When we mention Ghanaian football, legendary names like Asamoah Gyan, Michael Essien, and Abedi Pele readily come to mind.
Of course, these legends have inarguably etched their names in the sands of Ghanaian football, and going by predictions on Betway will be among the finest ever seen in Ghana.
Admittedly, the bulk of these legends was born and bred in Ghana, spending a substantial part of their careers playing locally in Ghana.
But there is an emerging breed of exciting footballers who, though they may never have played in the local Ghanaian football leagues, are of Ghanaian descent and already making waves in Europe.
This article explores some of the hottest players in Europe who had Ghanaian parent(s).
1. Eddie Nketiah
Eddie Nketiah was born and raised in the UK, but he has strong ties to Ghana through his parents.
He progressed through Chelsea and Arsenal academies, played on loan at Leeds, but currently plies his trade with the Gunners. Eddie is one of the many dual nationality Ghanaian players yet to commit to their future.
Impressively, he’s notched a total of 10 goals in 71 Arsenal appearances. He scored two braces against Chelsea towards the end of last season and another two goals in Arsenal’s final game.
Having played for England at various youth levels, Eddie still awaits his first call-up to the senior squad. Although he can still represent Ghana, the Ghanaian Football Association hasn’t found a way to convince him to play for the team.
For Eddie to represent England, he has stiff competition from some of the most established attacking talents in world football.
Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, and Phil Foden are only a few attacking options at Gareth Southgate’s disposal.
Therefore, there’s a high chance Eddie might consider the Black stars in the future to save his international career.
2. Callum Hudson-Odoi
When Callum made his debut for Chelsea in 2019, he was one of the hottest prospects in world football.
Agreed, Callum boasts enormous promise, which has seen him go on loan at Bayern Leverkusen to aid his development.
Callum has represented the English Senior Team three times but is still eligible to play for the Ghanaian National team because he made all his appearances before turning 21.
He played in the England youth levels and won the FIFA U-17 world cup in 2017, appearing in all seven games.
He got his first senior call-up in 2019 ahead of the UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Montego.
The 22-year-old became the youngest player to play for the England National team when he debuted against the Czech Republic.
Hudson Odoi reportedly turned down Ghana’s offer to play at the world cup. It’s looking unlikely we might see him in a Ghanaian shirt. However, he’s still eligible to play, and who knows, we might soon see him in the Black Star squad.
3. Jeremie Frimpong
Jeremie Frimpong is still eligible for the Black Stars despite being in the Netherlands squad that got knocked out of the World Cup by Argentina.
The reason is that he was an unused sub in all Netherlands’ games at the Mundial. Frimpong is a man of three nationalities, Ghanaian, English, and Dutch.
He played for the Manchester City academy before signing for Celtic in 2019. Bayern Leverkusen secured his signature for around 11 million Pounds in 2021, and he’s been fantastic for them.
He’s scored six goals and provided nine assists from the right-back position in over 50 appearances for the German side.
Frimpong has played for the Netherlands U19, U20, and U21 teams.
He voiced that his future is with the Dutch, but he’s still legal to play for the Ghanaian national team. Frimpong doesn’t understand Dutch but can converse in essential football and match phrases.
4. Brian Brobbey
Brian Brobbey was born in Amsterdam to Ghanaian parents. He’s a strong forward with an eye for goal and has been outstanding for the Dutch youth teams. Brian has netted more than 30 goals in 49 appearances for Netherlands junior teams.
He developed at the AFC youth academy before signing for Eredivise superpower, Ajax. At Ajax, he made his debut and scored in a 5-2 win over Fortuna Sittard in 2020.
Coach Erik Ten Hag gave him his UEFA Champion League debut shortly after, and he had an impressive performance.
He had a stint at RB Leipzig before re-signing for Ajax in July 2022. Brian won the Eredivise in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons and the KNVB cup in 2020-21.
Brian is eligible to play for the Ghanian National team as he hasn’t played for the Netherlands. Not much is known concerning contact between his camp and the Ghanaian Football Association.
5. Jesurun Rak-Sakyi
England has many young stars of Ghanaian descent. These players will likely choose the Three Lions over the Black Stars due to the quality of both teams. However, Ghana has a promising squad and can win most of these players when they’re still young.
One of those players that should be on Ghana’s radar is Jesurun Rak-Sakyi. The youngster progressed through Chelsea’s youth system and has played for England’s U-20.
He plays at Charlton Athletic, on loan from Patrick Vierra’s Crystal Palace.
The forward hasn’t been invited to England’s Senior National team yet, but there are talks that he could switch allegiance to Ghana.
If he should, he would join Inaki Williams and Tariq Lamptey as one of the latest dual nationality entries into the Black Stars Team.