KP Boateng, Kamaldeen, Mo Salisu and 5 Other Ghanaians Who Suffered Relegation This Season

• 2010 World Cup star Kevin-Prince Boateng stars in the list of Ghanaians who experienced relegation this season
• His Hertha Berlin side finished bottom of the Bundesliga table
• Sports Brief takes a look at the top Ghanaian players who suffered the drop with their teams at the end of the 2022-23 season

Football can be rewarding and cruel in equal measure, and some A-list Ghanaian footballers plying their trade across Europe's top five leagues endured the latter following the end of the 2022-23 campaign.

In the Premier League, Daniel Amartey, Mohammed Salisu and Kamaldeen tasted relegation, while the likes of Gideon Mensah and Elisha Owusu suffered a similar fate in France.

Here is the lowdown of the Ghanaian contingent who faced the drop:

Mohammed Salisu - Southampton

Dubbed a Rolls-Royce of a defender, Salisu has been tipped for superstardom in the years to come owing to his near-perfect style of defending interlaced with his flawless passing range and leadership traits.

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In three seasons, Salisu garnered a total of 68 appearances in the English Premier League, including 22 matches this term as the Saints suffered the drop in the just concluded campaign.

Kamaldeen Sulemana - Southampton

In his quest for regular playing time, Ghanaian speed merchant Kamaldeen Sulemana made the switch from Ligue 1 to the Premier League in January, signing for Southampton.

Unfortunately, the Right to Dream Academy graduate struggled to hit the ground running, inadvertently failing to help the Saints stay afloat and maintain their Premier League status.

He made 18 appearances, providing an assist and bagging two goals in Southampton's final game of the season.

Daniel Amartey - Leicester City

Amartey, one of the few players from Leicester City's 2015/16 Premier League-winning team, saw his eight seasons in the English top flight come to a crushing end when the Foxes finished in 18th position with 34 points in a turbulent season.

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He still managed to make 20 appearances for his side and could leave for pastures anew in the closed season with his contract running out this summer.

Felix Afena-Gyan - Cremenose

From playing on the dusty field in his hometown of Berekum, Ghana, to scoring belters in his Serie A debut, Afena-Gyan caught the eye as a budding talent.

However, the forward could not sustain his performance and eventually swapped AS Roma for newly-promoted Cremonese for more minutes, only to suffer relegation in his first full season as a professional.

According to Transfermarkt, the 20-year-old still managed to make 23 appearances while providing a single assist.

Ibrahim Sulemana - Hellas Verona

Still in the Serie A, Ibrahim Sulemana's Hellas Verona missed out on top-flight football by a whisker, suffering relegation on goal difference after clocking the same number of points as Spezia at 31.

It was Sulemana's debut season in the Italian top division and his first campaign as a professional. Nonetheless, the combative midfielder pulled off 16 appearances for the Gialloblu.

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Kevin-Prince Boateng - Hertha Berlin

Veteran Ghanaian midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng was in uncontrollable tears as his boyhood club suffered relegation this season.

Hertha Berlin's relegation to the second tier was confirmed on matchday 33 as they conceded a last-minute equaliser to draw 1-1 with Bochum, finishing rock-bottom of the 18-team league in Germany's top flight.

It remains to be seen if the 2010 World Cup star will continue with Hertha or call it quits in what was an injury-ravaged campaign.

Elisha Owusu - Auxerre

In a similar situation to Prince Boateng, Elisha Owusu endured a difficult campaign back in France after joining Auxerre in the January transfer window.

The nagging nature of his injury - a hamstring contusion - had a toll on his total output for the club, playing just a game, which came in the Coupe de France, Citi Sports reports.

In his absence, his teammates could not stem the tide as Auxerre suffered the drop in a season four clubs were relegated in France due to the decision by LFP to reduce the number of teams to 18 from next season.

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Gideon Mensah - Auxerre

Another Ghanaian who went down was marauding fullback Gideon Mensah. The left-back, cast in the mould of legendary Real Madrid player Marcelo, could not help Auxerre avoid the drop despite his scintillating performance.

The former RB Salzburg defender played the most minutes among his compatriots who suffered relegation - featuring in 26 matches for Auxerre.

Despite his poor goal contribution, Gideon is rated as one of the top performers in his position.