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Ghana’s senior men’s national team head coach, Otto Addo, has explained why Antoine Semenyo performs better at club level than when he plays for the Black Stars.
Semenyo has been exceptional for Bournemouth but has struggled in national team colours since he debuted in a 3–0 victory over Madagascar on June 1, 2022, during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
Last season, the 25-year-old contributed to 20 goals – 13 goals and seven assists, in 42 matches, and already has two goals and an assist for the Cherries this season.
But the forward hasn’t been able to replicate a similar form with the Black Stars since his first call-up on May 26, 2022. Semenyo has scored only three goals with one assist in 27 games for Ghana.
Speaking on this at the post-match press conference after Ghana’s 1-0 win over Mali at the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday, September 8, 2025, Addo admitted that playing on the continent is very different from playing in Europe.
Why Semenyo struggles with Ghana
Antoine Semenyo
He explained Semenyo’s struggles with the national team:
He did really well, you know, it's difficult to compare games from the Premier League with games in Africa and Ghana. It's very, very difficult, and then all games have their own nature, and surely you can say that he stands more out in the Premier League, but for me today he was excellent.
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Semenyo's struggles continues
Semenyo, who led Ghana’s attack against Mali, saw little of the ball in a game where they needed a win, but Addo was still impressed with his performance.
He fought until he couldn't run anymore, maybe he thought he could stay a little bit longer, but he was fighting, he was the lone fighter up front, and for me, I'm very, very glad with his performance.
Otto Addo
He added:
He put them under pressure, he made a lot of runs, thicker runs so that others can shine, and so I'm very, very happy, even though he didn't have a lot of, like, maybe one dangerous action, but I was very satisfied with his performance and with his runs especially.
Meanwhile, Ghana are now in pole position to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with 19 points after eight matches. The final two qualifying games will be played in October.
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Semenyo will be in action when Bournemouth host Brighton at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday, September 13, 2025.