Paintsil: Kudus is Ghana’s pillar

Former Black Stars player, John Paintsil, has showered praise on Mohammed Kudus, hailing the West Ham player as the cornerstone of the current Black Stars team. 

Paintsil, who expressed his admiration for Kudus' exceptional contributions, emphasised the player's ability to turn situations around, labelling him as the team's star.

In an interview with Graphic Sports, the 42-year-old highlighted the significance of having a player like Kudus, who possesses the capabilities to make a difference when the going gets tough. 

He acknowledged the collective efforts of the entire team but stressed that Kudus's performances should not go unnoticed.

"Kudus is important to the team because he is the man who is the leading marksman for the team; he carries the team on his shoulder on the pitch. He works so hard, he doesn’t talk too much, but when he gets the ball, he makes good use of it, and it is difficult to take the ball away from him," Paintsil remarked.

Paintsil praised Kudus for being a star player, pointing out his work rate and effectiveness on the field. He noted that Kudus had earned the trust and support of his teammates, evident in their willingness to pass him the ball all the time.

"He is the star in the team, and sometimes when you are the star in your team, your teammates might not give you the ball, but because of the belief they have in him, they always give him the ball," Paintsil added.

Drawing parallels with his playing days, Paintsil recalled the pivotal role played by Asamoah Gyan, who similarly carried the team on his shoulders and delivered crucial performances during challenging moments. He sees Kudus fulfilling a similar role for the current Black Stars squad.

"During our time, we used to have that because even when the going was getting tough, definitely Asamoah Gyan would score for us. So definitely, we’ll have one pillar in the team who will carry the team on his shoulder, and so far, Kudus has been the pillar," he stated.