Aaron Essel, a defender, makes his Black Stars debut in the Unity Cup loss to Nigeria.
During Wednesday night’s 2-1 loss to Nigeria in the Unity Cup semifinal at the GTech Community Stadium in London, young defender Aaron Essel made his senior debut for the Black Stars.
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Head coach Otto Addo gave the 19-year-old a starting position after he had played for Ghana’s U20 team in the 2025 Africa U20 Cup of Nations in Egypt last month. He received his first senior call-up after an outstanding run of play that led to his inclusion.
Early in the game, Essel showed promise while starting in a three-man defense. But after suffering an injury, he was substituted in the 29th minute, with Ghana already behind 2-0 within the first half hour.
Despite the early setback, Essel’s debut is seen as a key milestone in his development, with the technical team expected to monitor his progress ahead of future assignments.
Ghana will now face Trinidad & Tobago in the third-place playoff on Saturday, while Nigeria move on to face Jamaica in the Unity Cup final.
