Black Stars head coach Kwesi Appiah has given a thumbs up to Emmanuel Boateng and Kwesi Wreidt Okyere on their debut performances for the team in Wednesday’s international friendly against Japan.
The two players featured in the 2-0 victory but while Okyere had a relatively quiet game, Boateng’s impact was more concrete.
His chase for a Richard Ofori punt forced Japan goalie Eiji Kawashima into a tackle which resulted in a penalty. Boateng put the penalty away to double Ghana’s lead after Thomas Partey had put the team ahead on 9 minutes.
VIDEO: Watch goal scored by BLACK Stars new boy @EmmanuelBoaten8 as #Ghana leading #Japan 2-0 after 70 minutes of action. pic.twitter.com/6hA3ivkBRd
— Ghana Football Association (@ghanafaofficial) May 30, 2018
Nonetheless, Kwesi Appiah said he was pleased with what he saw from the two debutants.
“I think Emmanuel Boateng had a lot more time to show what he could do.
In Kwesi Okyere’s case, he did not have that much time but if you want to see something from a player to determine if he will fit in or not, that can be done in about five or ten minutes.
But then, the two players did their best especially Emmanuel Boateng.”
Who are Emmanuel Boateng and Kwesi Wreidt Okyere?
Boateng came into prominence after his hat-trick for Levante against Barcelona in the Spanish La Liga in May.
The match ended 5-4 to Levante but he walked away with loads of media attention since his three-goal haul against Barcelona was the first to be done since Diego Forlan did same for Villareal in 2005.
Before joining Levante, Boateng played in Portugal for Rio Ave and Moreinense. His formative years as a footballer in Ghana were spent with lower-tier side, Charity Stars.
Kwesi Wreidt Okyere plays for Bayern Munich’s second team and made his first team debut during the season in the German Cup. He played for St.Pauli, LSK Hansa and VfL Osnabruck before joining the German champions.
What’s next for the two players?
The two players are expected to get another chance with the team when Ghana faces Iceland on June 7.
It is the second of the scheduled friendlies for Ghana before the 2019 AFCON qualifiers resume in September.
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By: Citi Sports
