Former West African Football Academy (WAFA) SC and Ghana defender, Gideon Mensah has acknowledged how difficult it is to wear the national team colours.
Mensah, 22, during an interview with godfred.substack.com, could not hide how he feels when playing in the national colours for the four-time AFCON winners, the Black Stars of Ghana.
According to Gideon, wearing the national team colours comes with an enormous amount of pressure no matter how much experienced one is in the game.
“Wearing the national colours is such a pressure cooker. Like no matter how experienced you are, you always get nervous when you have to put on the Ghana jersey”, the Vitoria Guimarães man acknowledged.
Mensah went ahead to reveal that, he had to shut his phone hours before his debut Ghana game upon his first invitation because there was pressure on him.
“I remember I started the game on my first invitation. That was the South Africa game I think. Man.. I had to shut my phone off hours before the game because everybody was calling to wish me well and offer some advice”, he stated.
Despite the pressure he felt before the match, the young Ghanaian defender felt all those who were calling him meant well for him and his career.
“It was all well-intentioned but at the same time, it added to the pressure” he concluded.
Mensah in Ghana’s game against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa was one of the best performed Ghanaian players on the day when the Black Stars won 2-0 at the Cape Coast Stadium.
The RB Salzburg player on loan at Vitoria Guimarães could not honour his invitation this time around for the Ghana South African and Sao Tome and Principe games due to traveling restrictions with regards to Covid-19 Pandemic.