Black Stars head coach Otto Addo has thrown his support behind young forward Felix Afena-Gyan following the striker’s recall to the national team for the 2025 Unity Cup in London.
The Juventus Next Gen attacker returns to the senior national fold for the first time since 2022, joining a 23-man squad for the four-nation tournament which features Ghana, Nigeria, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Afena-Gyan, who burst onto the scene with a memorable debut goal for AS Roma, has endured a less prominent career trajectory in recent years. Nonetheless, Addo believes the 21-year-old still has untapped potential and deserves another opportunity to prove himself on the international stage.
“There are a lot of young players, and he’s also young… he did well, and that’s why we want to give him another chance; he’s still young,” Addo told the press ahead of Ghana’s opening match against Nigeria.
The coach acknowledged that Afena-Gyan’s journey has not gone as smoothly as anticipated, but maintained that setbacks are part of the learning process for every player.
“His career hasn’t been like he expected it to be, but this is normal in football. Sometimes you have ups and sometimes you have downs, and for him, it’s another opportunity for him to show himself,” he added.
Afena-Gyan has netted six goals in 30 appearances for Juventus Next Gen in Italy’s Serie C this season. His inclusion in the Unity Cup squad comes as part of Addo’s broader strategy to assess emerging talent and build squad depth ahead of crucial FIFA World Cup qualifiers later in the year.
The forward is expected to report to Ghana’s camp in London today as the team finalizes preparations for their semifinal clash with rivals Nigeria on Wednesday, May 28, at the Gtech Community Stadium.
The winner of the match will progress to the final on Saturday, May 31, where they will meet the victor of the other semifinal between Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. The losing teams will face off in the third-place playoff.
