Didier Drogba as an idol, Donald Duck as a distraction: London-born Kwadwo Duah gives an insight into his emotional world ahead of the quarter-final against England.
04.07.2024, 05:01
04.07.2024, 08:13
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- Kwadwo Duah was born in England and lived in London for the first two years. Today he has little connection with England.
- Duah plays for Rasgrad in Bulgaria, making him one of five national team players who do not play in one of Europe's top five leagues.
- Perhaps that will change after the European Championship, as he reveals that he would prefer to play in Italy.
- "Of course I'd like to play more, but ultimately everyone knows their role here," says Duah, who scored the first Swiss goal at this European Championship.
He was virtually the first Englishman to score a goal at this tournament, Duah was told by an English journalist right at the start of the press conference. A statement that makes Duah smile. But despite his place of birth, there is very little England in him, the 27-year-old striker replies almost apologetically.
His parents left Ghana "because they saw the chance of a better life", as Duah explains. Kwadwo Duah was born on February 24, 1997 and spent the first two years of his life in the London borough of Tottenham. But that was the end of his contact with the country of his birth, says Duah. This was followed by a move to Switzerland, where his parents hoped for better economic prospects. He spent his childhood in the Bern-Bethlehem district. Duah visits London from time to time because he likes the city. But he has no relatives there.
Bitter for the English reporters, who had probably hoped for more of a connection to England. After all: "I'm a big Chelsea fan," explained Duah, who was particularly taken with Didier Drogba. The current England squad includes Cole Palmer, a Chelsea player who, to the displeasure of many fans, has yet to get much game time. Duah is asked what he thinks about this. He was also a little surprised, because Palmer's statistics are very good. "Let's see, maybe he'll play against us."
In Embolo's shadow
Not much more can be elicited from Duah. Even when asked about such innocuous things as his fondness for comics, he remains monosyllabic: "I like Donald Duck and stuff." It's not that the striker comes across as jaded; on the contrary, he seems almost shy and cautious. His unusually quiet manner for a professional footballer could also be due to the fact that Duah had to fight for a long time to be included in the select circle.
The comparison with Breel Embolo, who is only seven days younger, comes to mind. The two have known each other for a long time, playing against each other time and again in their junior teams (Duah at YB, Embolo at Basel). However, Embolo made his debut for the national team in 2015 and has 67 caps despite numerous injuries. Duah, on the other hand, played for the U20s until 2017 and then had to wait seven years before the senior national team became an issue - because alternatives were needed for the injured Embolo.
The Swiss coaches found one of these alternatives in Rasgrad, Bulgaria, where Duah ended up last year after various spells in Switzerland and a year in Nuremberg. This makes him one of the few exotic players in the Swiss squad, in which 21 out of 26 players are involved in one of Europe's top five leagues. That's where Duah wants to go, too, who quietly adds that he really likes Italy. Will his wish soon come true thanks to his performances at the European Championship?
Convinced everyone in St. Gallen
Duah has done everything he can to show himself on this stage. He traveled to the pre-season camp in St. Gallen as one of the shaky candidates, where he impressed Yakin and his teammates with his quick runs into the deep, among other things. Granit Xhaka also said that Duah caught his eye shortly after arriving at the camp. "He has a great finish and a very positive charisma," says the captain. The supplementary player first became an integral part of the squad and then even a starting player in the European Championship.
And Duah showed that he can also shed his quiet side after his goal against Hungary, when the tension of living up to the high expectations of a nation as a newcomer was released in exuberant jubilation. The fact that he had to return to the bench in the following games does not bother Duah. "Of course I'd like to play more, but ultimately everyone knows their role here," says Duah. For him anyway, there is no greater motivation than being there and being able to wear the Swiss jersey.
For Duah, the tournament is the reward for always believing in himself and his chances and even turning down a call-up from Ghana two years ago. So he is also taking the quarter-final against England in his stride. Without big words or announcements, but ready when needed.
