Legends of Ghana: 5 of the perfect Ghanian footballers of all time

Anthony Yeboah was not solely an ideal goalscorer however a scorer of nice objectives. Certainly, a few of Yeboah’s unbelievable objectives are steadily rated as the perfect ever scored within the English Premier League. His time in England was restricted, however he was all the time the favourite with the online sportsbook MyBookie to win the coveted Aim of the Season award.

Yeboah was born in Kumasi, Ghana, in June 1966 and performed home soccer for Asante Kotoko, Cornerstones Kumasi, and Okwawu United between 1981 and 1987. In 1988, Yeboah joined German membership 1. FC Saabrucken and have become one of many first black gamers to seem in the Bundesliga. After a sluggish begin to life in Germany, Yeboah scored 17 objectives in his second season, prompting Eintracht Frankfurt to signal him.

The Eintracht Frankfurt followers didn’t take too kindly to Yeboah, with some sections of the group subjecting him to racist insults. Nevertheless, Yeboah shortly silenced these morons by establishing himself as a lethal striker who was the Bundesliga’s prime scorer twice earlier than turning into the primary African Bundesliga captain.

Leeds United paid Frankfurt £3.4 million for Yeboag in January 1995, and he grew to become an on the spot hit with the then-Premier League membership. He scored 32 objectives in 66 appearances, together with spectacular strikes towards Liverpool and Wimbledon, the latter incomes him the 1995-96 Aim of the Season.

Yeboah left Leeds for Hamburger SV in Germany in 1997 however by no means hit the identical dizzy heights as earlier in his profession. He had a quick spell in Saudi Arabia earlier than hanging up his boots. Yeboah scored 187 objectives in 415 video games, plus 29 in 59 appearances for the Ghanaian nationwide workforce.

Abedi Ayew, affectionately often called “Pele,” was an attacking midfielder who captured the imaginations of Ghanaian soccer followers throughout a profession that spanned 20 years. Born in Kibi, Japanese Area, Ghana, in November 1964, Ayew began his skilled enjoying profession in 1980 with Actual Tamale United. Ayew’s exact passing and mesmerizing dribbling means made him a drive to be reckoned with on the pitch.

Ayew performed for a few of European soccer’s most recognizable groups, together with Marseille, Lille, Lyon, Torino, and 1860 Munich. Nevertheless, it’s his time carrying the well-known Black Stars shirt that he’s typically greatest remembered.

Having performed 73 video games for Ghana, Ayew captained the workforce in the course of the early Nineties, main them to their first FIFA World Cup look in 1992. His type within the early 90s noticed him earn the title of African Footballer of the 12 months in 1991, 1992, and 1993.

Michael Essien will not be solely top-of-the-line midfielders to have represented Ghana however top-of-the-line midfielders of his technology. The versatile and tenacious Essien constructed a status for his fierce defensive means and penchant for scoring long-range objectives.

Born in Accra in December 1982, Essien performed for native membership Liberty Professionals, the place it was evident he was an unbelievable expertise. Manchester United provided Essien a trial when he was 17, however he was ineligible for a piece allow in the UK, so he finally headed to Bastia in France.

After scoring 11 objectives in 66 video games, Essien moved to Lyon for €7.8 million. Essien was named the Ligue 1 Participant of the 12 months in his last season, prompting Chelsea to pay £24.4 million, a membership report for the English Premier League workforce on the time.

Essien grew to become a fan favourite with The Blues regardless of frequent harm issues. In his 9 years at Chelsea, Essien performed 256 video games and scored 25 objectives, successful the Premier League twice, the League Cup, the FA Cup 4 instances, and the UEFA Champions League.

After Chelsea, Essien performed for Actual Madrid and AC Milan earlier than a quick spell with Panathinaikos. Essien ended his profession with a number of video games for Indonesian membership Persib Bandung and Sabail of the Azerbaijan league.

Born in November 1985, Asamoah Gyan is a reputation that each Ghanaian soccer fan is aware of. The striker solely retired from the attractive sport in June 2023, having loved a profession spanning twenty years.

Gyan scored ten objectives in 16 video games for Liberty Professionals in 2003, which earned him a transfer to Udinese in Italy. Gyan spent 5 years in Italy, together with a mortgage spell with Modena. He then moved to Rennes of France in 2008, scoring 14 instances in 48 video games, prompting Sunderland, who had been then within the Premier League, to pay a membership report £13 million for the striker. Sunderland struggled within the Premier League, however Gyan nonetheless managed ten objectives in 34 video games.

Gyan left Sunderland for Al Ain of the Saudi Arabia Professional League, the place he earned a cool £6 million per season. He scored an unbelievable 128 objectives in 123 video games in Saudi Arabia earlier than heading to Shanghai SIPG in China, the place his wage was £227,000 per week! In direction of the tip of his profession, Gyan performed in Turkey and India earlier than ending his enjoying days again in Ghana with Legon Cities.

Having scored six objectives throughout three tournaments, Gyan is Ghana’s all-time report aim scorer on the FIFA World Cup.

The versatile Kwadwo Asamoah was equally adept at enjoying as a left-back, central midfielder, or left midfielder. He may end up good performances wherever his supervisor chosen him to play. Born in December 1988, Asamoah began his youth profession with Kaaseman and Liberty Professionals earlier than becoming a member of Swiss membership Bellinzona in 2008.

In 2008, Asamoah was signed by Serie A workforce Udinese, the place he grew to become a mainstay within the workforce and started representing the Ghana nationwide workforce. After 134 appearances for Udinese, Asamoah transferred to Juventus, the place he performed one other 156 video games, successful the Serie A title six instances and 7 home cups.

Asamoah moved to Inter Milan in July 2018, the place he spent three seasons, finally ending his profession with Cagliari. To at the present time, Asamoah holds the report for probably the most Serie A appearances by an African participant with 279, surpassing fellow Ghanian Sully Muntari (270).