Ghana striker Jerry Afriyie insisted on his move to Saudi Arabia was made out of a fierce desire to continue his development and help his ambitious new club, rather than the huge monetary gain involved.
A player entering his prime moving to Saudi was unprecedented. Why did he make that decision? What other offers did he have? How good can the Saudi Pro League be to him? And will he return to Europe after his loan spell at CD Lugo? These are some of the questions on the lips of football loving Ghanaians.
The 18-year-old inked a three-and-a-half-year deal from Ghanaian lower side Thought FC.
"I see this project similar to what brought me out. I'm focused on my development and the timing. I think football is doing well everywhere especially here and I must definitely start from somewhere," Afriyie told GHANASoccernet.
"It is in God's hands and I'm willing to play my part," he said when asked about his loan move to Spanish lower side CD Lugo.
His sterling performance for Ghana's U20 team at the 2023 WAFU Zone B Tournament in Togo caught the attention of Black Stars head coach Otto Addo to hand him a call up for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Niger, scoring in that game - where Ghana lost 2-1.
Afriyie was pivotal when GhanA U-20 won the 2024 African Games which was hosted by Ghana, and came out as the tourney's top scorer.
By: Pascal Amoah
