Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, the young talent from Crystal Palace, has set his sights on representing the Ghanaian national team, choosing Ghana over England despite having previously played for the English U-21 team.
The 20-year-old forward, who began his football journey in Chelsea’s youth system before joining Crystal Palace in 2019, is eligible to play for Ghana through his parents. His Premier League debut as a substitute against his former club Chelsea took place on August 14, 2021.
Anthony Hayes, the first-team coach at Charlton Athletic FC, shared Rak-Sakyi’s ambitions, stating, “Jes[urun Rak-Sakyi] has ambitions to play in the Premier League and represent Ghana, to play in World Cup.” Hayes emphasized the young player’s desire to showcase his skills on the grand stage, which has fueled his aspirations to represent Ghana.
Currently, Rak-Sakyi is diligently attending French classes alongside his first-team training. His motivation for learning the language is to effectively communicate with potential Ghanaian teammates when he joins the national team.
Last season, Rak-Sakyi had an impressive loan spell at Charlton Athletic, scoring 15 goals in 43 appearances and contributing to the club’s 10th-place finish in the English League 1.
Given the challenges faced by the Ghanaian national team in reclaiming their position as one of Africa’s top sides, Rak-Sakyi’s availability could be a valuable addition. The Ghana Football Association should consider the process of recruiting this talented youngster into the senior national team.
