In terms of the best playmakers Ghana have produced in recent years, Kwadwo Asamoah arguably stands tall and probably could be the best in the 21st century.
A magical midfielder who gets past his markers with ease
Read full articleand opens up the defence with starring passes. It does not matter where the attacker is positioned; Kwadwo Asamoah will thread through the pass. The weight of it and the finesse with which he makes the pass is always pleasing to the eye.
Kwadwo Asamoah playing behind Asamoah Gyan in the Black Stars was mesmerising. A duo that Ghanaians will pay every penny to watch.
Kwadwo Asamoah announced his retirement on Wednesday, October 5, 2022, bringing an end to his 16-year professional career.
He has concluded the chapter on a trophy-filled career that saw him amass 13 titles.
He hung up his boots as the joint second-most successful Ghanaian footballer in history. He is tied on the list with former Chelsea midfielder, Michael Essien and two trophies behind former Bayern Munich defender, Samuel Osei Kuffour.
Despite all the glories he chalked, there is that feeling that Kwadwo Asamoah had a high ceiling and could have been bigger than what he turned out to be.
A player, former Black Stars skipper Stephen Appiah, was stunned by his talent and labelled him as the golden boy of the national team.
"His skill to adapt to all roles, the midfield and on the left wing make it valuable.
"He started making a case with Ghana and has become one of the strongest in the world. He is a golden boy."
During his youth days, he was named after football icon, Diego Amando Maradona.
With Asamoah's sweet left foot, vision, and incredible dribbling abilities, there was no other player whose talent matched that of the great Maradona.
He brought a magnificent creative spark to the Black Stars. During his early years in the national team, He was the fans' favourite for his enterprising football.
His performance at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations encapsulates an incredible playmaker who pieces the opposition with his passes to find attackers.
He created 2 of the 4 goals Ghana scored at the 2010 tournament. One from a pinpoint corner against Nigeria and the other from a gorgeous through pass to Asamoah Gyan that left Angola's defence in shambles.
To many, Kwadwo Asamoah's performance at the tournament is his best in national colours.
Kwadwo Asamoah's failure to reach his full potential is down to a change in positional and injuries.
The former Liberty Professionals player had his peak years troubled with consistent injuries.
After completing his big move to Italian giants Juventus in 2012 from Udinese, he could only enjoy injury-free football for two seasons before the dark clouds came hanging.
He had a breakthrough during his first two seasons and commanded a starting berth.
He picked up his first injury in November 2014 against Empoli. The match was the 10th game of the 2014/15 season and Asamoah returned at the tail end of the term.
His injury then became consistent, and he could not get back into the starting eleven until he finally departed in 2018.
He later joined Inter Milan and continued to battle with consistent slight injuries. At Inter he played 40 matches in two years before joining Cagliari when he only played 9 matches.
Aside from the injuries, Kwadwo Asamoah was handed a new role at Juventus as a left-wing back. A position that required more defending and made room for a little offensive work.
Although he perfected his role, his playmaking skills, vision, and incredible dribbling all flew into thin air.
The dazzling Kwadwo Asamoah was no more as he was turned into more of a defender and the situation was the same at the Black Stars. Even with the national team, he played as a left-back.
His change in position undoubtedly affected his rise and injuries made his situation worse.
Kwadwo Asamoah could have been the highest-rated Ghanaian player in Europe and barely got the recognition he deserves due to the above reasons.
Nonetheless, he had an enviable career, winning six Serie A titles, four Coppa Italia trophies, and three Italian Super Cups.
Watch this week's episode of GhanaWeb Sports Debate below:
Former Black Stars midfielder, Kwadwo Asamoah
