Ghanaian defender Daniel Opare joined his third Belgian Club in the early hours of Friday when he signed for Zulte Waregem. Over the years, the European country has been a safe haven for many footballers from Ghana with some using there as a stepping stone to get bigger contracts elsewhere whilst others also attained cult status in the Jupiler league.
Sports writer Edmund Okai Gyimah takes a look at five best Ghanaian players who made their mark in the Jupiler Pro League.
5-Eric Addo (Club Brugge)
Addo signed for Club Brugge from then Ghanaian lower-tier side Noble Arrics on July 1, 1995 and rose to become a key member of the team in the subsequent years. The lanky Ghanaian international rotated between the central defence and defensive midfield positions. He excelled greatly in the Jupiler league and won the young player of the year award twice.
Addo played 75 times for Club Brugge, scoring seven goals and providing five assists before PSV bought him for 5 Million Euros in July 1999.
4-Frank Acheampong (Anderlecht)
The left-winger joined Anderlecht from Thai Premier League side Buriram United for a record fee of $1 Million in January 2013 and quickly established himself as a first team regular. The former Berekum Chelsea player went on to make 165 appearances for the club scoring 22 goals and providing 21 assists.
He won two League titles with Anderlecht before leaving the club for Chinese side Tianjin TEDA in 2018 in a $4M deal.
3- Daniel Opare (Standard Liege, Royal Antwerp)
The Black Stars defender joined his third Belgium club in the shape of Zulte Waregem on Friday as he seeks to get his career back on track after an uninspiring spell with Royal Antwerp.
The lateral defender has so far amassed 143 appearances in the Belgian topflight with two clubs scoring one goal and providing fourteen assists. He previously won the Belgian Cup with Standard Liege.
2- Ibrahim Salou (Zulte Waregem, Club Brugge)
At his prime over a decade ago, Salou was the most feared striker in Belgium, a typical number 9 with great physique and eye for goal, he was the cynosure of all eyes after netting 13 goals in 38 games for Zulte Waregem. All the big clubs in Belgium including Anderlecht were after his signature but he opted for Club Brugge.
However, he managed just seven goals in 59 games and was shipped off to Vejle Bodklub in Denmark. He returned to Belgium later in his career featuring for OH Leuven as well at Turnhout.
1-Nana Akwasi Asare (Royal Antwerp, KV Mechelen, Gent)
Undoubtedly the best Ghanaian player in the history of Belgian football, the left-back has been the most dominant African player in the Jupiler league over the past years. He also captained Gent for four years before voluntarily handing the band to Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe at the beginning if this ended season.
Asare has made a whooping 267 appearances in Belgian football for three clubs scoring four goals and providing fourteen assists. Earlier this month, he was named by Gent in their best eleven players for the past decade.
