List of professional Ghanaian football players in Italy
Ghana is known for her love for sports, and football is the most popular game among them. No wonder their male football team is known as the Black Stars. Since the first football team called Excelsior was formed in 1903, the country has continued to produce stellar football players who keep making waves at the international scene. Ghanaian football players in Italy are well respected for their tremendous results.
Making one's way to getting signed by international football clubs is a sign that such a player has what it takes to compete with players from other clubs. Despite the incredible competition in the industry, these guys have stood out among others.
Besides their skills, they have also maintained a healthy diet and exercise, and also created a profile that scouts and potential employers fell in love with, which eventually granted them the opportunity of playing in their respective clubs.
Ghanaian players in Italy
Ghanaian football players started their football careers locally and worked their way to the international scene. These guys have proven their skills and have become the choice player of many football fans. Here are the Ghanaian football players abroad.
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1. Alfred Duncan
- Full name: Alfred Duncan
- Date of birth: 10th of March, 1993
- Age: 27 years old
- Club: Fiorentina
Born on the 10th of March, 1993, Joseph Alfred Duncan grew up in Ghana and went to Aggrey Memorial A.M.E. Zion Senior High School in Cape Coast. He trained with Internazionale since summer 2010 before joining Inter Milan eight days after he celebrated his 18th birth date.
He lived in Centro Sportivo Giacinto Facchetti, Inter training centre in Milan, before making it to Serie A on the 26th of August, 2012, when he appeared for the first time during a match against Pescara. Then, he substituted Walter Gargano in the 86th minute.
He was transferred on loan to Serie A side Sampdoria on the 19th of July, 2014, for two seasons. Eventually, the club bought him in January 2015 for about €3 million after he signed four and a half years contract.
Sassuolo signed him temporarily on the 23rd of July, 2015 with a view of signing him outrightly from Sampdoria for about €6 million.
The fast-rising star player recorded his first goal on the 6th of March, 2016 during a match against A.C. Milan. Then, on the 31st of January, 2020, Fiorentina loaned him with an obligation to buy. There, he plays as a midfielder.
Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu
- Full name: Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu
- Date of birth: 2nd of December, 1990
- Age: 29 years old
- Place of birth: Berekum, Brong-Ahafo
- Club: Hellas Verona F.C
Emmanuel is one of the famous soccer players from Ghana who plays as a midfielder for Hellas Verona of Serie A. He was born on the 2nd of December, 1990, in Berekum, Brong-Ahafo.
His career started at local club Berlin F.C. before he eventually signed for Berekum Arsenal. On the 21st of May, 2007, he joined the Ghana Premier League All Star Team.
He signed a year loan contract with Asante Kotoko on the 11th of July, 2008, and in August of the same year, he had trials with Middlesbrough in England. Three months after, he did other trials at Wolverhampton Wanderers. He signed a contract with Recreativo de Huelva for six months loan on the 16th of April, 2009.
After the contract was dissolved in September 2009, he went back to Asante Kotoko. The Italian Serie A side Udinese Calcio signed him, and on the 12th of February, 2010, he got his first-team call-up. During the 2014 FIFA World Cup tournament, he joined Ghana's squad.
Bright Christopher Addae
- Full name: Bright Christopher Addae
- Date of birth: 19th of December, 1992
- Place of birth: Wa, Upper West Region, Ghana
- Age: 27 years old
- Club: Juve Stabia
Bright plays for Italian club Juve Stabia as a midfielder. He was born on the 19th of December, 1992, in Wa, the capital of Wa Municipal District in north Ghana's Upper West Region.
He started his football career with All Stars before moving in the summer of 2010 to Italian club Parma based on four years contract that he signed. Spanish club Terrassa loaned him in January 2011. In July 2012, Addae moved on loan to Crotone.
Slovenian club Gorica signed him on the 1st of July, 2012, before Lega Pro club Ascoli signed him on the 17th of July, 2014 in a definitive deal. On the 2nd of May, 2017, he signed another contract for two years before joining Juve Stabia in Serie B on two years contract ahead of 2019/20 season. At the international level, at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup, he made three appearances. In 2010, he made his senior international debut for Ghana.
Kwadwo Asamoah
- Full name: Kwadwo Asamoah
- Date of birth: 9th of December, 1988
- Age: 31 years old
- Club: Inter Milan
The Ghanaian professional footballer was born on the 9th of December, 1988. He plays for the Ghana national team and Italian club Inter Milan. He plays primarily as a left midfielder or left-back but occasionally plays a central midfielder as well.
Kwadwo's professional career started in 2008 with Italian club Udinese before he transferred to Juventus in 2012. Within the period he was with the club, he helped the club earn six consecutive Serie A titles before joining Inter in 2018.
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He is one of the best Ghana soccer players in Italy with a significant impact. His versatile, energetic, hardworking, dynamic, and tactical intelligence are well spoken of.
At the international scene, he got his first opportunity of playing for Black Stars, Ghana national team, in 2006. He played in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2008 and 2010 editions. At the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup tournaments, he appeared as well.
Since he started his football career, he has won several titles, including CAF Most Promising African Player in 2010, Ghana Player of the Year for 2012 and 2013. Bloomberg also ranked him as the 27th best footballer in the world.
Godfred Donsah
- Full name: Godfred Donsah
- Date of birth: 7th of June, 1996
- Age: 24 years old
- Place of birth: Accra, Ghana
- Club: Cercle Brugge
Godfred was born on the 7th of June, 1996 in Accra, Ghana. Before he signed a contract with Palermo, he made his senior debuts with local DC United Agogo. The trials he had at A.S. Roma didn't yield any result before Palermo took him over. In summer 2013, he joined Verona and later joined Cagliari on the 17th of July, 2014 for €2.16 million.
Bologna signed him on loan on the 24th of August, 2015 on a condition that if he makes his debut, he would be bought over, and five days after, he made his debut. Currently, he plays on loan for Cercle Brugge as a midfielder.
Nana Welbeck
- Full name: Nana Addo Welbeck-Maseko
- Date of birth: 24th of November, 1994
- Age: 25 years old
- Club: Catania
The 25-year-old, Ghanaian professional footballer, Nana plays as a midfielder in the Italian third division known as Catania. He was born on the 24th of November, 1994, in Accra Ghana.
He signed a five-year deal in December 2009 with Serie B team Brescia before making his first-team in 2011. He made his debut when his team played against Fiorentina on the 22nd of May, 2011. Most of his football appearances came in the Campionato Nazionale Primavera Group B.
Nana joined Atalanta after he left Brescia, although he didn't play any game for the club and so, he went back to Slovenian PrvaLiga club NK Krka. Within two years that he was with the club, he played 61 league games with five league goals recorded to his name.
Odense Boldklub signed him on two years contract on the 3rd of August, 2016, and on the 9th of July, 2018, Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina club FK Mladost Doboj Kakanj signed two years contract with him.
Apart from international recognition, another benefit that these Ghanaian football players enjoy is an understanding of what operates in the world of football internationally. Their level of exposure now impacts how they play locally.
In a related report by YEN.com.gh, several other Ghanaian players are currently making waves in England. The likes of Ahmed Obeng, Enoch Andoh, Yaw Osei-Opoku, and Andrew Kyere Yiadom make up the list. Besides, details about their personal lives, how they started, and the clubs they play for, among other things, are discussed in the report.
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Source: YEN.com.gh