Football family bids Alhaji Hearts farewell

The football fraternity was last Wednesday given another shock with the passing away of Alhaji Suleiman Braimah, popularly called Alhaji Hearts, after a protracted illness.

As required of the Islamic tradition, the popular Hearts of Oak figure, who rose from a ball boy to become a management and board member of the Phobia club, was laid to rest yesterday with hundreds of members of the football family in attendance to bid their final farewell.

Led by Emergency Committee members of the Ghana Football Assciation (GFA), many tributes poured in for the affable man who was famed for brokering peace in conflict situations.

Several Hearts fans and former management members took to Twitter to express their sadness over the death of their colleague, just as their club, Hearts also tweeted.

''Every soul shall taste death but we are extremely sullen to learn of the passing of Alhaji Hearts - from ball boy to Board member of this great club. We extend our condolences to his family.

Alhaji Hearts would be best remembered for his role role in the club's 2000 CAF Champions League and 2004 CAF Confederation Cup triumph, as part of the Harry Zakkour-led administration, which also included Nii Ayi Bonte II, the Gbese Mantse.

Alhaji Hearts also played various roles in both club and national teams, the junior male teams as well as the Black Stars as management committee member, until the last few years when he forced to take a low profile due to ill health.

He spent more time in the USA to receive medical attention and returned home about a year ago, and continued with his treatment at the Cardiothoracic Unit at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, where he passed away last Wednesday.