• Home
  • Gallery
  • Players Abroad
Wednesday, February 1, 2023
Ghana Sports Online
  • Home
  • Sports
    • Athletic
    • Boxing
    • Football
    • Others
    • Tennis
  • News
  • Players Abroad
  • Ghana Premier League
    • Bechem United
    • Berekum Chelsea
    • Dwarfs
    • League Table
    • Hearts of Oak
    • Inter Allies
    • Kotoko
    • Liberty Profs
    • Medeama
    • Legon Cities FC
  • National Teams
    • Black Queens
    • Black Stars
    • U17
    • U20
    • U23
  • Media Gallery
    • Videos
    • Gallery/Pictures
  • Division One
    • Zone 1
    • Zone 2
    • Zone 3
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Sports
    • Athletic
    • Boxing
    • Football
    • Others
    • Tennis
  • News
  • Players Abroad
  • Ghana Premier League
    • Bechem United
    • Berekum Chelsea
    • Dwarfs
    • League Table
    • Hearts of Oak
    • Inter Allies
    • Kotoko
    • Liberty Profs
    • Medeama
    • Legon Cities FC
  • National Teams
    • Black Queens
    • Black Stars
    • U17
    • U20
    • U23
  • Media Gallery
    • Videos
    • Gallery/Pictures
  • Division One
    • Zone 1
    • Zone 2
    • Zone 3
No Result
View All Result
Ghana Sports Online
No Result
View All Result

From Atletico Madrid to warming the bench in Tajikistan – the story of a one-time promising Ghanaian midfielder now playing in the AFC Cup

In 2012, Atletico Madrid acquired the young Ghanaian talent to join their U19 ranks as the Colchoneros focused their scouting attention on West Africa.

by El Akyereko
June 25, 2022
Benjamin Asamoah at Atletico Madrid in 201213 season

Benjamin Asamoah at Atletico Madrid in 201213 season

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Rather more surprisingly former Atletico Madrid youth midfielder Benjamin Asamoah had to sit on the substitute bench until the last 9 minutes of regulation time before being offered a cameo, replacing Komron Ibrokhimov at the Pamir Stadium.
In 2012, Atletico Madrid acquired the young Ghanaian talent to join their U19 ranks as the Colchoneros focused their scouting attention on West Africa.

It was just a year earlier that Thomas Partey also arrived in the Spanish capital from the Ghanaian side Tema Youth Sporting Club as well as central midfielder Isaac Nana, also from Ghana.

During the 2013/14 season, the Atletico B squad had established names like Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who is the first choice goalkeeper at Sevilla. Bayern Munich’s Lucas Hernández was 17 at the time and his talent wasn’t by any measure close to that of the Ghanaian youngster.

In 2013 Asamoah was 19 and travelled to Turin where he was one of the standout players in a U19 championship that featured most of Europe’s elite clubs. The talent of the Ghanaian youngster earned him the admiration of legendary Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo while Chilean Arturo Vidal and Ghanaian Kwadwo Asamoah inspired him to aim for greatness.

However, 9 years after this iconic meeting, Asamoah finds himself warming the bench in Tajikistan. The 28-year-old recently joined CSKA Pomir Dushanbe who compete in the VYSSHAYA LIGA – the country’s top-flight league.

In the first round of the AFC Cup, he was picked in the matchday squad by Iranian manager Amin Subhoni along with his compatriot Aminu Idriss. While Idriss started in a 3-4-3 system in the mountainous region Asamoah was left on the bench.

A calamitous own-goal from forward Elchibek Rashidbekov almost consigned the visitors to a defeat however Abdullo Sharipov snatched the leveller for his side within stoppage-time.

Asamoah’s involvement in the game span across just the 9 minutes of regulation and the stoppage time that produced the two goals scored in the game.

So what could contribute to such a systematic drop in the prospect and decline in quality?

After leaving Atletico Madrid at the end of the 2015/16 season, the youngster moved to the autonomous region of Catalonia to sign for Centre d’Esports l’Hospitalet – a club that presently competes in the Tercera División RFEF – the fifth-tier of Spanish football.

The spell in the fifth division took him just a season he moved 3,300 kilometers ahead to Cyprus to join Doxa Katokopias in the First Division League. Asamoah has been playing there since 2017 and has recently transited to Central Asia to pursue a career that is on the decline.

Yes indeed, some of Asamoah’s teammates at Atletico Madrid B in 2013 like Teo Tirado, Momar Ndoye, and Víctor Mongil are clubless, but those who saw the quality in him would be shockprised at his system fall from a dream of a European elite level to the lows of warming the rugged substitute bench in Tajikistan.

ShareTweetPin
El Akyereko

El Akyereko

Akyereko is an outstanding journalist with background in radio, television and online with almost a decade and half experience.

Related Posts

Flyer for Msport
Sports

Major European League winner Odds and Predictions

January 31, 2023
Charles-Jesaja Hermann scored for NAC Breda
Players Abroad

VIDEO: Watch 1000s of NAC Breda fans falling in love and chanting with CK Akonnor’s son Charles-Jesaja Hermann

January 30, 2023
Charles-Jesaja Hermann scored again for NAC Breda
Players Abroad

VIDEO: Watch the goal and dance moves of CK Akonnor’s son, Charles-Jesaja Hermann, after scoring 3rd goal in 4 games in Holland

January 30, 2023
C.K Akonnor's son scores again for NAC Breda
Players Abroad

CK Akonnor’s son Charles-Jesaja Hermann scores 3rd goal in 4 games in Holland

January 30, 2023
Load More
Next Post
Hearts of Oak beat Bechem United to win the MTN FA Cup. Photo credit: Frank Darkwah

Hearts of Oak beat Bechem United in thrilling MTN FA Cup final in Kumasi

Upcoming Fixtures

DateEventTime/ResultsVenue

GPL 2021/2022

PosTeamPWDLPts
1Kotoko341910567
2Medeama SC341681056
3Bechem Utd341315654
4Karela United341313852
5Gt. Olympics3412121048
6Hearts of Oak3412121048
7AshantiGold341381347
8B. Chelsea3412111147
9Legon Cities3411131046
10Gold Stars341441646
11Aduana Stars3411121145
12Accra Lions341291345
13Dreams FC3411111244
14King Faisal341261642
15R.T.U3410111341
16XI Wonders3410101440
17WAFA SC348111535
18Elmina Sharks34582123

Latest Items

Flyer for Msport

Major European League winner Odds and Predictions

January 31, 2023
Charles-Jesaja Hermann scored for NAC Breda

VIDEO: Watch 1000s of NAC Breda fans falling in love and chanting with CK Akonnor’s son Charles-Jesaja Hermann

January 30, 2023
Charles-Jesaja Hermann scored again for NAC Breda

VIDEO: Watch the goal and dance moves of CK Akonnor’s son, Charles-Jesaja Hermann, after scoring 3rd goal in 4 games in Holland

January 30, 2023
C.K Akonnor's son scores again for NAC Breda

CK Akonnor’s son Charles-Jesaja Hermann scores 3rd goal in 4 games in Holland

January 30, 2023
  • Home
  • Gallery
  • Players Abroad
Call us: +233 800 800 500

© 2020 - Ghana Sports Online

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Sports
    • Athletic
    • Boxing
    • Football
    • Others
    • Tennis
  • News
  • Players Abroad
  • Ghana Premier League
    • Bechem United
    • Berekum Chelsea
    • Dwarfs
    • League Table
    • Hearts of Oak
    • Inter Allies
    • Kotoko
    • Liberty Profs
    • Medeama
    • Legon Cities FC
  • National Teams
    • Black Queens
    • Black Stars
    • U17
    • U20
    • U23
  • Media Gallery
    • Videos
    • Gallery/Pictures
  • Division One
    • Zone 1
    • Zone 2
    • Zone 3

© 2020 - Ghana Sports Online