Nii Lamptey - International Career

International Career

Lamptey first began to attract global attention in 1991 he led Ghana to win the 1991 FIFA U-17 World Championship with the team known as the Black Starlets after playing in the 1989 version as a 15 year old. He won the FIFA Best Player of the tournament – the Golden Ball award in a competition that also included Argentina's Juan Sebastian Verón and Marcelo Gallardo and Italy's Alessandro del Piero, Lamptey's star shone more brilliantly than them all, as he dominated everyone in the competition. He was subsequently touted as the next Pelé; by Pelé himself. He scored four goals in that tournament.

The adidas Golden Ball could only go to one of the members of the victorious Ghanaian side, and so it was, with Lamptey taking home a very special souvenir from his Italian sojourn. Lamptey was the beating heart of a very good side. His fast feet, speed of thought, and clever interplay with captain Alex Opoku and fellow midfielders Mohammed Gargo and Emmanuel Duah were on display for all to see. His willingness to get into the box was critical too, and his four goals made him joint top-goalscorer.

In recognition of his exquisite football he displayed at the FIFA U-17 Tournament, he was named the 1991 fifth best African Footballer of the Year. Lamptey's brilliance led an enterprising and unpredictable Ghana's U-20 team, known as the "Black Satellites" to win the African U-20 Cup of Nations and then lost the final of the 1993 FIFA World Youth Championship held in Australia to Brazil, who came from a goal down to win the trophy at the death, 2–1. He also scored in the match against Portugal, which Ghana won 2–0. In the Summer of 1992, young superstar Nii Lamptey led Ghana to win a Bronze medal at the Barcelona 1992 Summer Olympics football tournament. Ghana, who had the youngest team by far in the competition (the average age of the squad was 18.8 years), were surprise bronze medallists, becoming the first African nation to earn a medal. They did so in a 1–0 victory over yet another surprise, Australia. Lamptey thus led Ghana to success at any Youth International Tournament in which he played.

At just 16 years, Nii Lamptey scored on his senior debut International for Ghana in a 1992 African Cup of Nations Qualifying home match against Togo in the 43rd minute. Ghana won the match 2–0.He became a regular International and his superb performances earned him a starting spot in the "Black Stars", forming a potent attacking force together with team captain Abedi Pele and Super striker Tony Yeboah. Ghana lost the final of the 1992 African Cup of Nations to Côte d'Ivoire on a marathon penalty shoot-out in Senegal, a game the mercurial Lamptey started at just 17 years. He continued to blossom at senior International level at such a young age, playing any and every Ghana International game since then.

His international career with Ghana dried up after he was sent off in the 1996 African Cup of Nations semi-final game against South Africa on 31 January 1996. The Black Stars finished fourth, after losing to Zambia in the 3rd Place play-off game without the suspended Lamptey. Lamptey did not play for Ghana again after they lost 8–2 to Brazil in São José do Rio Preto, 27 March 1996 in a Pre-1996 Summer Olympics friendly match. Many observers believe that the numerous back and forth travels to Africa for International matches, stalled his young career at Club level. His career later went into a slump.