There is this view held by a section of the Ghanaian society that football is for the illiterate, the uneducated, school dropouts or simply put, people who do not want to have anything to do with formal education.

There are people who however contest that opinion strongly and even calls it a dreadful misconception.

One of those people is Samuel Apraku Frimpong, one of Asante Kotoko’s new signings and also a final year, Geography and Rural Development student at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi.

When I engaged the young, calm-looking, Apraku Frimpong earlier this week in conversation on his career as a footballer and life as a University student, he left no doubt in mind that he knows what he is about.

He simply wouldl not accept any thought that suggests he is doing a disservice to himself by combining football and studies at the University.

“Education and football are bedfellows” said 23-year-old Apraku Frempong who was born at Akyem-Hemang in the Eastern Region of Ghana.

“In fact, they go together. Football involves a lot of learning. Therefore it cannot be for the uneducated. I concede that the people who have never been to school played or still play football. In the same vein, we have well educated people playing football. There are other highly educated people also willing to play football” added the Kotoko player who sees Fernando Torres as a role model.

Samuel Apraku Frimpong, is the third of six children born to Mr. Samuel Boakye Frimpong and Rose Konadu Frimpong on July 2, 1987.

He started his basic education at Foundation Preparatory School and Salvation Army Junior High School all at Begoro before proceeding to Abuakwa State College, (ABUSCO) at Kyebi, where he studied General Arts – Geography, Economics and History.

While at ABUSCO, the young striker played football actively and studied effectively.

However, when he gained admission at the KNUST after his Senior High School education, he quit football for one year.

“I decided not to join the school team. I had no one to advise me on University life. There was no one to guide me. So I stayed away from football and concentrated on my studies. The urge to play the game was there but I did not join the school team” he explained.

Behind his decision not to play football as a first year University student also laid the fact that any time lost in the lecture room could adversely affect him during examination.

That fear was after all groundless because in his second year, when he has had some guidance and eventually learning and mastering how to manage his lecture, studies, training and playing times well, he joined the KNUST football team and played actively.

Interestingly, that was the same year he performed brilliantly in the classroom and that trend has continued up to this time.

“It was amazing. I recorded the highest average that year and I have never looked back. It is all about how you manage your studies and playing times as a footballer and also as a student. There are at times that things will be difficult. However if you can maintain a balance and keep things going, combining football and education will be nothing difficult,” he said.

Apraku Frempong has had stints with German second division side, Rotweisse before his admission at KNUST.

He also played for Ablaze FC another lower division team based in Akyem-Hemang, his home town.

“This was in my second year. I was not that regular in the team. I only featured when I was on vacation or when time permitted me to be part of them” the soft-spoken goal poacher who wants to continue studying and playing football after his four-year KNUST programme, told me.

Samuel Apraku is not married, he enjoys reading during his leisure time and the food he enjoys eating is rice and stew.

When it comes to music, he is a crazy fan of gospel and reggae songs. He is a firebrand Pentecostal and a Christian for that matter.

He is yet to feature in the Glo Premier League for Kotoko but he has been part of the U-20 team – the Young Porcupines, playing in two of the Reserve League matches and proving to be a brilliant assist when it comes to goal scoring.

Brief information

Name: Samuel Apraku Frempong

Date of Birth: July 2, 1987  

Age: 23 years old

Position: Striker

Former Clubs: Ablaze FC, Rotweisse FC (Germany)

Favourite Food: Rice & stew

Favourite Music: Gospel & Reggae

Role Model: Fernando Torres

Hobby: Reading

Hometown: Akyem-Hemang