“It Was a Good Opportunity to Help the Team”- Caleb Yirenkyi Reflects on Senior Debut
Caleb Yirenkyi has expressed satisfaction with his performance in Ghana’s 2-1 loss to Nigeria in the Unity Cup semifinal, calling his senior debut a valuable step in his international journey.
The 19-year-old, who developed at the Right to Dream Academy and now plies his trade with Danish side FC Nordsjaelland, was introduced after the break and tasked with playing out of position at right-back. Despite the unusual role, Yirenkyi delivered a composed and impactful performance that helped steady the Black Stars’ second-half efforts.
“I think it was a good opportunity for me to help, do my best for the team, and this was the main goal. I had a lot of praise, and I am happy with that,” Yirenkyi told 3Sports following the match.
Though the Black Stars trailed 2-0 at halftime—conceding to a Cyriel Dessers strike and a Razak Simpson own goal—Yirenkyi’s presence brought renewed energy and balance to Ghana’s defensive and attacking phases. His calm distribution, positional intelligence, and clean tackles contributed to Ghana’s late surge, which saw Brandon Thomas-Asante pull one back in the 70th minute.
Having enjoyed a solid club campaign in Denmark, the young player is hopeful of building on this debut. Ghana next face Trinidad and Tobago in the third-place playoff on Saturday.
