Jones Attuquayefio Laid To Rest

The mortal remains of former national team player and coach of Accra Hearts of Oak Sir Cecil Jones Attuquayefio have been interred at the Awudome Cemetery.

A funeral service held at the Forecourt of the State House in Accra Friday morning was attended by leading politicians and football persons.

Friday morning’s ceremony was preceded by a gathering of the family at his residence in North Kaneshie Thursday. 

The ex-forward passed away on Tuesday, 12 May 2015 in Accra after a protracted illness, aged 70. 

Born on 15th October, 1944, Attuquayefio was a gifted defender who helped Accra Great Olympics to win the Ghana league in 1970 and was also part of the Black Stars team that won the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 1965 and also played in the 1968 and 1970 grand finales. 

As a coach, he is renowned for winning three league titles with Accra Hearts of Oak and also guided them to win the CAF Champions League in 2000 as well as the CAF Super Cup in that year before adding the maiden CAF Confederation Cup in 2004. 

He coached the Black Stars in 2001 and became the first coach to qualify Benin to the AFCON in 2004. 

He was an outstanding coach, player and administrator and will be remembered for his various accomplishments and the contributions he made to the game in Ghana. 

While serving as the vice-president of the Ghana Football Association and deputy general secretary in the 1980s and 1990s, he helped to set up the current strong foundations of our federation. 

He served Ghana’s national teams with distinction having coached the Black Starlets to the Fifa U-17 World Cup bronze medal in 1999 in New Zealand and was also the assistant coach the Black Meteors team that won Africa's first Olympic football medal in Barcelona 1992 with bronze. He also made great strides with the senior national team the Black Stars. 

GBC