Black Stars' Salis Samed returns to football after 244 days away

Black Stars midfielder Salis Abdul Samed finally made his long-awaited debut for Sunderland in their 2-1 defeat to Stoke City on January 11, 2025.

The former RC Lens loanee was brought on in the second half of the game, marking his first appearance in a competitive fixture after 244 days.

Samed replaced Harrison Jones in the 80th minute with the score tied at 1-1. The match went into extra time, during which the Ghanaian made an error that led to Stoke City's winning goal.

He finished the game with a 5.5 rating as Sunderland suffered a home defeat and were eliminated from the FA Cup in the third round.

Abdul Samed had been inactive and had not played a competitive match since representing Ghana in June 2024 in a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Central African Republic.

The Ghanaian secured a loan move to Sunderland during the summer transfer window after RC Lens put him up for transfer.

After his debut, Samed will aim to earn more minutes and regain his form to help Sunderland in their quest for promotion to the Premier League.

EE/MA