Ghana attacker Emmanuel Gyasi is relishing the opportunity of facing idol Cristiano Ronaldo at the World Cup but acknowledges he would have to work as hard as possible to earn a spot on the Black Stars plane to Qatar.
The Spezia winger has never hidden his admiration for the Portugal star, who he has had the privilege of meeting when the now Manchester United forward played for Juventus in the Italian Serie A.
At the World Cup, Ghana has been drawn in Group H which also features Portugal, Uruguay, and South Korea.
“If I get the call-up, it would be a beautiful moment,” Gyasi told GOAL.
“I dreamt of playing against him [Ronaldo] in Serie A and we had a good conversation, so if we meet again at the World Cup, I don’t know – I could stop playing football and retire happy!
“That [to meet Ronaldo again at the World Cup] is the dream!”
While Ghana’s flight to Qatar is secure, Gyasi’s spot on the travelling contingent is far from confirmed.
The Italy-born attacker of Ghanaian parentage made his international debut in March last year, going on to add two more appearances in June.
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Having since received no further national call-ups, his job to get himself into the World Cup squad is pretty much cut out.
“I always work so hard to try to achieve my goals. I’m always trying to improve, in every game, in every training session,” said the 28-year-old.
“So, I’ll give it everything I have and if the coach thinks I can help the team, it would be fantastic to be called up. I would be so happy. But even if I don’t get to go to Qatar, I’ll still support the team from home. It wouldn’t be a problem.”
Gyasi made his Ghana debut in a 1-1 draw with South Africa away in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The appearance marked a significant moment in his connection to the birth country of his parents.
“I was born in Italy and I love the culture here, but my parents are from Ghana. When I was young, I went to stay in Ghana for a while to stay with my grandparents. So I love the culture there too,” he explained.
“I always dreamed of playing for Ghana, so when I had my first call-up last year, it was an amazing moment for me and all of my family. They were very, very proud of me.
“I fell in love with football when I was in Ghana. When I was with my cousins, we used to go to church on Sundays but afterwards, we would go outside with all of our friends, we would have the ball and start playing, without shoes or anything, by the roadside. That’s where I first started playing football, in the streets.”
So far this season, Gyasi has made 30 Serie A appearances and scored five goals for Spezia.