Black Stars captain Jordan Ayew has showered praise on Antoine Semenyo following the forward’s remarkable club campaign, expressing confidence that the striker can carry his fine form onto the international stage as Ghana prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Semenyo heads into the tournament on the back of a sensational season that has elevated his status among the Premier League’s elite performers. His impressive displays earned him a place in Ghana’s final 26-man squad for the global showpiece set to be staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The forward enjoyed a breakthrough campaign after completing a January switch from AFC Bournemouth to Manchester City, finishing the league season with 17 goals and securing a nomination for the Premier League Player of the Season award.
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Speaking to reporters ahead of Ghana’s international friendly against Wales in Cardiff, Ayew highlighted Semenyo’s growth and commitment, insisting his success has come as no surprise to those within the national team setup:
“He’s darn brilliant. We all know this is in his heart since he’s been at Bournemouth. He took it to City, and the fans are proud of him, the boys are proud of him.”
Ayew also stressed that Ghana’s ambitions at the World Cup will depend on collective effort rather than individual brilliance, while expressing hope that Semenyo can continue to play a key role for the Black Stars:
“So we just hope that he’ll keep on doing it and doing it for Ghana. It’s not that he’s [only] performing, we’re all performing as a team. We’re good, we’re happy.”
Ghana will continue their World Cup preparations with a friendly against Wales at Cardiff City Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 18:45 GMT.
The four-time African champions will then face Jamaica on June 10 in their final warm-up fixture before turning their focus to Group L of the World Cup, where they have been drawn alongside Panama, England and Croatia.
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The Black Stars begin their campaign against Panama on June 17 at BMO Field, before taking on England on June 23. Their group-stage journey concludes with a clash against Croatia on June 27 as they seek a place in the knockout rounds.
