Harry Maguire has been mocked by a Ghanaian MP who unfavourably compared the nation’s vice president to the England and Manchester United star.
During a debate in Ghana’s parliament, Issac Adongo branded Dr Mahamudu Bawumia an “economic Maguire”, likening his performance to the defender’s decline since he moved to Old Trafford.
MPs roared with laughter at the unexpected footballing analogy as Mr Adongo accused Dr Bawumia of scoring repeated economic “own goals”.
Mr Adongo told the parliament that before moving to Manchester United, Maguire “was tackling everybody and throwing his body everywhere… he was seen as the best defender in the world.”
But after his £80m transfer to Old Trafford, Maguire “became the biggest threat at the centre of the Manchester United defence”.
“[He was] tackling Manchester players and giving assists to opponents. Mr Speaker, when you see the opponents go to score, Maguire will score for them,” Mr Adongo said.
“Mr Speaker,” he continued, “you remember in this country we also have an economic Maguire. This economic Maguire, we’re clapping saying this man is the best in managing foreign terms.
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“The same economic Maguire was at Central University delivering lectures on how to restore the value of the Cedi (Ghana’s currency). Mr Speaker why we gave this Maguire the opportunity to be at the centre of our defence, he became the rest of our own goals.”
Running through a series of dire economic figures, Mr Adongo said Ghana’s “biggest issue” is that “we pay the appearance fee for this Maguire”.
The football analogies continued in the parliament when another member warned against voting the former president back into power by comparing it to Chelsea’s decision to bring back Romelu Lukaku.
Alex Tetteh Djornobuah MP told members it would be better to “maintain Maguire” rather than bring back a player they now know to be “the worst striker in the whole world”.
Ghana face off against Uruguay in their last World Cup group game on Friday in a re-run of the controversial quarter-final match in 2010, when Luis Suarez punched a certain goal off the line.
The former Liverpool ace has refused to apologise for the incident ahead of the game, saying: “I don’t apologise about that. I take the handball – but the Ghana player missed a penalty, not me. It’s not my fault.”
