Top 5 Ghana Goalkeepers Of All Time

Several Ghanaian goalkeepers have stood out in the past for the national team, but who is the best of the bunch? Ace Football takes a look.

The man between the posts is the last line of defense and can, on the odd occasion anyway, make all the difference.

Several Ghana goalkeepers have proved it over the national team’s eight-decade long history, but who would you rank as the best ever? Is there anybody that really stands out? Or is it too tough to call? Ace Football has a go with the following list.

Edward Ansah

The Tema-born star enjoyed spells in his homeland, Nigeria, and India before finally hanging up his gloves in 2004.

Aside from a club career that spanned three decades, Edward Ansah also won a handful of caps with Ghana. He was the No.1 at the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations, helping the Black Stars finish as runners-up to Ivory Coast after losing the final in Senegal on penalties following a 0-0 draw.

At the age of 40, Ansah won a recall to the national team in 2003 and played a further three times under coach Burkhard Ziese.

Ansah later had a four-year spell coaching Ghana’s goalkeepers until 2010, before stepping into management. He has since coached Hearts of Oak, Bechem United, Dreams FC, and most recently Churchill Brothers in India.

Dodoo Ankrah

It’s been almost 58 years since Dodoo Ankrah last played for the Black Stars, but his legacy still burns brightly in the West African nation.

The Ghana goalkeeper was between the sticks for the team’s first AFCON triumph on home soil in 1963. He was also a part of the squad that retained the title in Tunisia two years later, while taking part in the 1964 Olympic Games in Japan in-between those title-winning runs.

As for his club career, Ankrah helped the now-defunct Real Republicans win four consecutive Ghanaian FA Cups between 1961 and 1965.

Sammy Agyei

The Ghanaian won 38 caps at international level, inserting himself as the undisputed No. 1 until 2006.

Sammy Adjei, though, is perhaps best remembered for his success at club level. The goalkeeper won the CAF Champions League with Hearts of Oak in 2000, as well as successive Ghanian Premier League titles. He also had spells in Tunisia and Isreal before hanging up his gloves in 2013.

Robert Mensah

The West African was one of the greatest Ghana goalkeepers ever, if not the very best. His confidence, for one, had no equal. Sometimes he would mock rivals in goal by pretending to read a newspaper and infuriated some of them further by wearing a cap, which they took as a sign of bad luck.

In his prime, Robert Mensah was the full package for a shot-stopper. His reflexes and interceptions were second to none. He even finished as the runner-up in the 1971 African Footballer of the Year rankings, behind his Asante Kotoko teammate Ibrahim Sunday.

Mensah was the man in goal for Ghana’s run to the AFCON final in 1968 and represented the Black Stars that year in the Summer Olympics as well.

He spent his entire club career in his homeland, memorably winning the Ghanaian Premier League and CAF Champions League with Asante Kotoko.

Regrettably, Mensah’s life was cut short at only 32 years old when he was stabbed to death with a bottle in a bar in Tema in November 1971.

Richard Kingson

Topping our list of the best Ghana goalkeepers of all time is Richard Kingson.

The 43-year-old won an impressive 90 caps for the national team, replacing Sammy Adjei as the No.1 in 2006. He helped Ghana finish third in the 2008 AFCON and as runners-up in the 2010 tournament, winning a spot in each edition of the competition’s All-Star Team for his performances.

Kingson also famously starred in goal during Ghana’s run to the quarter-finals in the 2010 World Cup.

Unlike the other Ghana goalkeepers on this list, Kingson ventured out to Europe in his career. He played for several clubs in Turkey and England, including Galatasaray and Blackpool.

After retiring in 2015, Kingson has held a role as a goalkeeping coach for the Black Stars since 2017.

Visit the link here to see who are the 10 greatest Ghanaian footballers in football history.