Ghanaian players abroad team of the week: Big guns come to the party as Partey, Sumaila, Wakaso, Attamah headline this week's ToTW

After the conclusion of weekend games across the globe, Ghana’s leading football website, GHANASoccernet.com bring to you our maiden best 11 Ghanaian players in the various leagues.

Formation: 4-4-2

Adam Kwarasey (Valenranga- Norway)

Kwarasey was superb for Valeranga despite losing to 2-0 at home to Sandefjord which is shocking considering the form his side had shown in recent matches. The former Portland Timber shot-stopper has done brilliantly for Valeranga since returning to Norway. It was a pity he had to be on the losing side once again when he made two crucial saves to deny Facundo Rodriguez and Joachim Solberg.

Daniel Opare (Augsburg-Germany)

It’s not a surprise that Augsburg are soaring high on the Bundesliga standings. Part of the team’s success story has been the Ghanaian right back's form. Opare has taken the league by storm since breaking into the team after match day three. Against Leverkusen, Opare was a threat on the right flank as his marauding runs and pin-point crosses were crucial for Augsburg in securing a draw. He’s currently playing like a man on fire and the rate at which he’s going I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up in the Bundesliga team of the season.

Joseph Attamah (Istanbul Basaksehir-Turkey)

This is Attamah’s fourth appearance in my TOTW and it is by no fluke due to the top notch performances he’s been churning out for Basaksehir in the Turkish league. Last week, he was deployed as a central midfielder in their 2-1 win against Goztepespor and he excelled, and against Yeni Malatyaspor over the weekend, playing as a libero, he was fantastic to watch. Not many players get the confidence of their coaches in big leagues like Attamah especially players from this part of the world, and this shows value of the former Tema Youth defender to the side’s bid to claim the league title. I said some few weeks back that he’s the most important player to coach Abdullah Avci after captain Emre Belozoglu and Emmanuel Adebayor and this rubber-stamp my claim.

Rashid Sumaila (Al Qadsia-Kuwait)

Sumaila has been one of the most consistent Ghanaian players in abroad this season. The former Asante Kotoko defender exhibited leadership skills at the back when his side Al Qadsia were under immense pressure from Al Tadamon in their 5-1 win on Friday. The result will be a bit flattery but watching this game I thought Al Tadamon should have least ended the match with a respectable score line considering the number of counter attacks they initiated in the game but there was always a pillar [Sumaila] to put breaks on them at the final third of the pitch. For a defender to have been named in four TOTW in a seven-week old league shows how well he has exerted himself in the league.

Nana Akwasi Asare (KAA Gent-Belgium)

This is the 31-year-old sleek footed left back’s maiden appearance in my TOTW and he fully deserves it. In Gent's slim win over Standard Liege, the team needed a leader at the back to keep them on their toes and Asare came to fore and did his job like a ship captain would do when they face a thick cloud and deadly storm in the middle of the ocean. Asare didn’t start the season well due a niggling injury but he’s come alive in the last three games he’s been involved.

Edwin Gyasi (Aaalesund-Norway)

I have always maintained that had Andres Iniesta added goals to his game, he would be heralded as the best player in world football. Goals are valuable commodity in football and I’m always fascinated to see a winger or midfielders score because it adds value to the player. When Aalesund looked to be heading for a draw against giants Rosenborg BK, Gyasi took the ball from right flank and toyed with Jacob Rasmussen tricky and power before curling the ball beyond the reach of goalkeeper Arild Ostbo to give his side the maximum points. It’s pity that he didn’t make the Ghana squad for the Egypt dead-rubber match but I hope if he keeps producing the goods like he did on Sunday he’ll definitely earn a recall.

Bernard Mensah (Kasimpasa-Turkey)

Last week I selected Mensah due to the magnificent goal he scored against xx but this week he gave me thousands of reasons to be in my TOTW after such a matured display.  The Atletico Madrid loanee has been Kasimpasa’s best performer in the past four weeks and on Saturday against Bursaspor he was a delight to watch as his distribution rate was the highest mark of any player on the pitch. Mensah didn’t do much to shackle opponents when trying to retrieve possession but whenever he is on ball, he made something happened, and he capped his near-perfect afternoon with a goal to earn his side a point in the game.

Mubarak Wakaso (Deportivo Alaves-Spain)

Since Gianni de Biasi took the reins of Alaves, Wakaso has become a different player; performance-wise. I watched Alaves beat Espanyol 1-0 and I will say it was down to the Ghanaian midfielder's brilliance and work ethos that won them the needed three points. He was in the thick of everything good Alaves did on the day and I wasn’t surprised that despite not finishing the match he was named man-of-the-match and he fully deserved it. It is refreshing to know that he’s rejoining the Ghana squad for the Egypt game after being shunned in the last couple of games and this is will be the right match for him to cement his place in coach Kwesi Appiah’s rebuilding squad.

Nana Opoku Ampomah (Waasland-Beveren- Belgium)

What a way to celebrate your debut call up into the Black Stars. Ampomah played like a man on a mission in Beveren 2-0 win over Mouscron. I couldn’t possible select my TOTW without including such an enterprising player. His pace and dribbling ability makes me believe Ghana can return to her glory days because I know there are more like Ampomah out there in Europe who are hoisting the nation’s flag high.

Thomas Partey (Atletico Madrid-Spain)

What a time to score! Partey’s match-winner against Deportivo La Coruna was such a glorious effort I could watch it a thousand times and not get bored. I couldn’t believe my eyes that the ball had entered the net, it gives you much appreciation of how Partey collected the ball, took a look at the target before curling the ball with such excellent precision to help Diego Simeone’s men back to winning ways after four consecutive stalemates in all competitions.

Richard Gadze (Zira-Azerbaijan)

This lad has been knocking on my TOTW door for some time now with his remarkable returns for Zira in the league. It takes something more special from a club like Zira to overtake Gabala into second position in the league standings. However, with Gadze everything is possible; at least that’s what they say in Azerbaijan. In their game against Neftci Baku, the Ghanaian poacher once again rose to the occasion with a beautiful solo strike to win his side the maximum points. It was his 5th goal in 10 league appearances.

Follow me on Twitter @Reuben Obodai

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