fans. However, the current assistant coach of Accra Hearts of Oak, Henry Wellington, had asked Bortey, who decided to join the Phobians to showcase his prowess as still a deadly striker at age 34, to look elsewhere.

In an interview with Bernard Van Acquah, host of Ahomka FM’s sports in Elmina, Don Bortey said, in terms of football, nobody can tell him to quit, because he knows what he can still do. He denied rumours that he made an outrageous demand before signing for the club, hence the decision of the coach to axe him out of his plans.

He disclosed that he had never discussed anything about money with the Phobians since he joined them, even though he had been training with the team, and had also played some matches.

He said he had gained a lot of experience and exposure over the years, and, therefore, his acquired experience would always be his trump card wherever he goes. According to Don Bortey, his doors are open to any club that would require his services, whether it is a first division club or a premiership side.

When asked whether he would heed the calls on him by former mates, including Charles Taylor, to quit playing football, he said, his destiny about playing football was in his own hands, and that nobody could force him to leave the game.

He stressed that he does a lot of personal training every day, and that he was just fit to play football in any part of the world.  He, however, mentioned that when the time comes, and he could not play any longer, he would retire.

Bernard Don Bortey was an integral part of the 1999 Black Starlet squad that lost the finals of the FIFA under 17 World Cup finals in New Zealand to Brazil.

He was so influential in the team that many pundits predicted a good foreign contract for him, but just the opposite had been his plight. This, notwithstanding, Bernard Don Bortey has chalked a lot of successes in his career in the local front.

He has won six local league titles with Accra Hearts of Oak since he joined them from Tema GHAPOHA. He was part of the Hearts squad that won the 2004 Confederation Cup at the then Kumasi Sports Stadium from their rivals, Kumasi Asante Kotoko.

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