Mario Balotelli names Stephen Appiah, Sulley Muntari as his Ghanaian football idols

Former Italy striker Mario Balotelli has revealed that two of Ghana's most celebrated footballers, Stephen Appiah and Sulley Muntari, were the players he admired most during his career.

Speaking in an interview with beIN SPORTS, Balotelli said Appiah was the first Ghanaian player he looked up to before his admiration for Muntari grew after they became teammates in Italy.

"I used to love Stephen Appiah," Balotelli said

when asked if there were any Ghanaian players he aspired to emulate.

"Then I played with Sulley Muntari. These two are the players I looked up to the most”he added .

https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/SportsArchive/Morocco-beat-Netherlands-to-reach-last-16-of-World-Cup-2041114

Balotelli explained that sharing the dressing room with Muntari at both Inter Milan and AC Milan gave him an even greater appreciation of the former Black Stars midfielder's qualities.

"Especially Sulley because we played together at Inter, we played together at Milan," he said.

The former Manchester City and AC Milan forward also praised Muntari's fearsome left foot, describing it as one of the midfielder's standout attributes.

"Shooting on his left foot... man, that's crazy. He can shoot from anywhere," Balotelli remarked.

Watch the video below:

🎥 🇬🇭 Mario Balotelli says he looked up to former Black Stars players Stephen Appiah and Sulley Muntari during his career.#CitiSports (Credit: @beINSPORTS) pic.twitter.com/G10Ipic74y

— Citi Sports (@CitiSportsGHA) July 1, 2026