Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo has described Manchester City’s Erling Haaland as the best striker in the world.
Although the Black Stars attacker is enjoying an impressive start to the new season, he trails the Norwegian in the league’s top scorers’ chart with six goals — three behind the Manchester City star.
Semenyo said he has learned a lot from watching Haaland closely and credited the Norwegian’s style of play for improving his own finishing as a forward. He admitted he is often left in awe of the former Borussia Dortmund striker’s quality.
“Haaland is number one. You see it on TV — scoring all these goals — and think, surely he’s not like this in person… That man is tall, my goodness. Tall, strong, fast, can finish. He’s got everything you need as a striker,” he told Earn Your Stripes.
“I remember Man City just bopping, and I’m thinking, okay, this is normal that they bop it. Ruben Dias wraps the ball to him, the ball’s like this high, I’m thinking, how’s he going to deal with this? He just takes it on his chest — I’m thinking: Haaland, the man.
“I tell you what, the aura he has — you can see that when he’s on the pitch. If you don’t mark him, it’s done; he’s going to score. Like, everyone is trying to mark him, and even when you mark him, he still scores.
“I remember watching him and thinking, yeah, this is the kind of striker I want to be. I want to have that presence where I’m being marked by everyone.”
Semenyo is currently with the Black Stars squad as they prepare for Ghana’s final World Cup qualifier against Comoros.
