The issue of marriages turning sour and degenerating to the point of divorce is not abnormal but it becomes a subject of public discourse when the persons involved are of national prominence.
Over the years, some Ghanaian footballers have been involved in divorce scandals that have captured public attention.
GhanaWeb highlights five divorce issues involving Ghanaian footballers which court public attention.
Asamoah Gyan
The legendary footballer was involved in a 5-year marriage annulment battle that ended on October 31, 2023.
Asamoah Gyan who went to court seeking annulment of his marriage with Gifty Gyan won the case and kept the majority of his properties and valuables.
The issue became public after it emerged that Asamoah Gyan had ordered a DNA test for his three children with Gifty.
After the test proved that Gyan was the father, some Ghanaians attacked Gyan but it emerged after the ruling that Asamoah Gyan did so because he was threatened by Gifty’s supposed husband of not being the father of his children, particularly the firstborn.
Arthur Moses
In 2014, the former Ghana international had turmoil in his marriage which saw him lose most of his properties to his ex-wife, Patience Arthur, in a messy divorce scandal.
After months of court proceedings, the Supreme Court of Ghana ruled in favor of his ex-wife, awarding her GHS 1 million (approximately USD 160,000) in alimony and some of Moses’ properties, including his houses, cars, and businesses.
Odartey Lamptey
Perhaps, the biggest of them all. Ghanaian football great, Odartey Lamptey and his now ex-wife, Gloria Appiah.
Gloria Lamptey and football star Nii Odartey Lamptey got married under Ghana’s Marriage Ordinance on May 28, 1994. In September 2013, Gloria petitioned the High Court asking that it annul the marriage.
On June 14, 2017, the High Court found that the marriage had indeed broken down beyond repairs. It declared that the three children of the marriage were not children of Mr Lamptey. The court awarded Gloria Appiah ¢200,000 as a financial settlement, a house at Dome and two vehicles.
Gloria Appiah was unhappy with the ruling and demanded more from the court including Odartey’s Glow Lamp school and East Legon mansion. After years of protracted legal battle, the court ruled against Gifty Appiah and indicated Odartey Lamptey should keep his properties.
John Mensah
John Mensah’s marriage battle came to public attention in 2013 after his then-wife filed for divorce at the Accra High Court.
It has been reported that the former Black Stars center-back lost a number of properties during the divorce battle and was made to pay a huge amount in alimony to his ex-wife.
In February 2023, his ex-wife Henrietta opened up to Kasapa FM about some of the unfortunate things she had to endure in the 14-year marriage.
John Paintsil
In March 2014, the wife of ex-Ghana right back John Paintsil filed for divorce at the Accra High Court.
A Graphic Sport report quoted a source close to Richlove Paintsil which detailed that after enduring so much emotional stress and trauma, as well as neglect, Mrs Paintsil felt it was time to move on.
“She has had to put up with a lot from John Paintsil. He travelled to South Africa for a new deal without informing her,” the source narrated to the Graphic Sports.
“Having secured a deal in South Africa, he tried to put up their Trasacco Valley home for sale on the internet without her knowledge and she was just fortunate that there was no buyer, otherwise she and the children would have been homeless.
In 2018, John Paintsil blamed the collapse of his marriage on friend, warning young footballers to be wary of the people they allow into their lives as friends.
