Sixteen years ago, Ghana shocked the world by beating Brazil to win the 2009 Fifa u-20 World Cup.
That was Ghana’s first win in the competition having come runners-up twice, in 1993 and 2001, but what was most impressive was that the win came after the Ghanaians had missed the previous three editions of the tournament.
The youngsters had an exciting route to the final. They smashed England 4-0 in the group stage, were denied a perfect record by a stoppage-time equaliser from future Hull City star Abel Hernandez in the final group game, needed an extra-time winner against South Africa in the round-of-16, went through consecutive five-goal-thrillers in the quarters and semis before their only scoreless display of the tournament: 0-0 in the final against Brazil where they won 4-3 on penalties.
That was an impressive Brazil squad featuring the likes of Douglas Costa, Alex Teixeira and the once-masterful Ganso. Yet Ghana took them down in dramatic fashion. But while some of those Brazilians have gone on to greatness (and others, like Alan Kardec, less so), what has happened to the Ghana side that triumphed in Cairo?
Where are they now? We had a look.
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Daniel Agyei
Goalkeeper, 35
Daniel Agyei only kept two clean sheets in the entire tournament, one against England and another in the final. But he showed his true brilliance in the shootout itself when he made two massive saves, first to stop Brazil going 4-2 up, and then again in sudden death to deny Alex Teixeira and put Ghana on the verge of victory. Fittingly for such a lion-hearted performance, he has previously played for Tanzanian club, Simba, although he now represents Dutch amateur club SV Robinhood Amsterdam. Agyei also made five appearances for Ghana’s senior national team.
Samuel Inkoom
Right-back, 36
Samuel Inkoom is of the better-known members of this U-20 side due to his long career with the senior national team, making 44 appearances. He also made his way across Europe during his career, representing the likes of Basel, Dnipro, Boavista and Antalyaspor. Inkoom did have to take a career break in 2017, serving a one-year ban over an unpaid debt to his former agent. He retired in 2023.
Jonathan Mensah
Centre-back, 35
A supreme defensive talent when at his best, Jonathan Mensah always had consistency issues, however. He missed a penalty in the final shootout but went on to have a long and successful career with the Black Stars (making 70 appearances). He also played for a few European sides before moving to the USA where he became an established member of the Columbus Crew. Mensah is still active but currently without a club, moving from Columbus to the San Jose Earthquakes and then New England Revolution.
Daniel Addo
Centre-back, 36
Daniel Addo was sent off just before half-time in the final, meaning his compatriots had to play well over an hour with 10 men. That seemed to dampen his standing as he never really made any great waves after that in both the club and international games. He retired in 2020 after spending the final three years of his career in India.
David Addy
Left-back, 35
David Addy was a promising young wing-back who made a huge step just one year after the final by joining Porto. Unfortunately, he became part of their loan army and never established himself. Addy had a decent career in Portugal with Vitoria, winning the 2013 Taca de Portugal. He retired in 2023 having had fleeting spells at a number of cross across the world.
Mohammed Rabiu
Midfielder, 35
A rock-solid defensive midfielder with real potential to become quite something. Mohammed Raiu joined Sampdoria, then Udinese, and became part of their loan army. Rabiu didn’t make it in Italy but played really well in Russia for Kuban. He retired in 2021, last playing for Russian club Tambov
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Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu
Midfielder, 34
A genuinely magnificent footballer, Agyemang-Badu quickly joined Udinese (they were clearly watching the 2009 tournament) a year after Cairo, where he scored the winning penalty, and unlike his compatriots, became a stalwart presence for them. Agyemang-Badu stepped right into the heart of midfield and ran the show in a team that was stacked with talent, including Antonio Di Natale and Alexis Sanchez. He came close to winning the Africa Cup of Nations twice with the senior side (2010 and 2015) and earned 76 caps overall. After leaving Italy Agyemang-Badu had spells in China and Ghana before retiring in 2023.
Abeiku Quansah
Winger, 34
Abeiku Quansah was a bright young winger. He scored in the semi-final win over Hungary (having sat out the quarter-final victory). Quansah never became a household name, however, and went four years without a club between 2014 and 2018. He returned to football with DC Motema Pembe but retired in 2019.
Andre Ayew
Winger, 35
The big man himself. Son of Abedi Pele, no one would have forgiven Andrew Ayew if he struggled to live up to the awesome legacy left by his father. But not only has Ayew forged his own legacy but he’s done so with consistent style and class. Ayew became a legend for Marseille before globetrotting around Europe in the last few years. He’s won the BBC African Player of the Year award (in 2011) and played 120 times for the Black Stars. An absolute icon, Ayew is currently without a club.
Ransford Osei
Striker, 34
Ransford Osei was meant to be a lethal striker but that potential never crystallized. He was playing for Maccabi Haifa when the tournament was won (where he didn’t score a single goal and was subbed off the final) but from there, his career never took off. Osei bounced around various clubs before retiring in 2018.
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Dominic Adiyiah
Striker, 35
Dominic Adiyiah absolutely devastated the 2009 tournament, scoring in all but two of the matches and bagging five of his eight goals in the knockout rounds. He was held scoreless in the final but still bagged the crucial must-score penalty to send the shootout to sudden death. Adiyiah signed for AC Milan in 2009 and things seemed to be moving in the right direction, but he never actually played a single minute for them. He barely played for the senior side as well. He retired in 2021, with his last club Chiangmai United in Thailand.
Ghandy Kassenu
Defender, 36
Ghandy Kassenu came off the bench as Ghana looked to tighten up their defence as the match wore down. He did his job, but that was the height of his career. After that, he pottered around various clubs and retired in 2018.
Bright Addae
Midfielder, 32
Bright Addae was the prodigy of the group, being just 16 years old at the time of the tournament. He joined Parma a year after the tournament and probably hoped to be the next big star but in the end, he spent the next four years being loaned around as Parma had run out of non-EU registration spots. He eventually joined Ascoli, where he played for five years, notching over 155 games. Addae is still in Italy, ac fourth-tier side AC Nardo.
Agyemang Opoku
Forward, 36
Agyemang Opoku was a strange figure. By the time the tournament rolled around in 2009, he had already moved abroad to Al-Sadd in Qatar. He moved around a few clubs, including Levski Sofia and then Kfar Saba. He even played 10 times for the Ghanaian national side. Opoku retired in 2015.
