The ‘Ghana squad’ performing wonders at Euro 2024
“Kwadwo Duah is Hungary for more! Switzerland off to a perfect start as new forward gets up and running in Euro 2024 opener”.
“Kwadwo Duah became Switzerland’s Euro 2024 comic book hero… in just 60 minutes”.
These screaming headlines were splashed all over international wires after Switzerland flew out of the blocks to humble Hungary on Saturday in their group opener at Euro 2024 in Germany.
Switzerland beat Hungary 3-1 on June 15, but the new kid on the block, Kwadwo Antwi Duah, was the star of the night, grabbing all the headlines, to the dismay of the attention-seeking celebrities lined up on Ghana’s social media pages.
The name rang a loud bell back in Ghana as enthusiasts wondered with interest about how a Kwadwo (Akan masculine name for a Monday born) Duah (Akan, meaning ‘Tree’) ended up wearing a red cross of a 4800-kilometre central European state, far from home.
Just a few weeks ago, a revered and prominent personality upholding the legacy of Duah, Nana Barima Kwaku Duah, His Royal Highness, was recently celebrated for his 25-year achievement on the Golden Stool as Asantehene.
And here is another Duah, but this Duah prefers ‘sweet’ Swiss chocolate to the ‘grievous’ Ghana chocolate shoved down the throat of Black Stars goalie Lawrence Ati Zigi.
Kwadwo and his mates personify the Ghanaian adage, ‘Efie bia Mensah wom’, to wit, ‘there is a Mensah in every household’, as European countries line up with several Ghanaian talents at the 2024 tournament.
Kwadwo Antwi Duah is doing exploits, hoisting the ‘Fahne’ high instead of the red, gold and green.
He is not the only footballer of Ghanaian descent to represent a European country on the highest international level, with George Boateng (Netherlands), Gerald Asamoah, Jerome Boateng and David Odonkor (Germany), Danny Welbeck (England), Mario Balotelli (Italy) and Marcel Desailly (Franch), among popular faces of a faded generation who took that path.
As the Euro 2024 gets exciting, The Ghana Report brings you the list of younger generation footballers tracing their roots down to Ghana but lacing up their boots for countries in faraway Europe.
- Kwadwo Antwi Duah – Switzerland
The 27-year-old was born in London, moved to Switzerland at a young age and is of Ghanaian descent.
He plays for Hungarian side Ludogorets Razgrad as a striker.
Twelve minutes was all he needed to burst on the international stage with a screamer against Hungary in the Euro 2024 tournament.
It was his first international goal on just his second cap.
- Nico Williams – Spain
There is a Williams in the Ghana Black Stars and another Williams represents La Roja of Spain.
Both of them have defied the odds to represent the Basque Club, Athletic Bilbao, initially stubborn to field only native players.
Pacy winger Nico, 21, has owned the left wing of the Spanish team and was in blistering form as La Roja dismantled serial finalist Croatia by three goals in their opening campaign.
His parents, both from Ghana, must be proud of his exploits on the international stage.
- Cody Gakpo – Netherlands
The 25-year-old plays as a left winger or forward for Liverpool in the English Premier League (EPL).
He was born in Eindhoven and raised in the Stratum district. His father was born in Togo and has Ghanaian ancestry, while his mother is Dutch.
Gakpo was on the scoresheet for the Netherlands in their opening match against Poland.
Together with three other players of Ghanaian descent, they form a devastating attacking quartet for Oranje.
- Brian Ebenezer Adjei Brobbey – Netherlands
The 22-year-old footballer plays as a striker for Eredivisie club Ajax. The powerful striker has Ghanaian roots but was born in the Netherlands.
His strong performances for the Dutch giants have caught the attention of coach Ronald Koeman, who named him on his Netherlands squad for UEFA Euro 2024.
In October 2023, he received his first official call-up to the Netherlands senior national team for two UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers against France and Greece.
- Memphis Depay – Netherlands
Memphis Depay is a 30-year-old who plays for the Netherlands national team as a forward.
He was born in the small South Holland village of Moordrecht to a Ghanaian father, Dennis Depay, and a Dutch mother, Cora Schensema.
He has been a key member of the team since 2013, with 93 caps and 45 goals.
He has spent many of his holidays in recent years in Ghana, undertaking charity work.
- Jeremie Agyekum Frimpong – Netherlands
Jeremie Agyekum Frimpong is a 23-year-old professional footballer who plays as a right wing-back for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen and the Netherlands national team.
Born in the Netherlands, Frimpong is of Ghanaian descent. His family moved to England when he was seven years old. As such, he was eligible to play for the Netherlands, Ghana, and England. On May 29 2024, Frimpong was named in the Netherlands squad for UEFA Euro 2024.
He scored his first senior international goal in a pre-tournament friendly against Canada on June 6.
He hopes to replicate his fine form for Bayer Leverkusen after helping the German club with the Bundesliga and German Cup.
Frimpong was a substitute for Gakpo in the first Oranje match at the Euros.
- Kobby Boateng Mainoo – England
Kobby is a 19-year-old professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for EPL club Manchester United and the England national team.
He was born in Stockport, Greater Manchester, to parents from Ghana.
His style of play has drawn praise from many pundits, including Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand, who compared him to Dutch legend Clarence Seedorf, a four-time Champions League winner.
He is expected to stabilise the midfielder of The Tree Lions, and he did just that after coming on as a substitute for Jude Bellingham in their opening match.
- Kevin Danso – Austria
Kevin Danso is an Austrian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Ligue 1 club Lens and the Austria national team.
The 25-year-old was born in Austria to Ghanaian parents before moving to Milton Keynes in England at the age of six.
Formerly a youth international at various levels, from under-15 to under-21, Danso made his debut for the Austria senior team in 2017.
He played the entire opening match as Austria succumbed to France courtesy of his teammate’s own goal.
- Jérémy Baffour Doku – Belgium
Jérémy Baffour Doku is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Premier League club Manchester City and the Belgium national team.
Doku was called up to the senior Belgium squad in 2020, having played at every youth level since the under-15s and represented his nation at UEFA Euro 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The diminutive and pacy winger helped Manchester City to secure the EPL title for a record fourth consecutive time and will be hoping to bring glory to the Red Devils in the Euros.
Doku played 84 minutes of Belgium’s first loss at the Euros as they were given a reality check by Slovenia, who gave them a 1-0 shocker.