Jerry Afriyie, 18, shines for the Black Stars in their matchday 6 AFCON qualifier against Niger at the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday.
The striker, who plays for Division 2 side Thoughts FC, scored a sensational goal eight minutes into his Black Stars debut in a game Ghana lost by 2-1.
Jerry Afriyie was one of three players who received a late call-up to the Black Stars for the game against Niger on Monday.
The teenage striker made history by becoming the first player in Division 2 to earn a national team call-up in over 40 years.
Otto Addo gave the youngster his debut appearance in the 59th minute on Monday afternoon. The 18-year-old replaced Hamburger SV forward Ransford Yeboah Konigsdoffer with Ghana trailing by a goal.
Eight minutes later, Afriyie will make an immediate and impressive impact. The Thoughts FC striker showed great awareness in the 18-yard box, latching onto an Ernest Nuamah cutback to hand Ghana the equalizer.
The goal was celebrated with intense excitement by his teammates, and head coach Otto Addo also raced onto the pitch to hug the player. Afriyie, in just 31 minutes on the pitch, managed to complete 6 of his 7 passes while having a total of 10 touches.
He also ended the game with a single shot on target, which resulted in the goal for Ghana.
Several newshounds and Ghanaians have heaped praise on the Thoughts FC player for his impressive performance on his debut. After excelling on the biggest stage for the national team, many Ghanaians will be hoping to see the youngster feature subsequently for the Black Stars.
With the Black Stars’ next game also scheduled for March 2025, Coach Otto Addo and Ghanaians will be monitoring the progress of the young lad.
An All African Games gold medal, a best player, and a top scorers award at the recent WAFU Zone B championship are amongst the list of the teenager’s achievements.
With Ghana failing to identify its next top striker since the retirement of legend Asamoah Gyan, will Jerry Afriyie be Ghana’s top striker since Baby Jet?
