Ghanaian Players Abroad Shine Over the Weekend as Five Make Club Debuts and Prince Owusu Reaches 13 MLS Goals
Ghanaian footballers plying their trade across the globe enjoyed another eventful weekend, with several players making club debuts, scoring important goals and providing assists for their respective teams. From England and Belgium to the United States, China, Israel and Slovakia, Ghanaian players made their presence felt, with five players making league debuts for their respective clubs.
Ibrahim Osman of Brighton, Caleb Yirenkyi of Coventry City, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku of Ipswich Town, Thomas Partey of Al Shabab and Jerry Afriyie of KRC Genk all made their league debuts over the weekend, while several other Ghanaians delivered standout individual performances.
Among the weekend’s biggest highlights was Prince Owusu, who continued his impressive goalscoring form in Major League Soccer by scoring his 13th goal of the MLS season for CF Montréal.
In Belgium, Jerry Afriyie enjoyed an encouraging start to his career at KRC Genk, providing an assist on his league debut as Genk and Royal Antwerp shared an entertaining 4-4 draw. There were also goals for Bismark Charles, Abdul Aziz Yakubu, Samuel Owusu, Kwadwo Duah and Rahim Ibrahim, while several other Ghanaian players featured prominently for their clubs.
The following is a detailed roundup of the performances of Ghanaian players abroad over the weekend, as compiled by US-based reporter Herbert Boakye Yiadom.
ENGLAND
The Premier League witnessed the arrival of several Ghanaian players making their league debuts. Antoine Semenyo played the full 90 minutes for Manchester City in their 2-1 victory over Bournemouth, contributing to another important league win for his side. At Coventry City, Ghanaian duo Caleb Yirenkyi and Thomas Brandon-Asante made their Premier League debuts as Coventry suffered a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal.
Abdul Fatawu Issahaku also made his Premier League debut for Ipswich Town and impressed as his side secured a 2-1 victory over Sunderland.
At Brighton, Ibrahim Osman marked his Premier League debut with a convincing team performance as Brighton recorded a commanding 4-0 victory over Aston Villa.
Meanwhile, Tariq Lamptey made his long-awaited return from injury, featuring for Queens Park Rangers in their Championship encounter against Bolton Wanderers.
SPAIN
In La Liga, Inaki Williams featured for Athletic Bilbao, playing 58 minutes in their 3-1 defeat to Sevilla.
FRANCE
Nathaniel Adjei put in an impressive performance for Lorient in their Ligue 1 meeting with OGC Nice, with the encounter ending in a stalemate.
ALBANIA
Ghanaian players were also involved in the Albanian top flight. Bismark Charles found the back of the net for Skenderbeu in their 2-2 draw against Vllaznia.
His Skenderbeu teammate Baba Musa also featured in the encounter, while Randy Dwumfour completed 90 minutes for Vllaznia.
BELGIUM
Jerry Afriyie made a memorable start to life at KRC Genk, registering an assist on his league debut in an entertaining 4-4 draw against Royal Antwerp in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League. The young Ghanaian’s contribution will provide an encouraging foundation as he begins his journey with the Belgian club.
Elsewhere, Lawrence Agyekum made a brief appearance for Cercle Brugge, playing three minutes in their 1-0 defeat to Club Brugge.
BULGARIA
Kwadwo Duah was on target for Ludogorets as they drew 1-1 with Slavia Sofia in the Bulgarian First Professional League. His goal added to the growing list of Ghanaian players finding the net across European leagues over the weekend.
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CHINA
There were notable performances from Ghanaian players in the Chinese league. Abdul Aziz Yakubu scored for Qingdao West Coast in their impressive 2-0 victory over Shandong Taishan.
Prince Obeng Ampem played 71 minutes for Shanghai Port in their 2-1 victory over Qingdao Hainiu, while Yaw Yeboah featured for Qingdao Hainiu. Frank Acheampong played the full 90 minutes for Dalian Yingbo in their 1-0 victory over Chongqing.
DENMARK
Stephen Acquah played the full 90 minutes for Nordsjaelland as they secured a 3-0 victory over Sonderjyske.
FINLAND
Razak Simpson made a nine-minute appearance for VPS in their 1-0 victory over Ilves.
GREECE
Abdul Baba Rahman was in action for PAOK as they recorded a commanding 4-0 victory over Levadiakos.
ISRAEL
Ghanaian players were also involved in several matches in Israel. Samuel Owusu produced one of the weekend’s standout individual performances, scoring and providing an assist for Maccabi Petah Tikva in their 2-1 victory over Kiryat Shmona.
Edmond Asante played 25 minutes for Hapoel Petah Tikva in their 1-0 defeat to Ironi Tiberias.
Fard Ibrahim played the full 90 minutes for Hapoel Ramat Gan in their 2-1 defeat to Maccabi Haifa.
ROMANIA
Emmanuel Yeboah featured for Corvinul in their encounter against UTA Arad, with the match ending in a draw.
RUSSIA
Alexander Djiku featured for Spartak Moscow as they defeated Zenit 2-0.
SAUDI ARABIA
One of the most closely watched Ghanaian debuts of the weekend came in Saudi Arabia, where Thomas Partey made his first appearance for Al Shabab.
The experienced midfielder featured in Al Shabab’s 1-1 draw against Al Khaleej, officially beginning another chapter of his club career.
Elsewhere, Christopher Baah Bonsu played the full 90 minutes for Al Qadasiah in their 1-0 defeat to Al Ittihad.
SERBIA
Several Ghanaian players were involved in the Serbian top flight.
Issah Abass and Ibrahim Mustapha featured for Radnicki Nis in their 1-0 defeat to Macva.
Daniel Akrofi played 66 minutes for IMT Novi Beograd in their 2-1 defeat to Radnicki.
Godswill Vadze completed 90 minutes for Zemun in their 1-0 defeat to OFK Beograd.
Meanwhile, Sadick Abubakar and Emmanuel Quarshie were involved in Radnik Surdulica’s 1-0 victory over Novi Pazar.
SLOVAKIA
Rahim Ibrahim continued his impressive start to the 2026/27 campaign by scoring his second league goal of the season. The Ghanaian midfielder found the net as Slovan Bratislava defeated FC Kosice 2-1 in the fifth round of the Slovak Liga.
His latest goal further underlines his strong start to the new campaign.
TURKEY
Elisha Owusu made his debut for Erzurumspor in the Turkish Super Lig, although his first appearance ended in disappointment as his side suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to Galatasaray.
UNITED STATES
Major League Soccer produced perhaps the biggest Ghanaian highlight of the weekend.
Prince Owusu continued his remarkable scoring form for CF Montréal, scoring his 13th MLS goal of the season in their 2-2 draw against LA Galaxy.
The forward’s latest strike further establishes him as one of the standout Ghanaian performers in the MLS this season. There was also a Ghanaian contribution for LA Galaxy, with Joseph Pantsil providing an assist in the encounter.
Elsewhere, Morrison Agyemang played the full 90 minutes for Charlotte FC in their 3-1 victory over DC United.
Ghanaian duo Ronald Donkor and Mohammed Sofo featured for New York Red Bulls in their 1-1 draw against Chicago Fire.
Maxwell Woledzi was in action for Nashville in their 3-2 victory over Columbus Crew.
Ezekiel Alladoh played 16 minutes for Philadelphia Union in their 1-1 draw against Austin FC.
Lalas Abubakar completed 90 minutes for FC Dallas but endured a difficult evening as his side suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat to Vancouver Whitecaps.
Meanwhile, Manu Duah played the full 90 minutes for San Diego in their impressive 3-0 victory over Colorado Rapids.
A WEEKEND OF PROMISING PERFORMANCES
Overall, the weekend provided another strong showcase of Ghanaian talent across international football. The debuts of Ibrahim Osman, Caleb Yirenkyi, Fatawu Issahaku, Thomas Partey and Jerry Afriyie represent significant milestones, while goals from Prince Owusu, Samuel Owusu, Bismark Charles, Abdul Aziz Yakubu, Kwadwo Duah and Rahim Ibrahim further highlighted Ghana’s continued influence on leagues around the world.
With the 2026/27 football season gathering momentum, Ghanaian players abroad will once again be under close observation as they seek to establish themselves, maintain their form and make their clubs proud.
For Ghanaian football fans, the performances offer plenty to watch as the season progresses, with both established stars and emerging talents continuing to make their mark on the global stage.
