Integration, education and fun. This is the way of conceiving football in Ghana, an African country that throughout its history has managed to produce absolute talents such as Michael Essien , Stephen Appiah , Asamoah Gyan , Samuel Kuffour and Kwadwo Asamoah and which is considered the Brazil of Africa.
The successes of the Ghanaian national team
Together with Egypt and Cameroon, Ghana is one of the most representative African national teams from a footballing point of view and boasts among its successes the conquest of 4 African Cups (1963, 1965, 1978, 1982). To these 4 victories must be added 5 finals lost, which could have further increased the trophy cabinet. The black stars (as the players of the national football team are called) are much loved by the Ghanaian people and when the national team plays at home the stadiums fill up.
Ghana has participated in 3 World Cup finals (2006, 2010 and 2014) and boasts a historic qualification to the quarter-finals in 2010. Many Ghanaian players have graced the fields of the most prestigious tournaments in the world and among these Asamoah Gyan certainly stands out , the record holder for appearances and goals with the Ghanaian national team (50 goals in 103 appearances).
Gyan’s career is important, having made his Serie A debut with Udinese in 2003. After a brief spell in Modena, he returned to Udine and scored 11 goals in 38 games in the 2007-2008 season. The following year he moved to Rennes for 8 million euros and scored 13 goals in 24 games. Gyan was ready to take flight and in 2010 he moved to Sunderland, in the Premier League, for a figure of around 15 million euros. The same year, FIFA decided to include him among the candidates for the Ballon d’Or .
On September 10, 2011, he moved to the Arab team Al-Ain and became a legend: he scored 122 goals in 119 games and won 4 championships in 5 years. In 2015, he moved to China and became one of the highest paid players in the world (two-year contract worth 32 million euros). He currently plays for Al-Alhi Club, a team based in Dubai that plays in the top league of the United Arab Emirates.
Another undisputed star of Ghanaian football is Michael Essien . After leading Bastia to a historic qualification for the UEFA Cup in 2002, he moved to Lyon in 2003 and contributed to the conquest of 2 league titles and 2 French Super Cups. Roman Abramovich, owner of Chelsea, snatched him from Lyon in 2005 for 38 million euros and Essien repaid him with an exceptional season that ended with victory in the Premier League , the first in the club’s history.
Essien scored 17 goals in 168 games for Chelsea
Injuries slowed his rise and in the following seasons he was unable to find much continuity. On August 31, 2012 he went on loan to Real Madrid, then returned to Chelsea and in 2014 he was bought by Milan. A colorless year and a half where he failed to make an impact (0 goals in 22 appearances). In 2015 he signed a two-year contract with Panathinaikos but his career was now on the way out (11 appearances and only one goal). He currently plays for Persib, an Indonesian team owned by Erick Thohir.
Another acquaintance of Italian football is the defender Samuel Kuffour , former acquaintance of Italian football (Turin, Rome, Livorno). Without a doubt he is the Ghanaian player who has won the most ever. In the 9 years at Bayern Munich he won 5 league titles, 4 German Cups, 5 League Cups, 1 Champions League and 1 Intercontinental Cup. With Roma, he won an Italian Super Cup in 2007. Kwadwo Asamoah
also won a trophy haul. With Juventus, he won 5 consecutive league titles (2012-2013, 2013-2014, 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017), 3 Italian Cups (2014-2015, 2015-2016) and 3 Italian Super Cups (2012, 2013, 2015), while with the Ghanaian national team he participated in 2 World Cups (2010, 2014) and 4 African Cups (2008, 2010, 2012, 2013).
Sulley Muntari , currently playing for Pescara, has also won a lot . Grit and determination are Muntari’s weapons, a big-hearted midfielder capable of running for ninety minutes. After winning a historic FA Cup with Portsmouth, he moved to Inter and won everything: 2 league titles, 1 Italian Cup, 2 Italian Super Cups, 1 Champions League, 1 Club World Cup.
In May 2017, Muntari was the victim of an episode of racism during Cagliari-Pescara. On that occasion, the consul Colasuonno Taricone made his voice heard in defense of the footballer and in the following days he met with some referees to promote an awareness campaign against episodes of racism on the green field.
From left: Valerio Marini, Roberto Bonardo, Massimiliano Colasuonno Taricone, Daniele Doveri, Federico La Penna
Other Ghanaians who currently play in the Italian championship in the top 3 leagues are over 90 (the largest number of Ghanaian footballers in the world), a few names: Afriyie Acquah (Torino), Alfred Duncan (Sassuolo) and Emmanuel Agyemang Badu (Udinese), Boadu Maxwell Acosty (Crotone).
«Football in Ghana is experienced in all its aspects and the most famous players, when they land at the airport, are welcomed like true idols» explains the Honorary Consul of Ghana Massimiliano Colasuonno Taricone , who in addition to being an expert football connoisseur is the manager of Trasacco Group , the family company that a few years ago took care of the construction of the Accra Sport Stadium , the jewel in the crown of Ghana’s sports infrastructure.