Meet the 3 Ghanaian Players in This Season’s Champions League Last 16
- The Round of 16 draw for the UEFA Champions League has been completed, and the path to the final in Budapest is now crystal clear
- As eight teams battle for places in the quarter-finals, three Ghanaian stars will proudly carry the nation’s hopes on Europe’s biggest club stage
- YEN.com.gh takes a closer look at the trio, their respective opponents in the last 16, and how their chances stack up ahead of the decisive ties
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When the Champions League anthem echoes across Europe on March 10 and 11, only three Ghanaian players will still be standing in the race for a quarter-final place.
At the beginning of the campaign, seven names carried the nation’s hopes. Now, that number has been trimmed to three. The rest have watched their European dream fade away.
Source: Getty Images
Performance of Ghanaian players in the UCL
Ghana’s connection to this competition runs deep. In the inaugural edition, Abedi Ayew 'Pele' inspired Marseille to glory against AC Milan. Years later, figures such as Michael Essien and Sulley Muntari etched their presence into the tournament’s rich history.
This season began with Mohammed Kudus at Tottenham, Thomas Partey at Villarreal, Kamaldeen Sulemana at Atalanta, Inaki Williams at Athletic Club, Mohammed Salisu at AS Monaco, Emmanuel Addai at Qarabag, and Mohammed Fuseini at Union Saint-Gilloise.
One by one, four dropped out. Villarreal ended their run in 35th place. Athletic Club finished 29th. Union Saint-Gilloise placed 27th. Qarabag reached the playoff round but fell to Newcastle.
Monaco lost 5-4 against Paris Saint-Germain in the playoff, while Salisu’s campaign was cut short by a serious knee injury.
Antoine Semenyo was absent during the league phase as he was still at Bournemouth before moving to Manchester City.
He missed the final two matches after joining the Sky Blues after the registration for the league phase had long been completed. Now cleared for the knockout stage, he is finally ready for his first appearance on this grand platform. Here are the three Ghanaians still chasing European glory.
Source: Getty Images
Ghanaian players in Champions League Round of 16
3. Kamaldeen Sulemana
Atalanta produced a stirring comeback to eliminate Borussia Dortmund and reach this stage. Their reward is a daunting tie against Bayern Munich. The Italian side will host the opening contest before travelling to Germany for the return fixture.
Opta’s supercomputer gives Atalanta just a 23.2% chance of progressing. Sulemana has featured seven times in the competition, though mainly from the bench. His longest outing has been 39 minutes, per Transfermarkt. Even so, he remains part of a squad daring to dream.
2. Mohammed Kudus
Kudus remains in contention with Tottenham. Spurs advanced directly into the round of 16 and will face Atletico Madrid, who brushed aside Club Brugge to get here.
The Nima-born midfielder has been sidelined with a muscle problem since January and is expected to return after the international break. That timeline suggests he could miss both legs of this tie. If Tottenham move on, it would be a huge favour to their injured teammate.
Before the setback, he contributed an assist in five appearances. Opta gives Spurs a 46.3% chance of advancing.
1. Antoine Semenyo
Semenyo’s introduction to the Champions League could hardly be bigger. Manchester City travel to the Santiago Bernabeu to meet Real Madrid in a fixture that has become a modern rivalry.
Since arriving at City, the forward has found the net in every competition he has played. Confidence is high, and he will believe he can make an impact against the Spanish giants.
The English club are considered favourites, with a 64.3% probability of qualification. Interestingly, both sides share identical head-to-head numbers across their recent meetings, five wins each and five draws.
Can Ghana’s Trio Reach the Quarter Finals
From seven representatives down to three, the journey has already been dramatic. Now, Sulemana, Kudus and Semenyo carry the flag alone.
The task ahead is steep. The stage is bright. Yet if history has shown anything, it is that Ghanaian footballers rarely shy away from the big occasion.
Source: YEN.com.gh
