Gideon Mensah #14

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One of the most experienced players in the Black Stars squad, having made his debut in 2019 against South Africa in an Afcon 2021 qualifier in Cape Coast. He does, though, have an error in him, which is why Ghana’s coach, Otto Addo, has been through five other options in the left-back slot, trying Patrick Kpozo, Ebenezer Annan, Derrick Köhn, Abdul Fatawu Hamidu and Isaac Afful. But Mensah’s experience and positivity count for a lot. In 2019 he nearly made a dream loan move to Barcelona, to be deputy to Jordi Alba. When his agent told him about the offer, he recalled in 2024: “I couldn’t resist thinking about the next flight to Spain”. But the deal collapsed when news of the agreement leaked, breaching a confidentiality agreement. “The next day the news was everywhere in Ghana that Barcelona wanted me,” he told Flashscore. “But nobody knows what could happen in the future. The opportunity could come back again.” His Instagram bio: “Keep Praying, Keep Planning, Keep Pushing.”

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