Where Are They Now?: Tracking Ghana’s African Games gold-winning team two years on

Two years ago, the roar inside the Accra Sports Stadium told the story of a nation celebrating a new generation.

On March 22, 2024, Jerry Afriyie struck late to hand Ghana a narrow 1-0 victory over Uganda in the men’s football final of the 13th African Games.

The goal, fired from the edge of the box in the 90th minute, sealed the victory for coach Desmond Ofei’s Black Satellites and sparked excitement about what the future could hold for that talented group.

At the time, the triumph felt like the start of something bigger. Yet football rarely moves in straight lines.

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Two years on, data analyst Scott Geelan, a history graduate and sports analyst at Afro Stat, decided to revisit that championship squad to see where each player stands today.

His research offers a clearer picture of how that celebrated team is navigating the difficult transition from youth football to the senior game.

As such, this article explores where each member of the squad currently stands and how they are faring as they transition into senior football.

Between the posts, the goalkeeping trio have experienced mixed progress. Daniel Afful, now 20, moved to KF Egnatia in Albania’s top flight but is yet to feature in the 2025/26 season after making 27 appearances in Ghana the year before.

Vincent Anane, 22, is currently with KF Apolonia Fier in the Albanian second tier, where he has made two appearances this season and was shown a red card, following limited action in Ghana previously.

The youngest of the three, Yakubu Saeed, 19, remains at Medeama SC but is still searching for his first Ghana Premier League appearance after two seasons on the books of the Tarkwa-base side.

In defence, some members of the African Games squad have managed to establish themselves domestically.

Adomako, 21, has become a regular at Aduana Stars, making 24 league appearances in the 2025/26 season after featuring in 21 games in the previous campaign.

David Amuzu, currently with Dreams FC, has had a quieter season with only three appearances so far.

Young defender Maxwell Azafokpe, 19, has gained steady minutes with Inter Allies FC in the second tier, making 16 appearances this season.

One of the standout defensive trajectories belongs to Nana Boakye, 20.

The centre-back has been playing in Europe and even featured five times in the UEFA Europa League with SK Brann, establishing himself as a starter before an injury ruled him out for the remainder of the season.

Another defender from the squad, Aaron Essel, has continued his development overseas.

The 20-year-old has been playing for Sacramento Republic FC after earlier experience in Scotland, and logged 16 appearances in MLS Next Pro in 2025 following 15 outings in Scotland’s top flight the previous season.

Back home, Edwin Kuffour Asamoah, also 20, has maintained consistent involvement with Berekum Chelsea, recording 13 appearances this season.

The midfield group presents a blend of promise and stagnation. Emmanuel Agyei, 21, has been active in European leagues and is currently part of the squad at Dundee United.

Across the past two seasons, he has accumulated league appearances in both Scotland and Israel, producing numbers that analysts describe as encouraging.

Highly rated winger Abdul-Aziz Issah has been gradually breaking into the setup at Barcelona Atlètic, where he has featured in 13 league matches this season after limited appearances in the previous campaign.

However, opportunities have been scarce for others. Frederick Kesse, now 20, is with KF Dinamo Ferizaj but has yet to register a competitive appearance this season after just one outing last year.

His teammate Mahmoud Mohaison, also at Dinamo, has similarly struggled for minutes over the past two seasons.

By contrast, McCarthy Ofori, 21, has quietly built one of the most consistent records among the group.

The midfielder has made 23 league appearances this season for KF Bylis after 21 appearances in the previous campaign.

Up front, the player whose name will forever be tied to Ghana’s African Games triumph continues to move steadily forward.

Afriyie, now 19, has accumulated 29 appearances for RAAL La Louvière this season with seven goal contributions, building on a productive spell in Spain’s third tier the previous year.

Musibau Aziz, another young attacker, is currently at TSV Hartberg but has had limited involvement this season, with only three appearances after playing regularly in Ghana previously.

Back in the Ghana Premier League, Michael Ephson has enjoyed an improved campaign with Heart of Lions FC, scoring six goals in 23 matches after netting once in 16 appearances the previous season.

Emmanuel Mensah, who plays for Sogndal Fotball in Norway’s second division, has recorded 16 league appearances in 2025, though most have come with limited minutes.

Teenager Kelvin Nkrumah continues his development at Medeama SC, making 25 league appearances this season and scoring once after contributing two goals the previous year.

Meanwhile, Hakim Sulemana, 21, has been gaining experience on loan with Hillerød Fodbold in Denmark’s second tier, where he has made 10 league appearances.

Geelan’s review of the squad also highlights the broader picture emerging from the data.

Out of the 20 players in that African Games squad, only two, Boakye and Afriyie are currently regulars at a level widely viewed as close to Ghana national football team standard.

Half of the squad are yet to establish themselves as regulars in senior football, while among those who are playing consistently, five are still based in Ghana.

So far, only three members of the group, Essel, Issah and Afriyie, have earned senior international caps.

Data analysis credit: Scott Geelan (Afro Stat). Ghana-based player statistics courtesy of GHPLLive.

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Meanwhile, watch videos of Ghanaian boxers training ahead of Legacy Rise Sports’ Fightcard.