Centre-backs plays vital roles in the victory or defeat of a club. They provide structure, shape and solidity to the rest of the team, as well as a calming and authoritative reassurance. Centre-backs turn up to work, do their job and go home. No thrills. No fancy accessories.
The Ghanaian Premier League has treated us to some of the finest defenders in football history for decades, and plenty of them have washed up on Ghana’s glorious shores. The current campaign is no exception.
And this got us thinking: Who are the best centre-backs in the Premier League? After banging our heads together for several days, dozens of in-office scraps and exactly five broken friendships, we have come to our conclusions.
Without further ado, here they are: kickgh.com’s best centre- backs in the Ghanaian Premier League.
Nurudeen Abdulai- (Medeama)
Defending is typically a functional pursuit; the aim is to quite literally stop other people realising the principal objective of football. Unlike most, Abdulai is a defender you would actually want to watch.The defender is an aesthetic joy, marrying natural style with an oft-overlooked level of substance.
Abdulai is a technically gifted defender who is quick across the turf, which, although he’s no pushover himself, makes him a superb candidate to play alongside a more dominating partner. On top of his ability as a player, the 18-year-old is known to have a phenomenal temperament. He has scored 2 goals for the Mauves and Yellows.
His reading of the game is so good that he can anticipate situations before they escalate but, if he does get into danger, he can always rely on his long stride to get him out of trouble. Abdulai is a mature performer and leadership comes naturally to him.
Stephen Anokye Badu (Aduana Stars)
The intelligent defender is one of the reasons why Aduana Stars are topping the table. Physically brave almost to the point of foolishness, crunching in the tackle, a fine passer with both feet, brilliant positionally, the on-pitch symbol of Stephen Anokye Badu’s brilliant Aduana Stars team. His quickness over short areas is impressive, and while he can be aggressive at times, he is never out of control of his own actions. His defensive prowess and desire to win is undeniable.
The Aduana Stars skipper is a leader, the kind of player others look up to and improve upon their game to impress. With him in the side, the technical team of his club knows the other teammates will perform because he wouldn’t have it otherwise.
Caleb Amankwah (Hearts)
There was a time when Caleb Amankwah looked firmly out of the picture at Hearts, with the likes of Mohammed Alhassan and Robert Addo Sowah all ahead in the pecking order.
However, he won favour again with Slavko Matic and his versatility at right back means he's never too far away from the starting XI at the club.
Having a strong stature, a good vision, a self-confident personality, Amankwah is a prototypical rock at the back whose general quality on the ball play is a striking feature when watching him play with the ability to comfortably play out from the back and complete long-range passes. And while he is astute on the ball, he remains more than capable off it in defensive situations.
What is perhaps most striking is his ability as a ball carrier, which means that he can move into midfield in possession and help start attacks for his own team, as well as repel them from the opponents. On his day, he could man-mark literally any forward out of any game and still have time to come out of defence with the ball and probably set up a goal with a defence splitting pass or find the back of the net. He has scored 2 goals in 16 appearances.
Vincent Atinga (Medeama)
Vincent Atinga is excellent at sniffing out danger and has impressed at Medeama since his arrival in 2021. While not the best with the ball at his feet, Atinga is always switched on at the back and likes to make the first move when winning the ball back. His tactical awareness and presence in the air mark him out as a major force to contend with. Atinga has been a truly transformative figure in Medeama’s defence.
He is a battering ram of a defender who's about as easy to pass as a Master’s degree in quantum mechanics. While there are other defenders more well-rounded than Atinga, there are few, if any, as a striker you'd rather not come up against. He oozes an almost arrogant demeanour that suggests 'you will not get the better of me'. Fact is, few ever do.
Kofi Agbesimah (Bechem United)
The Bechem United man is more than an easy on the eye defender though and his positional sense, strength and aerial prowess makes him a tough man to get the better of. Agbesimah is a technically gifted defender who is quick across the turf, which, although he’s no pushover himself, makes him a superb candidate to play alongside a more dominating partner.
He is so comfortable on the ball he almost makes the game look too easy but he’s more than capable of dealing with the ‘kick it, head it’ side of the game as well.
David Oppong Afrane (King Faisal)
David Oppong Afrane is incredibly gifted in possession and a key component in starting attacks from defence. He’s also shown the capability to play at full-back due to his speed, and also in defensive midfield given his ability on the ball.
He excels well with the ball at his feet and also confident enough to play passes between the lines and is always looking to get the ball quickly. His composure is terrific- a perfect mix of Thiago Siva and Lisandro Martinez. Being naturally two-footed is another great quality, which is rather rare among stoppers. He may not have the hype and experience but his talent has never been in doubt.
Yussif Mohammed Nuru Deen (RTU)
The inclusion of Nuru Deen this high up the list is proof that, no matter how the game has changed, defending is the most important thing for a defender. That isn’t to say Nuru Deen is bad with the ball at his feet.
He is all about power, aggression and tenacity with his ball winning ability – probably – second to none in the league. Nothing epitomises the solidity he brings to a team than the fragility that RTU have shown without him at the heart of their back four.
He's been a block of granite at the back throughout the season so far, and will serve as the steady foundation on which they build in the years to come.
There you have it, our view on the best centre-backs in the Ghanaian top-flight league. What are your thoughts? Let us know below.
