Some players face rejection at the early stages of their careers and are not able rise through the ashes but some strike through and become successful.
Some players suffer rejection at some point in their careers and are unable to recover from the fate while others are able to rise through the ashes and stake their claim in football’s glory.
Many Ghanaian players have suffered this fate with only a few grinding through to enjoy a flourishing career.
Below is the top 5 players who were once rejected by Ghana but but went ahead to make it big on the football stage.
#1. Gerald Asamoah
Did you know that Asamoah once sat on Ghana’s bench but was not allowed to play during a FIFA World Cup qualifying game? Yes! Gerald Asamoah was invited for the first time along with Otto Addo but the Schalke O4 legend was overlooked because of his style of play. After being rejected by Ghana the attacking workhorse set his sights on Germany and went ahead to win two FIFA World Cup medals with the European giants after playing in the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cup tournaments. Asamoah was born in the Ashanti regional town of Mampong.
#. 2 Thomas Partey
In May 2013, 19-year-old Thomas Partey flew from Spain to train with the Ghana U20 squad that was preparing for the FIFA World Cup. However after training with the squad for a couple of days head coach Sellas Tetteh deemed the defensive midfielder unfit for purpose and rejected him. Disappointed and gutted Partey returned to his base in Spain to join his Atletico Madrid C side. Seven years on, the midfielder has risen to fame on the world arena and is one of the most talked about players on the transfer market with Arsenal angling to sign him.
#.3 Mohammed Salisu
The 21-year-old is the most talked about central defender on the European transfer market with Manchester United, Atletico de Madrid and Juventus all linked to him. The Real Valladolid player has a release clause of around €12m which has risen to the region of €15m. The young footballer from Africa has achieved all this without kicking a ball for Ghana at any level. Before Salisu joined Valladolid he was offered to the Ghana U17 and U20 but he was outrightly rejected by his nation. He is yet to respond to a call up to Ghana’s senior national team by dodging Kwasi Appiah and C K Akonnor twice.
#. 4 Ibrahim Salou
Ghana failed to secure a visa for the goal talisman when he was in his prime and firing goals in all cylinders. Salou spent just two season’s at Wandsbek 81 scoring 32 goals in just 26 appearances before Belgian outfit Turnhout came calling in June 2000, he joined them for a fee just in excess of 100,000 Euros. The then 21-year-old made the move to Belgium and quickly established himself as the club’s tops marksman netting 29 goals in 50 appearances in four seasons. He attained Belgian nationality prior to his move to Kortrijk in 2006 and banged in 10 goals in 28 appearances. The subsequent season saw him moving to Zulte Waregem where he managed 9 goals in 28 games. A goal he scored against Fulham at the Craven Cottage in the Europa League is regarded as one of the greatest.
#.5 Wakaso Mubarak/Ishmael Yartey
Did you know that Wakaso Mubarak was once rejected by Ghana? Yes! The 29-year-old Jiangsu Suning star was rejected by Ghana U20 coach Sellas Tetteh along with winger Ishmael Yartey in the triumphant 2009 U20 squad. Both players trained with the team until they were left out of the final squad. The rejection didn’t buck down the workaholic midfielder as he rose to represent Ghana at senior level including playing in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He has represented clubs in Spain’s La Liga Santander like Espanyol, Villarreal, Elche FC, Las Palmas and Deportivo Alavés.