UCL round of 16 draw: Kamaldeen Sulemana joins Semenyo and Kudus as Ghana's representatives

The draw for the UEFA Champions League round of 16 takes place on Friday, February 27, following the conclusion of this week's playoff fixtures—and Ghana will have at least three representatives in the next phase.

Kamaldeen Sulemana is the latest Ghanaian to secure his spot after Atalanta produced a stunning comeback to eliminate Borussia Dortmund. Trailing 2-0 from the first leg, the Italian side roared back with a 4-1 victory in Bergamo to progress 4-3 on aggregate. Sulemana came on as a late substitute, replacing Nicola Zalewski for the final 14 minutes as Atalanta sealed their memorable win.

The 23-year-old winger now joins Antoine Semenyo of Manchester City and Mohammed Kudus of Tottenham Hotspur as the only Ghanaians whose clubs have qualified for the round of 16.

Atalanta's reward for their dramatic triumph? A date with either Arsenal or Bayern Munich—both of whom automatically qualified after finishing first and second, respectively, in the league phase. Arsenal, notably, won all eight of their group stage games.

For Sulemana, this marks another step in his European journey. Since joining Atalanta from Southampton in July 2025, he has made 22 appearances across all competitions, featuring in five Champions League games this season.

The full round of 16 draw will be conducted at UEFA headquarters in Nyon on Friday at 11:00 GMT.

Send your news stories to [email protected] and via WhatsApp on +233 546310076.

Read Full Story