Robert Mensah

Robert Mensah (12 June 1939 – 2 November 1971) was a Ghanaian footballer who played as a goalkeeper. As a player, he was best known for his exploits at Asante Kotoko where he won the African Clubs Cup in 1970. He was also a runner-up with the Ghana squad for the 1968 African Cup of Nations and represented Ghana at the 1968 Summer Olympics.

Career Mensah played in the 1967 Africa Clubs Cup final which resulted in a 3–3 draw and a replay was scheduled, however the Ghana Football Association never informed Asante Kotoko. As a result, Asante Kotoko did not participate in the replay and the trophy was awarded to Zaire's TP Engelbert in their absence.

Mensah was largely controversial in Ghanaian football and would mock opposition players by reading a newspaper whilst goal-tending. He often wore a cap during football games causing some opposing players to physically remove it from his head believing it was bringing them bad luck through the use of juju. This cap also earned him the nickname "Yashin", in homage to the Russian keeper named Lev Yashin, who also sported a cap during games.

In 1970, he was voted as the 9th best African football player by French football publication France-Football. A year later he was runner-up in the African football player of the year award.

During a qualifying game against the Liberia national team in April 1970, the player had missiles thrown at him by the home crowd.

In June the same year, his club side Tema Textiles Printing sacked him for not showing up for training. The player was training with the international team as they were playing against the Ivory Coast in a friendly. The player was stabbed with a broken bottle after an altercation in an akpeteshie bar Credo, Tema (Community 7), and died days later in Tema General Hospital at 02:30am on 2 November 1971. Three men were arrested by the Ghanaian police authorities following the death. Isaac Melfah, a 31-year-old Electrician, was reported to have been the perpetrator.

International teammate Ibrahim Sunday said that Mensah's lack of discipline was a reason for his death: "Robert was a great goalkeeper but at the same time he was a troublesome player who was not very disciplined but played very well in goal. It was his lack of discipline that caused his death..."