In 2022, Gideon Mensah had the opportunity to represent Ghana at the World Cup, an experience made smoother by Andre Ayew.
Heading into the tournament, Baba Rahman was the first-choice left back, playing the friendly against Switzerland and the opening World Cup match against Portugal.
After the Black Stars narrowly lost 3-2 in the opening group game, pressure mounted as the team needed a win against South Korea in the second game.
As a result, Otto Addo made changes, and Mensah was handed his World Cup debut – a move that came as a surprise to the WAFA graduate.
In an interview with Flashscore, Mensah revealed that his nerves were very high ahead of kick-off, given the significance of the occasion.
“I remember, during the warm-up, the captain, Andre Ayew, came to me,” Mensah recalled. “His head was right in front of mine, almost nose-to-nose. He said, ‘Listen, you’ve been waiting for this. This is the moment where you need to show everybody’s watching you. You can’t make mistakes—you can’t let them down.’”
Those words resonated deeply with Mensah, providing him with the reassurance he needed before stepping onto such a huge stage to represent his country. “That really helped me a lot,” he reflected. “After that speech, I was able to forget about everything else. Being on the field, I didn’t think about whoever was watching; I was just focused on the game.”
Mensah rose to the occasion, channeling every ounce of energy into his performance. The match unfolded dramatically, and thanks to his low cross leading to Mohammed Kudus’ winning goal, Ghana emerged victorious with a thrilling 3-2 scoreline.
Reflecting on his World Cup experience, Mensah expressed a desire to return to the tournament with Ghana.
“To go to the next World Cup? Definitely! That’s one of the best experiences I’ve had in my career,” he said. “I’ve played in front of many fans and in big games against top clubs, but the World Cup is something every player wants to be part of. It’s a great feeling.”
Mensah’s hopes of playing at the next World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada received a boost after Ghana’s back-to-back wins in June against Mali and the Central African Republic. The Black Stars are joint-top of Group I in the qualifiers, knowing that only first place guarantees a spot at the Mundial.
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