On 2 November 1971, Robert Mensah, goalkeeper for the Black Stars and Asante Kotoko, died aged 33, three days after being stabbed. Fifty-five years on, Ghana still commemorates his memory every 2 November.
Fifty-five years after his death, Robert Mensah’s name still resonates in Ghana. The iconic goalkeeper of the Black Stars and Asante Kotoko died on 2 November 1971, aged 33, after being stabbed with a broken bottle. The attack dated back to 30 October 1971, at the Credo Bar in Tema, recalls GhanaWeb in its ‘Today in History’ section.
According to the same source, the keeper was taken to Tema General Hospital, where he was declared dead on 2 November. The outlet also reports that he died at the 37 Military Hospital. Nicknamed ‘Yashin’ after the Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin, he had one plan: to travel to Europe three days after the incident to pursue career opportunities.
A cap and a newspaper
Robert Mensah was no ordinary goalkeeper. He wore a distinctive cap and was full of antics between the posts, going so far as to read a newspaper during a match, according to GhanaWeb. Those antics fed his legend.
His career took him from Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs, where he made his name, to Sekondi Independence Club, then Tema Textiles Printing and Asante Kotoko. He also guarded the goal for the Black Stars, Ghana’s national team.
An AFCON final and an African Cup of Champions Clubs
His honours include the 1968 AFCON final, played in Ethiopia with Ghana. His greatest club title remains the 1970 African Cup of Champions Clubs, won with Asante Kotoko against TP Mazembe. His performance in Lubumbashi in that final has gone down in legend, according to the source.
Yet the goalkeeper had other horizons: he was due to travel to Europe three days after the Credo Bar incident to pursue career opportunities. The tragedy cut that plan short.
A date every 2 November
Since then, commemoration has become an annual event in Ghana: every 2 November, Robert Mensah’s memory is honoured. Fifty-five years after his passing, GhanaWeb recalls both the circumstances of the tragedy and the goalkeeper’s sporting legacy.
This year, the date falls on 2 November 2026, fifty-five years to the day after his death.