This is Kojo Appiah, a 21-year-old from Konkoli in the Ashanti region. He sits on the sidewalk of a busy Kumasi road at sunrise with a box, taking alms as he tries to make ends meet.
Born in a household of four, Appiah is the only one with a disability. He lost his father at an early age, and dropped out of school at primary level as money became harder to come by.
“Things were not going well. My dad’s family didn’t take care of me. If they did, I wouldn’t have ended this way. My world came crashing down when I lost my dad,” Kojo Appiah told 3Sports.
Away from the streets, the young adult gathers about 40 children on a dusty pitch on most afternoons at Konkoli, dishing out instructions to the attentive group from his wheelchair.
Known to many in the community as Monday, Kojo Appiah formed Monday stars in 2019, helping children between the ages of 10-17 to chase their dreams. The 21-year-old took inspiration from watching Asante Kotoko at the Baba Yara stadium on several occasions.
Appiah has held a life-long admiration for Asamoah Gyan, often recounting his heroics during the 2010s fondly. But without his legs, Appiah knew his dream of playing football ended before it even began. Hence, Monday, still with the burning passion for the sport, is focused on training the next generation.
“I wasn’t happy when he started his team because the parents of those kids were complaining. I told him to stop but he said no so eventually I allowed him to continue because I felt maybe this was how God will help him. I will keep praying for him and hope that God will place him in a good situation,” a teary Madam Peace, mother of Kojo Appiah stated.
As days went by, Appiah realized that managing his team was far from easy. Without a job and with the team in need of equipment to survive, he has over the years been begging on the streets of Kumasi.
Despite his daily struggles, Appiah remains determined. He never misses a session and has fostered a family-like environment with the children. To the football hopefuls in the community, Monday is like a father and the perfect mentor.
“Monday doesn’t shout at us in training. He makes us feel comfortable so it makes learning under him easy,” one of the children in the team said.
“He teaches us respect and communication in football. He tells us that you are not respectful in football, you won’t go far,” another child in Monday stars said.
Parents and other people in Konkoli were skeptical about Appiah after his team was formed. But presently, they look at him with admiration and try to help in their own ways.
“The team struggles to pay for transport when they return from matches so I sometimes send Kojo Appiah money and when they return, I give them food to eat,” a woman living in the community said.
In a world that often overlooks people like him, Kojo Appiah is writing his own story — one of resilience, hope, and impact. From a dusty pitch in Konkoli, he is proving that you don’t need perfect circumstances to inspire greatness. All you need is heart. And Monday has more than enough of it.
