Former Ghanaian international footballer, Nii Odartey Lamptey says he regrets not listening to his mother when she advised him against his marriage to ex-wife Gloria Lamptey.
Odartey Lamptey recently brought a finality to a protracted and bitter divorce from Gloria Appiah, his wife of 23 years.
DNA tests proved that the former Anderlecht, PSV Eindhoven and Aston Villa star was not the biological father of their three children, following which Gloria resorted to court action seeking an equal share of Lamptey’s properties, including the Glow Lamp Football Academy, acquired while they were married.
Justice Cecilia Don-Chebe Agbevey denied Gloria’s request and even gave her a 30-day ultimatum to vacate the seven-bedroom house at East Legon in which she lives. She was compensated with a four-bedroom house at Dome, as well as a car.
Lamptey in an interview revealed that he now regrets going against the advice from his family when he decided to marry her. “I feel advice nowadays is very difficult, sometimes you will advise someone about marriage and he will find it difficult to accept,” Lamptey said.
“But, sometimes when he faces a setback that’s when there is regret. In my case, they did not say, my mother did not advise that I should not marry her but they were against it but well I have now seen what I went in for”.
Lamptey also added that he has learnt valuable lessons from circumstances surrounding the divorce, advising everyone facing a similar situation not to commit suicide.
“This ordeal has taught me bravery and I want to encourage anyone facing a similar difficulty not to commit suicide”.
Lamptey has two biological children with his girlfriend, former Ghana’s Most Beautiful finalist and actress Ruweida Yakubu.