The numbers behind Ghana's 23-man squad

fiifi anaman

January 6, 2017 3:14 PM

Pulse Sports takes you through the stats behind Avram Grant's final squad for the 2017 AFCON in Gabon

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---The team has an average age of 25 years.

Al Ahli's Asamoah Gyan (31), is the oldest, while Schalke 04's Bernard Tekpetey (19) is the youngest.

---The most capped player in the team is captain Asamoah Gyan (97). If he features in all three group D games in Gabon, he would have reached a century of caps - which would make him the first Ghanaian player to be on record as having reached that milestone.

READ MORE: AFCON 2017

---The second most capped player in squad member is Emmanuel Agyemang Badu, who is capped 73 times.

---Seven players within the team have never featured in an AFCON game before. These are Richard Ofori (Goalkeeper); Andy Yiadom, Edwin Gyimah (Defenders); Ebenezer Ofori, Samuel Tetteh (midfielders); and Bernard Tekpetey, Ebenezer Assifuah (strikers). Between them, these players have 20 caps.

---Ghana's striking force (Asamoah Gyan, Andre Ayew, Jordan Ayew, Ebenezer Assifuah and Bernard Tekpetey) have managed 9 goals combined this season in all competitions at their various clubs. Meanwhile, Raphael Dwamena and Majeed Waris, the two strikers dropped from the provisional squad by coach Avram Grant, have scored 26 goals between them at their clubs. However, with regards to international goals, Ghana's striking department has 71 goals - with Asamoah Gyan alone contributing 48 (he is the all-time top scorer of the Black Stars).

READ MORE: AFCON 2017

---Asamoah Gyan will be playing in his 6th AFCON. No other Ghanaian player has played in that many AFCONs. Closely following Gyan are Harrison Afful, Emmanuel Agyemang Badu and Andre Ayew: the trio will be playing in their fifth AFCON tournaments.

---Two players within the squad play for the same club (Jonathan Mensah and Harrison Afful, Columbus Crewe, U.S.A).

---Five players within the squad (Razak Brimah - Cordoba, Spain; John Boye - Sivasspor, Turkey; Andy Yiadom - Barnsley, England; Christian Atsu -Newcastle United, England; Samuel Tetteh - FC Liefering, Austria; and Jordan Ayew - Aston Villa, England) play for lower tier sides.

READ MORE: Black Stars

---There are only two Ghana-based players within the squad: Richard Ofori - Wa All Stars and Fatau Dauda - Ashanti Gold).

---England is the country that produced the most players (4). This is followed by Germany, Italy, U.S.A and Spain, who produced two players each.

---A total of 18 players (78%) within the squadplay their club football in Europe.

--- Only five players - 22% (Asamoah Gyan - Al Ahli, UAE; Jonathan Mensah and Harrison Afful - Columbus Crewe, USA; Fatau Dauda - Ashanti Gold, Ghana; Richard Ofori - Wa All Stars, Ghana; Edwin Gyimah - Orlando Pirates, South Africa) play for clubs outside Europe.

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fiifi anaman