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Footballers from Ghana stranded in Poland after promised opportunities fail to materialize

27.09.2024 12:00
Fifteen young footballers from Ghana have been left stranded in the southern Polish village of Jurgów after allegedly being scammed into traveling to Europe for football placements that did not exist, Polish news outlet Onet reported.
Photo:
Photo:KOSG

The men each paid between EUR 5,000 and 6,000, enticed by promises of joining Polish football clubs to advance their careers. Upon arrival in Jurgów—located near Poland's border with Slovakia—they discovered that the anticipated opportunities were nonexistent.

Locals who first met the group in mid-summer described them as friendly and said they explained they had come for group training sessions. Two months later, many of the players remain in the village and have received orders from border authorities to leave the country.

The agent who arranged their trip, Krzysztof Wojtanek, told Onet that eight of the ten men who were issued expulsion orders have already returned to Ghana, leaving two still in Jurgów without legal status. Described by Onet as a self-taught agent, Wojtanek claimed his agency covered the costs of the players' accommodation and return flights, totaling over PLN 100,000 (EUR 23,400). He assured that he is committed to helping all the men return home.

He also alleged that he was misled by the head of a football academy in Ghana, who purportedly failed to manage the necessary visa procedures, resulting in the players facing deportation from Poland.

(jh)

Source: Przegląd Sportowy/Onet