Double standards? Ghana fan erupts over Semenyo criticism after Jordan Ayew backlash

A growing debate among Ghanaian football fans has intensified following the Black Stars’ early World Cup exit, with one supporter publicly calling out what they perceive as blatant double standards in how the team’s attackers are judged.

The criticism comes after Ghana’s disappointing 1-0 Round of 32 defeat to Colombia, a match in which the Black Stars failed to register a single shot on target. The team managed just four shots on target across their entire four-game tournament campaign – the lowest of any team at this World Cup.

The Semenyo Question

At the centre of the debate is Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo. Despite arriving at the tournament fresh from a 17-goal Premier League season that saw him finish third in the Golden Boot race, the 26-year-old failed to replicate his club form on the international stage.

Against Colombia, Semenyo recorded three shots – none on target – along with two inaccurate crosses. He finished the entire World Cup without a single goal contribution, managing just one shot on target across four matches.

His overall international record makes for sobering reading: three goals in 35 caps, with only one goal in his past 28 appearances.

The Jordan Ayew Comparison

The fan, who previously criticised Jordan Ayew after the tournament, pointed out the inconsistency in public reaction. Ayew, Ghana’s record cap holder with 121 appearances and 34 goals, was the team’s top scorer in World Cup qualifying with seven goals and seven assists in 10 games.

Yet against Colombia, the 34-year-old captain failed to register a single shot, completed only 10 passes, and recorded zero touches inside Colombia’s box. Both Ayew and Semenyo exited the competition without a goal or assist to their names.

‘No More Pampering!’

The frustrated supporter drew comparisons to other players who stepped up when it mattered most, citing Erling Haaland’s decisive display for Norway and Lisandro Martínez’s crucial intervention for Argentina when Lionel Messi was unavailable.

“Why can’t Semenyo perform alongside Kwasi Sibo, Alidu Seidu, and Elisha Owusu? Who was Jordan Ayew playing with?” the fan questioned, dismissing excuses about supporting cast quality.

“He should sit up in a Ghana jersey! No more pampering! You can’t play almost 40 games and score only 3 goals, with fewer than 3 assists,” the post continued. “You can’t play under different coaches for the national team and have this bad record!”

The Coaching Carousel

Indeed, Semenyo has featured under multiple Ghana managers during his international career, including Otto Addo and Carlos Queiroz, yet his return has remained consistently modest. Queiroz, drafted in just 72 days before the tournament, was unable to unlock the attacking potential that makes Semenyo one of Ghana’s most valuable players at club level.

Former Manchester City striker Bradley Wright-Phillips, working as a pundit for ITV, summed up the frustration felt by many: “Where’s the Premier League Antoine Semenyo? Where is Bournemouth and Manchester City’s Semenyo? I did not see him in this game”.

The Bigger Picture

Ghana’s tournament ended with one win, one draw, and two defeats, scoring just two goals and conceding three in four matches. The Black Stars became the seventh of nine African sides eliminated at the Round of 32 stage.

For Semenyo, the debate now turns to whether he can finally translate his explosive club form – which earned him a £65m move to Manchester City in January – into consistent production for his country. For now, Ghanaian fans remain deeply divided over who deserves the blame, and whether the criticism of one player while excusing another reflects a deeper double standard in how the Black Stars’ attackers are judged.