My passion for cars has turned into business and let’s say that is my life after football - Muntari

Sulley Muntari reckons he is playing some of the best football of his life because he has become calmer now.


The AC Milan midfielder has always been known as something of a hot-head but he has evolved into a key man for Ghana and club side over recent years.

He turned in an outstanding performance for Ghana in the 2014 world cup qualifying play-off against Egypt on his return to the team after his omission on disciplinary grounds.

Muntari had openly questioned his substitution by Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah on an away trip in Swaziland and was forced into a public apology by the Ghana Football Association. But Appiah still ignored him for the Zambia game before a series of fine performances for AC Milan forced him into a re-call.

That performance in Kumasi against the Pharoahs was Muntari at his best. Everything he touched turned gold, his passing was on point, he played them short, he played them long and left the field with the most potent reminder that he will be around for a while.

We have seen that over and over again. There was a point when we thought he will never play for Ghana again after the mystery surrounding his absence from the 2004 Olympics. He then fell out with Milovan Rajevac at the 2010 world cup over a lack of playing time before missing the Nations Cup in South Africa through injury.

Muntar feels he is misunderstood way too often and has offered a passionate defence of his affection for Ghana in an interview with the BBC. “Certain things make you strong, makes you work harder. Everything that I do I do it 100 per cent and with a clean heart. You just have to get up and work hard and definitely the truth will come out.”

“I never quit”, he says in response to the widely held view that he has walked in and out a few times. “I have always been with the national team. It is my nation, it is my blood. It is everything to me when I wear the national colours. When I wear it I am always excited. It is amazing wearing that shirt and playing in front of the fans.”

But it is not just the national shirt that is a source of pride to Muntari now. The former Udinese, Portsmouth, Inter Milan and Sunderland midfielder is generally pleased about his form and says a key reason for that is just how much he feels at home at AC Milan.

“I’m getting much experience now, I’m beginning to calm myself down and be able to do the right thing on the pitch so I’m loving my form now and also I’m at the right place with a great family who are always giving me the opportunity to play and making me feel so cool.”

But the joy he feels at representing Milan is nothing compared to the satisfaction he gains representing the land of his birth.

It is that pride in the shirt, Muntari says that drove the Black Stars on to beat Egypt 6-1 in Kumasi and set themselves up nicely for a potential place at the 2014 world cup. Muntari speaks of a dressing room that was bursting with pride after the win but he knows the job is only half done.

“The dressing room was full of excitement and everyone was happy but there is one more match to play which I know it will be very difficult but we will try our best and not even go for a draw but a win because we are now full of motivation and we want to be at the World Cup. It is not one of the best, it is one of the best competitions in the world and we want to be there”, he says.

Muntari knows what it feels like to be there. He was part of the team that played at Ghana’s first world in Germany and formed part of a midfield trio with Stephen Appiah and Michael Essien that swept Czech Republic apart. His left footed shot past Peter Czech for Ghana’s second goal for that 2-0 win over the Europeans in Cologne still remains one of the most cherished images in Ghana football. And in 2010, he came into the quarter final game against Uruguay and riffled the Black Stars into the lead with a long range effort from distance.

When he is not biting into tackles at Milan or reveling in the joy of wearing the Ghana shirt, Muntari spends time in his garage in Milan as he tries to turn his passion for cars into business. It is all part of Muntari’s grand plan to set himself up well for life after football.

“My passion for cars has turned into business and let’s say that is my life after football and I really want to do this”

Most of the times after training I drive home to sleep but recently I have been going to my garage four times a week just to get into it and know it better because this is what I want to do aside football,

“I want to get dirty and work on cars and all that because I have realized it is not all about football, I have to get a second life after football.”

“My garage is been amazing and it is going great, I want to open more companies in different parts of the world so I want to create something that will make people feel good because I’m not the only one who loves cars and with my passion and love towards this business I think I will make it.”

If there is something his football career has shown us, it is that he will go at it with a whole hearted approach.