With the major European League season over, GHANASoccernet.com’s Akyereko Frimpong Manson picks five Ghanaian youngsters who made impacts.
Joseph Alfred Duncan
Club: Inter Milan
Position: Midfield
Age: 20
Winning the UEFA U19 Champions League does not just require high profile clubs but also high concentration and determination plus extreme youthful exuberance.
Duncan was at the thick of affairs for Andrea Stramaccioni’s side as they cruised all the way to the final before nailing Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam to win the maiden .
It was his 25-yarder that secured them qualification at the quarter-finals against PSV Eindhoven at the Philips Arena.
With Stramaccioni taking over from the sacked Claudio Ranieri, Duncan’s senior debut was even closer.
He managed to weave his way into the first team twice.
He warmed the bench against Parma in the Serie A before being included in the contingent for the last league game of the season at Lazio.
The former Aggrey Memorial schoolboy is still in the hunt for another glory as Inter Milan are in pole position to win the Primavera league.
Club: Sassuolo Calcio
Position: Forward
Age: 19
The Genoa loanee managed to score 13 out of his 15 goal target for the season and helped Sassuolo to a promotion play-off place.
The former Ghana U20 striker had an impressive beginning to the season and netted 8 times in his first 13 outings for the club.
Had it not been a nagging knee injury that ruled him out for close to two months, the 19-year-old would have finished ahead of Gianluca Sansone who netted 20 times.
At the early stages of the season, he was linked with a move to Manchester United.
Club: FC Porto
Position: Winger
Age: 20
The 20-year-old’s season has been further graced by a Black Stars call-up which sees him fulfil his long-wish dream.
Christian Atsu enjoyed a wonderful season with Rio Ave where he spent the entire season on loan with Rio Ave.
Vitor Pereira will welcome back the youngster whose bears the genes of Lionel Messi’s pace and dribbling ability.
At Rio, he featured in 27 out of the 30 season games scoring six times from a free midfield role.
His exhibition at the Black Stars training game at the Accra Sports was just a mere practice.
Club:Â Fiorentina
Position: Forward
Age: 20
The speedster exhibited his qualities for Fiorentina’s Primavera squad which culminated in his breaking into the senior side.
Before catching the eyes of Delio Rossi, Acosty had to prove his mettle with the primavera.
He gave a dose of his maturity and readiness to challenge for a regular first team place by bagging 15 goals in 13 matches.
With Delio Rossi’s tenacity and patience for breeding talented players; which Afriyie Acquah benefited from at Genoa; he handed Acosty his Serie A debut against Cagliari in January.
Though he failed to find the net in all five appearances made at the later stages of the season, he gave an impression of his colossal striking abilities against Atalanta.
He came off the bench to win a penalty for La Viola and hit the crossbar with a powerful header.
Highest Point: Serie A – Fiorentina Vs Atalanta
Appearances: 5 Serie A games / 13 Primavera games
Club:Â Metz
Position: Striker
Age: 19
He might have earned the name Adebayor at Metz because of his physical resemblance to the Togo international but the former Ghana U20 striker surely has got some striking instincts in his genes.
The lanky center forward spent majority of the season with the Metz II but his fast pace of development and improvement led to his permanent inclusion in the senior team.
On his senior debut against Lens in the Ligue 2, the former Mighty Jets striker scored a masterpiece.
He pulled off a Lens defender off the ball before racing clear off to slot beautifully from an acute angle.
The talented forward featured eight times for the Metz II and netted 5 times before finally gaining his way through the first team to complete a flourishing season with 2 goals in six senior appearances.
What remains astonishing about the youngster’s season was his ability to command a starting role in the Metz line-up.
Though Metz now face a task of fighting back into the Ligue 2 after being relegated, Nsor would be proud to command a first team place in the former Ligue 1 campaigners next season.