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Top 10 Ghanaian footballers who excelled in 2018

By Michael Duah
Top 10 Ghanain footballers who excelled in 2018
Top 10 Ghanain footballers who excelled in 2018
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We look through the performances of Ghanaian football stars plying their trade in and out of Ghana and rank them accordingly.

Ghana is blessed with talents who play all around the world. We take a look at the few players who have made an impact outside Ghana in the year 2018 and we do hope they take that level of performances into next year and beyond.

Mukarama Abdulai- 1

Mukarama is undoubtedly the biggest revelation in Ghana football in 2018.

The 16-year-old is the captain of the Ghana national under 17 teams, the Black Maidens that participated in the 2018 FIFA under 17 women's world cup in Uruguay. Abdulai plays for Tamale based Northern ladies FC in the Ghana women's football league.

Abdulai was emerged top scorer at the 2018 FIFA U17 Women's World Cup in Uruguay with seven goals and also won bronze ball after the tournament and also netted 12 goals in 4 games during the World Cup qualifiers for Ghana.

She becomes Ghana's all-time top scorer in FIFA under 17 women's world cup (7 goals) surpassing Jane Ayieyam's 6 goals.

Solomon Asante- 2

Phoenix Rising winger Solomon Asante has indeed been a rising star in 2018 as he was named Red Fury Player of the year after an outstanding season in the United Soccer League.

The former Berekum Chelsea winger bagged a hat-trick of awards year at the Phoenix Rising awards night.

Asante was voted the best player of his club Phoenix Rising, best foreign player and won the best goal of the season for his effort against Oklahoma City Energy.

The African Champions League winner captained the USL side this year and was an inspiration for the Club scoring 13 goals in 32 appearances this season.

Frank Acheampong- 3

2018 has been a phenomenal year for the former Berekum Chelsea star.

Acheampong joined Chinese Super League side Tianjin Teda on a six-month loan deal from Belgian giants Anderlecht in July 2017 and netted 4 goals in 12 appearances in his debut season which secured Tianjin Teda's stay in the top flight for the next season.

The 25-year-old played a huge role, scoring 17 goals and an assist in 26 appearances as Teda escaped relegation on the final day of the 2017/2018 season.

The former Brekum Chelsea forward then signed a permanent contract in November 2017 to keep him in China and have since established himself as a key member in the team.

Acheampong becomes the third top scoring African player in the 2018/2019 Chinese Super League with Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo scoring 21 goals and DR Congo's Cedric Bakambu with 19.

Thomas Teye Partey- 4

He needs no introduction on this list as the best performer in 2018.

The Atletico Madrid midfielder, by all means, has had a phenomenal year. This player has been efficient since he started professional football.

Thomas Partey has also scored some cracking goals in the La Liga and Champions League for Atletico Madrid this season.

Atletico Madrid did qualified to the round 16 stage of the UEFA Champions League but his performances for his side shows the effort he has put into it.

Partey was part of the Atletico Madrid side that won the 2017/2018 UEFA Europa League defeating Marseille in the finals.
Also, he was a substitute in the club's 2018 UEFA Super Cup triumph over rivals Real Madrid.

Jonathan Mensah- 5

Mensah joined Columbus crew ahead of the 2017 season as a designated player.  His signing with the club was an aggressive move aimed at shoring up a defence which dealt with myriad issues conceding goals during Berhalter’s tenure up to that point.

But the former Anzhi Makhachkala centre-back struggled early on with many observers quick to label him a D.P. bust. Still, he persevered, adjusted to the nuances of defending in MLS, and played a significant part in the club's run to the Eastern Conference finals last year.

Mensah's 3.1 aerials won per 90 and 4.4 clearances per 90 both led all Crew SC players who logged at least 2,000 minutes. For his efforts, he made the MLS Team of the Week twice in the 2018 season.

Mensah built upon that momentum in 2018. Eight of Crew SC’s 10 shutouts this year came in matches he started. The 28-year-old centre-back proved immensely reliable in the air along with clearing balls from danger and eventually won Crew's 2018 defender of the year.

Elizabeth Addo- 6

Black Queen's captain Elizabeth Addo was a standout performer at the 2018 Africa Women's Cup of Nations in Ghana. At club level, the 25-year-old had an explosive time at Seattle Reign FC featuring 13 times for the American outfit before following it up with a move to Austrian side Western Sydney Wanderers FC.

In her first season with Seattle Reign, Addo had developed a reputation among fans and the coaching staff as a, particularly daring and exciting player.

Kevin Prince Boateng- 7

The midfielder may be out of the scene in terms of national team assignments but definitely not out of sight, Kevin Prince Boateng has had his career have a turnaround from the 2016/2017 season.

Boateng signed a contract with German club Eintracht Frankfurt for the 2017/2018 season. The Ghanaian midfielder gradually eased himself into the team and has played 15 games with 3 goals in the German Bundesliga.

Boateng agreed to make a stunning return to Italy, two years after leaving giants AC Milan to join Sassuolo Calcio and has made 11 goals in 13 appearances for the Italian outfit in all competitions in 2018.

Alfred Duncan- 8

Alfred Duncan has had a good season with Sassuolo after his transfer from Sampdoria. The 25-year-old midfielder has had a decent amount of playing time and he is still delivering.
Duncan started 23 games in 26 matches he played in the 2017/2018 season in the Italian Serie A for Sassuolo Calcio.

In 2018 alone in the Serie A, Duncan has played in all 10 matches for the Italian outfit scoring a goal but for his role of holding the Sassuolo midfield, Alfred Duncan excelled as a player.

Emmanuel Boateng- 9
With 2017/2018 being his first season in Spain, the 22-year-old netted nine times in 25 league games involving 10 starts to help his side Levante survive a fierce relegation fight. 

Four of the six goals came against giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, with his incredible hat-trick against the Blaugrana last May which earned him a global recognition. 

The skilful forward scored first career hat-trick against champions Barcelona. Levante won the match 5-4, ending the possibility of an unbeaten season for Barcelona With his hat-trick, he joins David Barral and Rigano as the only Levante players to score three goals in a single match in the team’s history. 

With this feat, Boateng becomes the first player to score a hat-trick against Barcelona in the Spanish top flight since Diego Forlan in May 2015.

Razak Abalora- 10

Razak Abalora is the talk of the town in Tanzania having kept thirteen clean sheets in 16 appearances for Azam FC in the 2017/18 Liigi Kuu Bara.  The former WAFA SC No.1 has conceded three goals so far in the Tanzanian Premier League 2017/2018 season in the matches.

He currently holds the highest number of clean sheets in the league.Razak, one of the best goalkeepers in the Ghana premier league in the two seasons he spent, joined big-spending Azam FC for the 2017/18 season and his fine form at the start of the league has attracted great attention.

Good goalkeepers hardly earn the recognition and respect they deserve but Razak is already raising the standards in the Tanzanian top-flight competition with his reflexes and game winning-saves.

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