Football is the most popular sport in Ghana, and it is no wonder their male football team is called the Black Stars. It is reported that the sport was first introduced in the country towards the end of the 19th century by sailors from Europe.
As a result of its gain in popularity, their first football team, Excelsior, was established in 1903 by Mr. Briton, a Jamaican born Briton, who was the headteacher of a boys’ school in Cape Coast. Some centuries later, Ghana is now one of the top countries to produce a stellar cast of international football players out of Africa. Here’s our list of some of the best footballers from Ghana. Let’s exploce These Are the Best Football Players from Ghana.
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These Are the Best Football Players from Ghana
Thomas Partey
Partey became the latest Ghanaian player to arrive in the Premier League when he signed for Arsenal from Atletico Madrid on Monday, with the Gunners meeting the Rojiblancos’ minimum fee release clause for his services. At £45 million, he could prove to be a bargain in the top flight, and Mikel Arteta will be hoping the former Champions League finalist can add discipline and control to the Arsenal midfield.
Partey has some prestigious footsteps to follow in after moving to the Prem, with some of the finest Ghanaian players in the history of the game having previously turned out in the top flight. In this feature, Ed Dove picks out his top five Ghanaian players to have played in the Premier League.
Jordan Ayew
Jordan doesn’t enjoy anything like the recognition of some of the other players on this list, but he’s consistently chipped in with goals during his time in the top flight, even if he did endure relegation with Aston Villa and Swansea City.
There wasn’t too much excitement when he was recruited by Crystal Palace permanently in 2019 following an indifferent loan spell, but he’s repaid that £2.5 million outlay emphatically with nine goals for the Eagles last season. Last term, he became Ghana’s all-time top scorer in Premier League history.
Asamoah Gyan
Gyan only spent one full season in the Premier League, but impressed at Sunderland, scoring 10 in 31 outings during that sole campaign in the North East. Baby Jet boasted all of the qualities required for frontmen in the top flight a keen eye for goal, a desire to battle defenders, and the athleticism to make a difference in the Prem. It’s just a shame that his spell in England was so brief; a year after arriving from Stade Rennais, he moved on to Al Ain. He’s Ghana’s highest appearance maker, all time top scorer, and was the key figure during their run to the World Cup quarter finals in 2010.
Sulley Muntari
Born on August 27, 1984, Suleyman Ali “Sulley” Muntari is a central midfielder who plays for Spanish Club, Deportivo de La Coruña. He started his club career in 2002 at Udinese where he played for six seasons before moving to Portsmouth where he signed a five year contract for £7.1 million (US$9.5 million). However, after a year, he joined Internazionale where he then went on loan to Sunderland and then Milan.
By July 2015, Muntari joined Saudi league team Ittihad F.C. on a €6 million (US$7 million), two year deal. In 2017, he signed a six month contract with Italian club Pescara and now currently plays for Deportivo de La Coruña in Spain. He has played 84 international games for the Ghana national team, scoring 20 goals.
Samuel Kuffour
Born on September 3, 1976, Kuffour made a big debut onto the world stage at the age of 15 when he became the youngest player in history to score an Olympic medal with the Black Stars’ bronze at the 1992 games. In 1991 aged 15, he was moved to Europe by Torino F.C. And although now retired, during his active years he played as a defender for international clubs like Bayern Munich, 1. F.C.
Nurnberg (on loan), Roma, Livorno (on loan) and Ajax (on loan). In April 2009, he finally returned to Ghana where he retired from his professional career after a three-month deal with Asante Kotoko F.C. in Kumasi. He played for his national team from 1993 to 2006 where he made 53 appearances and scored three goals. He was included in the Confederation of African Football’s top 30 African players of all time and his legacy remains as the three time Ghanaian Footballer of the Year. His net worth is estimated at US$37 million.
