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According to him, although the 18-year-old is a long way from being a finished product, he deserves the chance to play consistently.
Afena-Gyan only made his senior debut last month and has played just two matches – both as a substitute – for Roma this season.
He came on as a second-half substitute against Cagliari and was again introduced after the half-time break against AC Milan last week.
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The teenager’s performances seem to have impressed not just Mourinho, but also the technical handlers of the Black Stars, who have invited the striker for Ghana’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
Speaking ahead of Roma’s Europa Conference League game against Bodo/Glimt, Mourinho was full of praise for Afena-Gyan.
“He is a player with qualities that we don’t really have in the squad. He’s a player who looks for opportunities that we don’t often try to exploit,” the Portuguese said, as quoted by Goal.
“We have a lot of players who want the ball at the feet; we don’t have many who look for the spaces to run into. I like him because of how he tries to run into space and how he works out on the pitch. How he presses. He’s aggressive in the spaces.”
He added: “He is a long, long way from being the finished product - a long way from being a complete player and a long way from being the perfect player to start for a team like Roma.
“But he is a player that deserves to be worked with and deserves a chance to play. It’s good for him that he is training with us, just as it is good for other players.”
Afena-Gyan is one of two players to have earned debut call-ups for Ghana’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Ethiopia and South Africa, with the other being Sheriff Tiraspol midfielder Edmund Addo.