Jerome Opoku celebrated a milestone in his burgeoning international career, finding the back of the net for Ghana in a thrilling 2-2 draw against Uganda in a friendly encounter on Tuesday.
The Istanbul Basaksehir defender opened the scoring with a well-placed header from a pinpoint delivery by Jordan Ayew. Unfortunately, the jubilation proved fleeting as Steven Mukwala, who plays for Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko, restored parity for Uganda.
Not discouraged, Ghana regained the upper hand before half-time thanks to a coolly slotted penalty by Ayew after Denis Odoi was fouled inside the area.
Despite persistent attempts to seal the win, Ghana surrendered another goal near full-time, settling for a stalemate instead. With this outcome, Ghana continue searching for their elusive first triumph of 2023.
Born in London, Opoku opted to represent Ghana internationally, earning his inaugural cap versus the United States in October 2023 during a warm-up fixture.
His subsequent outing occurred in last week’s contentious 2-1 loss to Nigeria, where he received a questionable red card. However, playing in a non-competitive setting allowed him to feature prominently in Tuesday’s contest without missing a beat.
Currently plying his trade on loan at Turkish giants Istanbul Basaksehir from Portuguese side Arouca, Opoku has amassed twenty appearances across all competitions, contributing four goals and an assist along the way.
At age 25, the versatile centre-back seems poised for continued growth and development under Otto Addo‘s tutelage.