Black Stars: Neymar vs Jordan Ayew – How Ghana’s strikeforce compares to Brazil’s 9-man super-efficient scoring machine this season

Ghana’s Black Stars will come neck to neck with Brazil’s A Seleção in a FIFA international friendly game on September 23 in Le Havre, France.

Otto Addo, the Black Stars head coach, was the first announce his squad and three days after his Brazil counterpart Tite has also unveiled his squad for the much-anticipated clash.

The two nations, who are powerhouses in their respective global zones – South America and Africa, have both named 29-man squad apiece.

While Brazil had a 9-man attack, Ghana assembled 11 players in the attacking department.

With 13 days left to the crucial clash, Ghana Sports Online compares the potency of the attack of the sides.

The form guide of individual players in the 2022/23 season has been hugely factored into the analysis.

Ghana – Black Stars

• Kudus Mohammed – Ajax Amsterdam (Eredivisie)

Stats: 188 minutes – Goals: 3 – Assist – 1

• Kamaldeen Sulemana – Stade Rennes (Ligue 1)

Stats: 257 minutes – Goals: 0 – Assist – 0

• Daniel Afriyie Barnieh – Hearts of Oak* (Ghana Premier League)

Stats: 0 minutes – Goals: 0 – Assist – 0

• Inaki Williams – Athletic Club (La Liga)

Stats: 301 minutes – Goals: 1 – Assist – 0

• Jordan Ayew – Crystal Palace (Premier League)

Stats: 415 minutes – Goals: 0 – Assist – 0

• Benjamin Tetteh – Hull City (Championship)

Stats: 524 minutes – Goals: 0 – Assist – 2

• Felix Afena-Gyan – Cremonese (Seria A)

Stats: 0 minutes – Goals: 0 – Assist – 0

• Osman Bukari – Red Star Belgrade (Serbian SuperLiga)

Stats: 803 minutes – Goals: 7 – Assist – 1

• Antoine Semenyo – Bristol City (Championship)

Stats: 105 minutes – Goals: 3 – Assist – 1

• Abdul Fatawu Issahaku – Sporting CP (Liga Portugal)

Stats: 22 minutes – Goals: 0 – Assist – 0

• Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer – Hamburg SV (Bundesliga II)

Stats: 490 minutes – Goals: 4 – Assist – 0

ANALYSIS AND BREAKDOWN OF STATS

• Ghana’s 11 attackers have played 3,105 minutes so far this season.
• Daniel Afriyie Barnieh – Hearts of Oak and Felix Afena-Gyan are the only 2 players who are yet to play any league minutes this season. NB: Ghana Premier League yet to commence
• Highest scoring player in Ghana’s attack is Osman Bukari who has 7 goals in 803 minutes for Red Star Belgrade.

• Bukari has the highest minutes so far with 803 minutes.
• Jordan Ayew, Felix Afena-Gyan, Benjamin Tetteh, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, and Kamaldeen Sulemana (5) are all yet to score this season for their respective clubs despite their leagues being in session.
• Benjamin Tetteh is the highest assist maker with 2 assists for Hull City.
• Ghana’s 11-man attacker has produced (goals and assists combined) 23 goals this season – 18 goals, 5 assists.
• Antoine Semenyo has best goal ratio/minute – He scores a goal after every 35 minutes. He is followed by Hamburg SV’s Ransford-Yeboah who scores after every 122.5 minutes and Osman Bukari with a goal after 144.7 minutes.

Brazil’s A Seleção

• Neymar – PSG (Ligue 1)

Stats: 554 minutes – Goals: 9 – Assist – 7

• Richarlison – Tottenham (Premier League)

Stats: 257 minutes – Goals: 2 – Assist – 2

• Roberto Firmino – Liverpool (Premier League)

Stats: 465 minutes – Goals: 3 – Assist – 3

• Vinicius Jr – Real Madrid (La Liga)

Stats: 511 minutes – Goals: 4 – Assist – 1

• Rodrygo – Real Madrid (La Liga)

Stats: 146 minutes – Goals: 1 – Assist – 1

• Antony – Manchester United / Ajax Amsterdam (Premier League & Eredivisie)

Stats: 382 minutes – Goals: 3 – Assist – 2

• Raphinha – Barcelona (La Liga)

Stats: 237 minutes – Goals: 1 – Assist – 1

• Matheus Cunha – Atletico de Madrid (La Liga)

Stats: 34 minutes – Goals: 0 – Assist – 0

• Pedro – Flamengo (Brazil – Seria A)

Stats: 597 minutes – Goals: 7 – Assist – 3

ANALYSIS AND BREAKDOWN OF STATS

• Brazil’s 9-man attack has played 3,183 combined this season in all competitions.
• Tite’s attackers have so far produced (goals and assists combined) 50 goals this season – 30 goals, 20 assists.
• Neymar, PSG, has the best goal contribution this season – he has contributed 16 goals – 9 goals and 7 assists.
• Atletico de Madrid’s Matheus Cunha is the only player in the Brazilian attack who is yet to score a goal this season.
• Neymar, 7, has made the highest number of assists this season.
• Pedro (Flamengo) has played the most minutes (597) so far this season.
• Neymar – 61 minutes, 55 seconds has the best goal radio so far this season.

COMPARISON

• Antoine Semenyo has the best goal ratio with a goal in every 35 minutes followed by Brazil’s Neymar with a goal in every 61.55 minutes.

• Despite having just 9 attackers in their arsenal, Brazil’s contingent have played more minutes (3,183 minutes) than Ghana who have played 3,105 minutes. 78 minutes better than Ghana’s time.
• Ghana’s 11 attackers have scored 18 goals and assisted just 5 times. However, that comes nowhere close to Brazil’s. The A Seleção 9-man attack has scored staggering 30 goals and provided 20 assists.
• While Brazil have only 1 attacker who hasn’t score this season in their squad (Matheus Cunha), Ghana has 5 players who are yet to score this season – Jordan Ayew, Felix Afena-Gyan, Benjamin Tetteh, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, and Kamaldeen Sulemana.
• Ghana’s highest scoring player in the squad this season is Osman Bukari (7) while Neymar has scored 9 times this season.
• Osman Bukari has played the highest number of minutes (803) among all the players in the attacking folds of the two sides.
• While Ghana has up to 2 players who haven’t played any games this season (Afriyie Barnieh and Afena-Gyan), all of Brazil’s 9 players have had game time this season with the least time coming from Matheus Cunha.

The post Black Stars: Neymar vs Jordan Ayew – How Ghana’s strikeforce compares to Brazil’s 9-man super-efficient scoring machine this season appeared first on Ghana Sports Online.