Ghana in recent times have been termed “Brazilians” of African football due the fact that Ghana has been termed a hub for unearthing talents. Ghanaian players seemed to be to provide a number of players that have their names well documented in the folklore of the youth tournaments. However, the story of some players fails to press on afterwards.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ghanaian youth stars who are still waiting to fulfil their full potential
We look at Ghanaian players who flourished at the youth tournaments and have not lived up to expectation thereafter
Recommended articles
We look those players who played in various youth tournaments some years ago for Ghana. In 2018, these players to be mentioned are still waiting for them to live up to the potential they portrayed in the youth playing days
Frank Acheampong
The winger had a good outing at the 2013 u-20 World Cup where he scored 2 goals and registered 3 assist in all 7 games the Black Satellites played at the tournament which took place in Turkey.
ADVERTISEMENT
Acheampong helped Ghana to win bronze in 2013 and was set to be this superstar in a few years to come. 5 years down the line Acheampong has been the one player to have featured the most for the Ghana Black Stars from the 2013 u-20 World Cup squad.
Acheampong is now at the Chinese Super League playing for Tianjin Teda
Clifford Aboagye
Aboagye gradual decline in his career has been quite shocking. Aboagye emerged the third best player behind Paul Pogba of France and Nicolas Lopez of Uruguay at the 2013 u-20 FIFA World Cup. Aboagye played an instrumental role to Ghana emerging the third placed side in the u-20 world cup with 4 assist as the fulcrum of the midfield.
Two years later, Clifford Aboagye made appeared in the next u-20 World cup in 2015 where he alongside Yaw Yeboah made team of the tournament. Ghana got knocked out at the round of 16 to Mali and ever since then Aboagye has had a tough time at the Spanish La Liga with Granada and in 2017 Clifford Aboagye moved to Atlas Fc in Mexico.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ebenezer Assifuah
Ebenezer Assifuah also had a good tournament at the 2013 u-20 World Cup after scoring 6 goals to win the golden boot. Assifuah seemed to be one of the potent Ghanaian strikers destined for greatness in that tournament.
Assifuah moved to FC Sion in Switzerland after the tournament. Assifuah spent four season with the club and is currently with Le Havre in the French Ligue 2.
Dominic Adiyiah
Adiyiah was a dynamite at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup where Ghana won the coveted title for the first time in history.
ADVERTISEMENT
Dominic Adiyiah scored 8 goals at the tournament which was held in Egypt and emerged the winner of the Golden Boot and Golden shoe awards. Adiyiah after a stellar performance at the World youth championship landed a deal from Norwegian club Fredikstad to Italian giants AC Milan in 2010 and it has been a downward spiral ever since.
He moved on to Reggina, Partizan Belgrade,Kariskaya and Arsenal Kyiv all on loan spells from 2010 to 2012. He finally settled with Arsenal Kyiv and then later moved onto Atryau in Kazakhstan. Adiyiah now plays for Nakhon Ratchasima in Thailand.
Saddick Adams
Saddick Adams can be described as a victim of circumstances but that does not take away the bright prospect he was 11 years ago. In 2007, Sadick Adams scored 4 goals at the the u-17 world cup that transpired in Korea Republic. Adams signed a pre-contract for the Atletico Madrid and trained with reserve side since FIFA allows no international transfer to happen at the age of 18
He however joined Atletico Madrid B and played for the side from 2008 to 2009. In May 2009, Adams was banned by FIFA for four months and fined $120,000 for abandoning a contract he had with Etoile de Sahel to move to Atletico Madrid.
ADVERTISEMENT
The four month period went by and he then moved on Serbian side Vojvodina. He had a short stint with the Serbian side and then returned to the club he originally signed a contract for a few years earlier Etoile du Sahel. Saddick Adams from then on has played with Al-Ansar, Berekum Chelsea, Turk Ogaci and is now with Kumasi Asante Kotoko.
Ransford Osei
Adams and Dominic Adiyiah have a thing in common which is the fact that both players were strike partners of Ransford Osei at 2007 u-17 and 2009 u-20 World cups respectively.
Osei proved to be the talisman and fantastic supporting striker for the Black Starlets and Black Satellites in within 2007 to 2009. However, Ransford Osei was unable to make that leap into the Black Stars.
Ransford Osei signed for Isreali side Maccabi Haifa in 2009 and went on loan to FC Twente and Granada B within two years. Osei has been a nomad ever since and even played for Kumasi Asante Kotoko in the 2012/2013 season right after Bleomfontain Celtic in South Africa. Osei is currently at FK Palanga
ADVERTISEMENT
Daniel Adjei
The goal keeper was in post for Liberty Professionals before he was called into the Black Satellites in 2009. Adjei’s moment of glory came through the remarkable saves he made in penalty shootout against Brazil that saw Ghana win the 2009 u-20 World Cup.
It seemed this goalkeeper was to be the future of goalkeeping in Ghana as he was drafted in the Black stars squads for the 2010 African and World Cup
Adjei stayed with Liberty until 2013 before moving on to Free State Stars in South Africa for a year and then returned to Liberty Professionals and later got to Tarkwa based side Medeama. He then moved to Simba SC in Tanzania and has apparently found his way to Ethiopia with Jimma City
JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!
ADVERTISEMENT
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: eyewitness@pulse.com.gh
Recommended articles
The Intersection of Enthusiasm: United Kingdom's local motorsports and Ghana's rising stars
Video: Watch Fatawu Issahaku’s hat trick in Leicester City’s win against Southampton
RTU suspends coach Abdulai Mumin over match-fixing allegations
Hearts of Oak are better off playing with an empty post than using Richard Attah – Taylor
Sorry for causing you a lot of pain – Dr. Prosper Ogum apologizes to Kotoko fans
Govt hasn't paid us – African Games gold medalist Winnifred Ntumi 'cries' out
Dumsor is part of the reasons why we lost against Legon Cities – Hearts of Oak coach
Black Stars midfielder Daniel Kofi Kyereh to miss rest of season due to injury
