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Ghana has produced many sports legends, but some athletes with Ghanaian roots have made it big around the world without most people even knowing about their connection to the country.
Some of these stars were born in Ghana but moved at a young age, while others were born overseas but still carry a strong connection to their Ghanaian heritage. Whether they represent Ghana or not, their roots play a part in their identity and journey to the top.
From football to tennis, here are 10 famous sports stars of Ghanaian descent you may not know:
1. Alphonso Davies – Football (Canada)
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Alphonso Davies: My mother said no to idea of playing for Ghana
Alphonso Davies, the speedy left-back for Bayern Munich and the Canadian national team, was born to Liberian parents in a refugee camp in Ghana. He moved to Canada as a child, but his early life began in Buduburam, near Accra. He often talks about his African roots with pride.
2. Marcel Desailly – Football (France)
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Marcel Desailly: Why I didn’t become a manager despite acquiring coaching badges
This football legend was actually born in Accra, Ghana, before moving to France as a child. Desailly went on to become a World Cup winner with France in 1998. His birth name is Marcel Odenkey Addy. Many fans don’t know he was born Ghanaian.
3. Memphis Depay – Football (Netherlands)
Memphis Depay is known for his skills and style on the pitch. The Dutch international forward has a Ghanaian father, and though he plays for the Netherlands, he has visited Ghana and even supports causes in the country.
4. Joshua Buatsi – Boxing (UK)
4. Joshua Buatsi – Boxing (UK)
Buatsi was born in Ghana and raised in London. He won a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics for Great Britain and is now one of the UK’s top light-heavyweight boxers. He’s proud of both his British and Ghanaian identities.
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5. Nadia Eke – Athletics (USA/Ghana)
5. Nadia Eke – Athletics (USA/Ghana)
Nadia was born in the USA to Ghanaian parents. She chose to represent Ghana in athletics and became an African triple jump champion. She holds the national record for Ghana and often speaks about the pride she feels competing for the country.
6. Callum Hudson-Odoi – Football (England)
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Callum Hudson-Odoi
The winger, now playing for Nottingham Forest, has Ghanaian parents and has visited Ghana several times. Though he played for England’s youth teams, he’s been linked with possibly switching to play for the Black Stars. His father, Bismark Odoi, was a footballer in Ghana.
7. Jerome Boateng – Football (Germany)
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Germany's Jerome Boateng (L) talk s with Ghana's Kevin-Prince Boateng before a Group G match between Germany and Ghana of 2014 FIFA World Cup at the Estadio Castelao Stadium in Fortaleza, Brazil on June 21, 2014.
Jerome played for Germany’s national team, winning the World Cup in 2014. But his father is Ghanaian. His half-brother, Kevin-Prince Boateng, even played for Ghana. The two once faced off in a World Cup match, a proud moment for both Ghana and their family.
8. Pops Mensah-Bonsu
Pops Mensah-Bonsu
Nana Papa Yaw "Pops" Mensah-Bonsu, born September 7, 1983, is a British basketball executive and former player. He was born and raised in London to Ghanaian parents and attended St. Thomas More Roman Catholic School.
He played college basketball for George Washington University and professionally for five NBA teams as well as clubs in Spain, France, Turkey, Russia, Italy, Israel, and Greece. On an international level, he represented Great Britain and was a member of Team GB at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
9. Nico Williams – Football (Spain)
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Inaki Williams praises brother Nico Williams for shining in Spain’s win over Italy
Nico Williams, younger brother of Inaki, was born in Spain to Ghanaian parents. Unlike his brother who plays for Ghana, Nico chose to represent Spain, and he’s now one of La Liga’s most exciting young wingers with Athletic Bilbao.
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10. Jasmine Paolini – Tennis (Italy)
Jasmine Paolini might represent Italy on the tennis court, but her roots stretch back to Ghana, and her remarkable rise to the top of world tennis is a story that should make every Ghanaian proud.
Born on January 4, 1996, in Tuscany, Italy, Paolini carries the blood of three nations. Her father Ugo is Italian, while her mother Jacqueline hails from Poland with Ghanaian heritage.
Most importantly for us, her maternal grandfather is Ghanaian. Her grandmother still lives in Lodz, Poland, keeping those family connections alive across continents.
At just 29 years old, Paolini has achieved what many tennis players only dream of. She's currently ranked world No. 4 - joint-highest for any Italian woman alongside Francesca Schiavone.
She's won Olympic gold in doubles at the 2024 Paris Olympics and claimed her first Grand Slam doubles title at this year's French Open, both partnering fellow Italian Sara Errani.