Ghana coach CK Akonnor has revealed he considered handing a debut to new-kid-on-the-block Abdul Fatawu Issahaku in Saturday’s international friendly with Cote d’Ivoire but was forced to change his mind.
On his second call-up to the Black Stars, the 17-year-old Steadfast sensation watched from the bench as the West Africans succumbed to a 1-0 away loss to Morocco, four days before settling for a 0-0 draw with Cote d’Ivoire.
Issahaku, who has become a personality of interest after being linked to Bayer Leverkusen and Liverpool, will now be looking to September for a possible Ghana debut, having also missed the chance during his first call-up for Africa Cup of Nations qualifying games against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe in March.
“I am amazed by Issahaku’s talent and I was hoping he comes on in the last 10 minutes against Ivory Coast but from the way the game was going, I couldn’t,” Akonnor said, as reported by Footballghana.
“I have had a chat with him and he is already happy to part of the Black Stars.
“He has a great future and he is the hope for the future and I wish him the best of luck.”
Issahaku earned his first call-up for the games against South Africa and Sao Tome on his return from the Africa U20 Cup of Nations in Tanzania where he won the Most Valuable Player award as Ghana won the cup.
Only two months earlier, he had led Ghana to the Wafu B U17 Cup of Nations tournament.
With the Black Stars, the attacker was unlucky not to have made the final squad for the games after training with the side, and was instead shifted on to the B team for an international friendly fixture against Uzbekistan.
In the friendly games, he proved his worth once again, scoring the Black Stars’ only goal in what ended in a 2-1 away defeat.
Last month, the teenager, who plays club football in Ghana’s second division was highly linked to Leverkusen but the deal fell through at the last hour according to reports.
