Jesurun Rak-Sakyi made his long-awaited senior debut for Ghana on Friday night, featuring in the Black Stars’ 2-0 defeat to Mexico in a pre-World Cup friendly at the Estadio Cuauhtémoc in Puebla.
The Crystal Palace winger was named in the starting XI as head coach Carlos Queiroz continues to assess his squad ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Rak-Sakyi found space and service limited in the opening half, with Mexico controlling possession and dictating the tempo of the game.
However, the 23-year-old almost marked his debut in spectacular fashion early in the second half. In the 53rd minute, he unleashed a powerful effort that crashed against the crossbar, coming agonisingly close to opening his international account.
With Ghana chasing the game after Mexico’s strong performance, Rak-Sakyi was substituted in the 66th minute and replaced by Razak Simpson.
The winger remains on the books of Crystal Palace FC and spent parts of last season on loan with Çaykur Rizespor and Stoke City FC as he continues his development in England.
Despite the defeat, Rak-Sakyi’s debut offered encouraging signs of his attacking potential and gave Ghana supporters a glimpse of what he could add to the squad ahead of the World Cup in North America.
