Ghana defender Nathaniel Adjei has revealed winning the U20 Africa Cup of Nations with the Black Satellites opened doors in his young career.
At just 16 years old, Adjei was part of Karim Zito’s squad that represented Ghana at the U20 AFCON in Mauritania.
The defender played a crucial role in the group stage featuring in all three group games before picking up an injury that saw him miss the knockout stage.
The Black Satellites went on to beat Uganda 2-0 in the final and Adjei believes that triumph changed the trajectory of his career.
“I’ve played in the U17, U20, and U23 but winning the AFCON was the biggest step for me in my career. It’s not easy to go into a tournament and win the ultimate. That year we had the opportunity to win and it opened a lot of doors for me. I had a couple of offers outside and then in the end I ended up in France. That tournament improved my career,” he told 3Sports.
Now plying his trade at Lorient in Ligue 1, Nathaniel Adjei has received his debut Black Stars call-up and will join Otto Addo’s squad ahead of the friendlies against Nigeria and Uganda. It’s an opportunity the young defender is looking forward to.
“I’ve always been looking forward to that adventure. As a young player, you need to work harder to reach higher heights. I have been working hard and I am pleased.”
Ghana will face Nigeria on March 22 before playing Uganda four days later in Morocco. Adjei will be looking to make his debut for the national team.