Weekend Round-Up: Performance of Ghanaian Internationals Abroad
The weekend brought another exciting round of football action across Europe and beyond, with several Ghanaian players putting up impressive performances for their respective clubs. Here’s a comprehensive review of how they fared.
ENGLAND
The FA Cup took center stage in England, and Ghanaian players were involved in some exciting fixtures:
Kudus Mohammed played the full 90 minutes for West Ham United, but his efforts were not enough as they suffered a 2-1 defeat away to Aston Villa, exiting the competition.
Antoine Semenyo was the standout performer, scoring and assisting to propel AFC Bournemouth to a 5-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion, securing their place in the next round.
Michael Baidoo made his debut for Plymouth Argyle, playing 60 minutes in their impressive 1-0 away win over Brentford.
Forson Amankwah featured for 45 minutes in Norwich City’s disappointing 4-0 home loss to Brighton and Hove Albion.
Salis Abdul Samed made a return to action after eight months for Sunderland, though they lost 2-1 at home to Stoke City.
Brandon Thomas-Asante played 96 minutes for Coventry City, who advanced via penalties after a 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday.
Kamaldeen Sulemana delivered a stellar performance for Southampton, scoring and assisting in their commanding 3-0 win over Swansea City.
In League 2, Albert Adomah came off the bench for Walsall, who thrashed Tranmere Rovers 5-1.
SPAIN
In La Liga:
Abdul Mumin played the entire match as Rayo Vallecano edged Celta Vigo 2-1. His compatriot, Joseph Aidoo, remained on the bench.
In the La Liga II, Kwasi Sibo completed the full game for Real Oviedo in their 1-1 draw with Sporting Gijón.
GERMANY
Sirlord Conteh came on early in the 28th minute for FC Heidenheim, helping them secure a 2-0 victory over Union Berlin in the Bundesliga.
ITALY
Emmanuel Gyasi played the full game for Empoli in their 3-1 home defeat to Lecce.
Ibrahim Sulemana was an unused substitute for Atalanta in their goalless draw with Udinese.
John Yeboah came on in the second half for Venezia Calcio in their 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan.
In Serie C, Felix Afena-Gyan scored to inspire Juventus Next Generation to a vital 2-1 away win over Calcio Catania.
FRANCE
Andre Ayew found the back of the net for Le Havre but couldn’t prevent their 2-1 loss to RC Lens, marking their fifth consecutive defeat.
Augustine Boakye featured in the second half for Saint-Etienne, who lost 2-1 to PSG.
Mohammed Salisu was on target as AS Monaco secured a 2-2 draw against Nantes.
Elisha Owusu and Gideon Mensah both played full matches for AJ Auxerre in their goalless draw with Lille.
Ernest Nuamah came off the bench for Olympique Lyon but couldn’t stop their 2-1 loss to Brest.
In Ligue 2, Godson Kyeremeh made a substitute appearance for Caen in their 1-0 loss to Grenoble.
HOLLAND
In the Eredivisie, Ibrahim Osman came on late as Feyenoord lost 2-1 at home to FC Utrecht.
Brian Brobbey played 56 minutes in Ajax’s 2-1 victory over RKC Waalwijk.
AZ Alkmaar held PSV Eindhoven to a 2-2 draw, with Ernest Poku and Jayden Owusu-Oduro playing for AZ, while Jayden Addai remained on the bench. Ibrahim Sadiq was not in the squad.
TURKEY
Joseph Attamah Larweh and Kingsley Schindler featured for Kayserispor in their narrow 1-0 loss to Samsunspor.
Musah Mohammed played 77 minutes in Bodrum FK’s 2-1 defeat to Besiktas.
Jerome Opoku featured for Istanbul Basaksehir, who lost 2-1 to Galatasaray.
Ghanaian players continue to leave their mark in various leagues, demonstrating their talent and resilience on the global stage.