Stephen Appiah, the former captain of the Black Stars, has revealed the origins of his nicknames “Computer” and “Baby Jesus” during his playing days with Accra Hearts of Oak.
Born in Accra’s Chorkor neighborhood, Appiah began his football career at Hearts of Oak at the age of 15 in 1995. In 1996, he had trials with Galatasaray’s youth squad but ultimately returned to Hearts of Oak, where he played until 1997, featuring in 21 games and scoring 19 goals.
Appiah explained that despite his short stint with the Phobians, he earned these nicknames due to his skillful and precise play as a young player, particularly his ability to break through defenses with his accurately measured passes.
In an interview with Muftawa Nabila on JoySports, the former Juventus and Fenerbahce star shared, “I was very young and I was playing with all these top and experienced players. My performance in games was unbelievable so people were calling me Computer because they said everywhere I stand, I can gage and give a pass”, he said.
“It is called a tailored-measured pass and they changed my name to Baby Jesus because I scored all the top goalkeepers in the league including Salifu Ansah, Osei Kojo, and Edward Ansah. I was young and getting that football sense to position myself and the balls was beyond imagination”, he added.
Appiah’s rise to prominence began at the age of 14 when he played a crucial role in Ghana’s victory in the FIFA U-17 World Championship tournament in 1995, defeating the South American giants Brazil in the final.
He achieved considerable success in European football, primarily in the Italian Serie A, where he represented Udinese, Parma, Brescia, Juventus, Cesena, and Bologna. Additionally, he spent three years with Turkish giants Fenerbahce from 2005 to 2008.
Appiah, now 42 years old, represented Ghana’s U17 and U20 teams before making his debut for the Black Stars in 1995. He retired in 2010 after the World Cup in South Africa, having earned 67 caps for the Black Stars and scoring 14 goals.
