Djiku to play under Mourinho: Find out all the Ghanaian players who have played for the Portuguese

Black Stars defender, Alexander Djiku, is set to become the latest Ghanaian to work under the highly-rated Portuguese manager, José Mourinho.

Mourinho was officially announced as the new Fenerbahçe manager on Monday, June 3, 2024.

Mourinho is regarded as one of the greatest managers in football due to his successes in different leagues and his impact on shaping talents to become great players.

Former Black Stars captain, Stephen Appiah is certain that Mourinho will take Djiku to the next level.

"José Mourinho has been very good with African players, and I think everyone he’s worked with proves themselves, including Didier Drogba, Solomon Kalou, Michael Essien, Mikel Obi, and many others," Appiah told RG.

"We have Djiku, who has been able to win the hearts of the fans with the way he carries himself and approaches the game. I hope that with the arrival of Mourinho, he will be able to take his game to the next level."

With Djiku set to add his name to a reputable list of players who have played for José Mourinho, GhanaWeb takes a look at Ghanaian players who have played under 'the Special One,' as he is affectionately called.

Michael Essien

The first Ghanaian who worked under José Mourinho was Michael Essien, who enjoyed a lot of success after switching from Lyon to Chelsea in 2005.

He shared a father-son bond with José Mourinho. Essien, while wishing Mourinho a happy birthday, wrote on Instagram: "Happy 60th birthday Daddy @josemourinho. Have a good one today."

Michael Essien won the English Premier League, FA Cup, and the League Cup all under José Mourinho in 2006.

Sulley Muntari

Sulley Muntari played under Mourinho for two seasons at Inter Milan.

He was a key part of Mourinho's treble-winning team in the 2009/2010 season.

The Accra Hearts of Oak midfielder is the only Ghanaian who won the UEFA Champions League with José Mourinho.

Baba Rahman

José Mourinho signed Baba Rahman after his impressive spell with Augsburg in the Bundesliga.

Chelsea reportedly agreed on a £14 million initial payment, rising to a potential £22 million.

Rahman is the only Ghanaian player who did not win a trophy under José Mourinho.

The left-back had a relatively short spell under the manager as Mourinho was axed midway through the 2015/2016 season.

Felix Afena-Gyan

José Mourinho handed Afena-Gyan his senior debut before promoting him from AS Roma Team B after the 19-year-old scored a brace against Genoa.

The teenager spent one season under José before securing a move to the newly promoted side Cremonese in the summer of 2022.

While at Roma, Gyan won the UEFA Europa Conference League. He made three appearances during the tournament, featuring against Bodø/Glimt, Leicester City, and Vitesse.

EE/EK