Former Ghana goalkeeper Abukari Damba has lauded Black Stars goalkeepers’ trainer Fatau Dauda and the technical team for reposing confidence in local boy Benjamin Asare following his appearances for the Black Stars in 2026 World Cup qualifying.
Asare, who plies his trade for Ghana club Hearts of Oak, earned his first senior call-up and went on to make his debut for the four-time African champions in two qualifiers against Chad and Madagascar. Ghana defeated Chad by 5-0 in Accra before taming Madagascar by 3-0 at the Al Hoceima Stadium in Morocco in fixtures five and six of the qualifiers.
The 32-year-old kept a clean sheet in those two games and Damba believes the goalkeeping department took a bold decision in selecting the former Great Olympics safest pair of hands:
“I am elated and impressed with technical team for reposing so much confidence in this boy [Benjamin Asare]. Remember he has gone to meet Jojo Wollacott and Lawrencee Ati-Zigi, these are tried and tested goalkeepers but then he was chosen ahead of them,” Abukari Damba told Radio Gold. "I had a discussion with Fatau Dauda his trainer and I congratulated him for taking that bold decision in consultation with his coach."
“He said to me that Benjamin Asare from day one when he came to training he has been very strong, he has really demonstrated both on and off the pitch. He monitored him, he observed him but then every single training performance was as if he was playing a cup final, this tells you that he is a very serious individual."
“So based on the training and his attitude he was given the opportunity and it is not easy to play for the first time especially in front of your teeming supporters and in front of your countrymen. So I think Benjamin Asare has done great but then we have to give thumbs up to the trainers who actually gave him the chance to play ahead of Jojo Wollacott and Ati-Zigi and we all heard coach Otto Addo loud and clear that he has chosen Asare as the number one,” Damba told Radio Gold.
Benjamin Asare joined Hearts of Oak from Great Olympics and instantly made an impact where he has so far made 19 appearances, conceding 8 goals with 12 clean sheets in the ongoing Ghana Premier League campaign.
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