Former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan has showered praise on Caleb Yirenkyi following his standout performance in Ghana’s 1-1 draw with Wales in an international friendly at the Cardiff City Stadium on June 2.
The FC Nordsjaelland midfielder marked the occasion with Ghana’s only goal and delivered a composed all-round display as the Black Stars continued their build-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Speaking to Citi Sports, Gyan described the young midfielder as a natural talent, noting that his rapid development has been impossible to ignore.
“He’s a natural talent. The way he’s rising is very incredible. Yesterday, everybody saw what he did, not only the goal—his positioning, his passing, the way he follows attack, and everything,” Gyan said.
Beyond the goal, Gyan highlighted Yirenkyi’s intelligence on the ball and his influence in Ghana’s build-up play, stressing that his contribution went well beyond the scoresheet.
The former Sunderland striker also offered a playful remark, linking Yirenkyi’s shirt number to a growing trend of goal-scoring defenders in Ghana’s history.
“He’s not the only player to score a goal wearing the number 3 jersey; our very own Jonathan Mensah did it too. It looks like goals are in the number 3 jersey,” he added.
Yirenkyi and the Black Stars have since arrived in the United States to continue their final phase of preparations for the World Cup. The team is scheduled to face Jamaica in another friendly on June 10.
Ghana will be making their fifth appearance at the global tournament and have been drawn in Group L alongside Panama, England, and Croatia. Their campaign begins on June 17 against Panama, followed by fixtures against England on June 23 and Croatia on June 27.
The four-time African champions will be aiming to progress beyond the group stage for the first time since their historic quarter-final run in 2010.
