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Which of the two sets of players turned out to be superstars between Ghana and Brazil?
Pulse Sports' Kwaku Anno-Kumi tracks the career paths of players who started for Ghana and Brazil in the 2009 u-20 World Cup final which was held in Egypt.
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This feat was achieved on African soil in the land of the Pharaohs, Egypt as the young satellites went past every team and met the almighty Brazil.
Ghana managed to beat Brazil on penalties 4-3 on penalties after 0-0 score line in 120 minutes of grueling football action.
We go through the two sets of players who got onto the pitch that day to tell a story on how losing or winning a final did to their lives as footballers.
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Most of these young lads at the time have grown to become men after 8 years and you would not believe that all of these players failed to make shortlist for the 23 best players in 2017.
What is even more intriguing is the mere fact that in that same year a certain Neymar Dos Santos Junior played in the u-17 tournament hosted by Nigeria. In the year 2017, Neymar has emerged the third best player in the world.
We go into the two teams and look at what the 11 players who graced the pitch for both sides have been able to achieve thus far.
Goalkeepers
Daniel Adjei (GHA)
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The goal keeper was in post for Dansoman based club Liberty before he was called into the Black Satellites. After youth glory which came by way of his heroics in the penalty shootout he returned to Liberty Professionals where he played until 2013. He then moved 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 Jimma Ketema.
Rafael (BRA)
Rafael Pires Monteiro was on the other end for Brazil on goal. The very individual is currently 28 years and initially signed for Cruzeiro in 2008. In 2017, Rafael Pires is still at Cruzeiro and has not made any move whatsoever. A much talked about keeper back in 2009 kept the people chatting with the Pharaohs in Egypt as nothing magnanimous has been heard of him ever since.
Defence
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Samuel Inkoom(GHA)
The right back played for Kumasi Asante Kotoko before playing the 2009 African u-20 tournament and landed a move to Swiss Club FC Basel in April before the world cup in September 2009. This should have meant the beginning of something great. That was not the case. Inkoom was moved to Ukraine after a two year stint with Basel and since then Inkoom’s career has not seen the light of day. Inkoom played for the senior national team in the 2010 Africa and World Cups in Angola and South Africa respectively He also was included in the 2014 squad but did not feature. Samuel Inkoom after his expeditions to USA, Portugal Greece and Turkey ended up in Bulgaria. Inkoom is currently serving a one year ban from FIFA after he failed to sort out issues with agents and in the process caused damages to real estate worth $65 316.
Douglas (BRA)
The Brazil right back Douglas Pereira dos Santos is a Barcelona player on loan to Benfica. The youngster after the 2009 world cup stayed in his hometown club Goias for two years before moving to Sao Paulo. The defender finally made his big break to Europe when he signed for Barcelona in 2014. He played 3 games for Barcelona before being sent to Sporting Gijon in the 2016/2017 season on loan. Douglas is currently on loan to Benfica and has featured in 2 games thus far.
Johnathan Mensah(GHA)
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The center back was with South African side Free State Stars before the U-20 World Cup in 2009. He undoubtedly one player who really impressed at the back in the African and World Youth tournament that very year. In 2010, after being absorbed into the senior national team was able to land a deal with Italian side Udinese and being loaned to Granada. Mensah has spent most of his career with French side Evian after signing with them in 2011. In 2015, Jonathan Mensah faced a four month ban after signing for Evian when he was still contracted to Udinese. Mensah claimed he was a free agent after the Granada loan deal. Jonathan Mensah now plays for Columbus Crew in the MLS.
Dalton Moreira Neto (BRA)
The Brazilian Center Back was a youngster playing for Fluminense in Brazil when he had the call up into the 2009 u-20 Brazil team. After the tournament, the defender has really stagnated and he now finds himself playing in United States second tier. Dalton plays for Fort Lauderdale Strikers in the North American Soccer League.
Daniel Addo(GHA)
Daniel Ashley Addo played for Kumasi based side King Faisal before the u-20 world cup and returned to play for the side till 2010. He then moved to Ashgold in 2010 before moving to Zoryha Luhansk in Bulgaria. Daniel Addo now plays for Gençlik Gücü Spor Kulübü in Turkish Cyprus.
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Rafael Toloi (BRA)
Rafael Toloi now plays for Italian side Atalanta. He used to play for Goias in 2009 and continued to play with the side until 2012. In 2012 he moved to Sao Paolo and landed a loan to deal to A.S Roma in the Serie A. He signed for Atalanta in 2015 and has played 56 times for the club ever since.
David Addy(GHA)
The left back was with Danish Club Randers as he played in the 2009 u-20 tournament. Addy has been very nomadic around Europe and has finally settled with FC Riga in Latvia. In his trips around, Addy signed for a club in Europe in 2010 but managed to get only one appearance in the space of two years at the club.
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Diogo (BRA)
In 2009, Diogo Sylvester Bittencourt was with Sao Paulo and after the tournament he stayed with the side until 2013 with loan stints to three other clubs. That was before moving to Braga B in Portugal. He moved to Fierense in Portugal before going back to South America in 2014. Diogo played for Penarol in Uruguay before heading to Argentina with Estudiantes de La Plata.
Midfield
Abeiku Quansah (GHA)
The midfielder moved to OGC Nice a year before the start of the tournament. He played in OGC Nice until 2011 before moving to Arsenal Kyiv. Quansah is currently a Free Agent after moving to El Gouna in Egypt in 2004.
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Alex Teixera
This name some level of popularity but is yet to light up the world up as expected. Teixera moved from Vasco De Gama a year after the u-20 World Cup to Shakter Doenetsk. He was courted by a number of clubs in his time with the Ukrainian side for six years. The latest was Liverpool but Teixera ended up with Chinese outfit Jiangsu Suning. He signed for the club in January 2016.
Rabiu Mohammed(GHA)
Mohammed Rabiu was Liberty Professionals player but enjoyed loan stints to Sampdoria,Udinese,Gimnastic,Xerez and Evian within the space of three years. Mohammed Rabiu finally settled for Evian in permanent deal in 2011. He later moved on to Russia as he signed for Kuban Krusnador in 2013. He gained a lot of prominence at Krusnador as he played for 3 years and moved to Anzhi Makachkala in 2016. Rabiu is currently in the football abyss as his side failed to register him for the 2016/2017 season.
Renan Foguinho
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The defensive midfielder played in Brazil from 2009 to 2015. He was signed to Atletico Paranaense when he played in the tournament. In 2015 he finally moved out of Brazil as he now plays for Adanaspor in Turkish second tier.
Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu (GHA)
Emmanuel Agyemang Badu was with Kumasi Asante Kotoko on loan from Berekum Arsenal during the time of the tournament in Egypt.
In 2010, Agyemang-Badu signed for Udinese in the Italian Serie A. Agyemang Badu has been with the club for 7 years with 161 appearances. However, the midfielder has moved to Turkish club Bursaspor on loan for the 2017/2018 season.
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Souza (BRA)
Josef de Souza Dias was with Vasco De Gama at the time of the tournament. Souza played with the club for until 2010 before moving FC Porto. Souza returned to Brazil in 2012 before going to Fenerbache in 2015. The midfielder still plays for the Turkish Giants with 70 appearances this far.
Andre Ayew(GHA)
The captain of the Ghana Black Sattelites became a household name in Ghana a year after the 2009 u-20 world cup. Ayew was Olympique Marseille player on loan to Lorient when the 2009 u-20 world cup was being played. Andre Ayew went back to Marseille and played there until 2015. Ayew then signed for Swansea in 2015 on free transfer and moved on to West Ham the following season. Ayew is currently in West Ham United and the deputy captain of the Ghana Black Stars.
Giuliano (BRA)
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The captain of the Brazil side played for Internacional at the time. He was also revered as an exciting prospect but has not really up to the billing. Giuliano Victor de Paula found moved to Dnipro in Ukraine in 2011 and spent 3 years at the club.
He then came back to play for Gremio in Brazil in two years before moving to Zenit in Russia in the year 2016. The attacking currently plays for Fenerbache as he signed for the Turkish Giants in August 2017.
Ganso (BRA)
Pablo Henriquez Chagas de Lima popularly known as Ganso. Also became a household name emanating from Brazil. Ganso played for Santos in 2009 and played till 2012. He then moved on to Sao Paulo in 2012. In 2016, the attacking midfielder signed for Sevilla and finally made that break into the European football setup. Ganso is still with Sevilla Football Club.
Fowards
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Ransford Osei (GHA)
The youth star has really not lived up to expectation. Osei was a Maccabi Haifa player but on loan to FC Twente in 2009. The striker has been all over the place ever since. From Granada in Spain to Bloemfontein Celtic and Polokwane City. Ransford Osei returned to Ghana to join Kumasi Asante Kotoko for the 2012/2013 season just before moving to Polokwane City in South Africa. Ransford Osei is currently a free agent as he last played for ROPS in Finland.
Alan Kardec (BRA)
Alan Kardec led the lines of the Brazilian side and belonged to Vasco De Gama at the time. Alan Kardec notably played for Benfica from 2010 to 2014. He now plays for Chongqing Lifan in China.
Dominic Adiyiah (GHA)
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Adiyiah won Golden Ball and Golden Boot in the tournament and indeed it seemed he was going to be the player to go on and do big things. Adiyiah was playing for Fredrikstad in Norway during the 2009 tournament. He signed for A.C Milan after the tournament and was loaned out to a number of clubs within his two year stint with the Italian Giants. As he was also absorbed into the Black and earned call ups in the 2010 African and World Cup like Samuel Inkoom, Agyemang Badu, Johnathan Mensah Giuliano Victor de Paula and Andre Ayew.
Adiyiah is currently playing for Nakhon Ratchisama in Thailand.
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