How Popular Ghanaian Actor Convinced Dutch Born Forward to Play for Ghana Revealed

How Popular Ghanaian Actor Convinced Dutch Born Forward to Play for Ghana Revealed

Godwin Nii Armah Tagoe
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:04 PM
  • Edwin Gyasi has confirmed his renowned Kumawood actor Edwin Gyasi helped in convincing him to switch his nationality
  • Gyasi made 19 appearances contributing with an assist for Beitar Jerusalem in the Israeli top-flight
  • The 30-year-old forward has been capped five times by the senior men's national team, scoring once

Dutch-born forward of Ghanaian parentage, Edwin Gyasi has opened up on how famous Ghanaian actor, Kwaku Manu, largely influenced his decision to play for Ghana.

Born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Gyasi was eligible to play for either Ghana or the country of his birth but opted to play for the former.

According to the Beitar Jerusalem winger actor, Kwaku Manu proposed the nationality switch to him and despite his scepticism, he ended up heeding the clarion call.

Edwin Gyasi, Kwaku Manu, Dutch-born, Black Stars, Ghana, Netherlands, nationality switch
Dutch-born Ghanaian forward Edwin Gyasi has disclosed how Kwaku Mnau played an active role in his nationality switch. Photo credit: @Ghanaballers @Hitz1039FM
Source: Twitter
"To be honest, actor Kwaku Manu, who is a close friend came up with the idea of asking, 'don't you want to play for the Black Stars?' And I was like 'Yes, I would love it but I don't know," Gyasi told Kumasi-based Angel FM as quoted by Ghanaweb.

The 30-year-old further disclosed Manu's close association with the then head coach of the Black Stars ensured his dreams of playing for Ghana became a reality.

"He was also close to Kwesi Appiah, so Kwesi Appiah called me and came to watch my match. I scored two goals and that's how I got my call-up," he added.

Edwin will go on to earn his first cap for Ghana in 2017 in a 5-1 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification win over Congo Brazaville.

He would follow up to score his first and only goal for the West African nation in a one-all stalemate with Egypt in a dead-rubber World Cup qualifier at the Cape Coast Stadium on November 12, 2017.

Elvis Manu avails himself as the solution to Ghana's goalscoring conundrum

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Elvis Manu has presented himself as Ghana's answer to the long-standing goalscoring deficiency.

The 28-year-old forward who switched his international allegiance to Ghana in 2015 is yet to play for the Black Stars but reckons he has what it takes to avert the country's goal-shy conundrum.

The four-time African champions have been struggling for goals since Asamoah Gyan fazed out of the Black Stars in 2019 and Manu wants to continue from where Ghana's leading all-time top scorer left off.

Authors
Godwin Nii Armah Tagoe photo
Godwin Nii Armah Tagoe
Godwin Nii Armah Tagoe is a Ligue 1, Bundesliga, and La Liga editor with five-year experience. He previously worked with Sports Corna and 360SportsGH.
Tags
GhanaGhana Football Association (GFA)