Inaki Williams (L), Antoine Semenyo (M) and Thomas Partey (R) excelled for their clubs
GhanaWeb Feature by Benjamin Sackey
The 2025 Ghana Footballer of the Year Award will be keenly contested among three brilliant players who carved out their niche during the year under review for their respective clubs and the national team.
The much-coveted Ghana Footballer of the Year award will be competed for by Inaki Williams of Athletic Bilbao, Antoine Semenyo of Bournemouth, and Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey.
The nominees contributed to their various teams and the Black Stars in the year under review by scoring, providing assists, and playing other roles to aid their teams.
This feature throws light on the performances of the nominees and their chances of clinching the accolade.
Antoine Semenyo
Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo had a fantastic season in the Premier League as well as for the Black Stars in the 2024/2025 season.
In the Premier League, he played 37 games, scoring 11 goals and providing six assists; in the FA Cup, Semenyo made four matches, netting two goals and one assist.
In the English Football League (EFL) Cup, he played one match without registering any goals or assists. Throughout the season, the striker played 42 matches, scoring 13 goals and providing seven assists.
In the 2025 World Cup qualifiers, Semenyo played a significant part in most games and scored against Chad during Ghana’s 5-0 thrashing.
His statistics put him in a strong position to compete for the award.
Inaki Williams
Athletic Bilbao’s pacy attacker, Inaki Williams, starred for his club side after leading them to qualify for the next season’s UEFA Champions League and the semi-finals of the 2024/25 Europa League.
In the Spanish La Liga, the forward played 35 matches, scoring six goals and providing eight assists; in the Europa League, he played six matches, scoring five goals and one assist; in the Copa del Rey, he scored two goals with no assists; and in the Super Copa, he played one game with no goals or assists.
His overall statistics for the season for his club side are 50 matches, 11 goals, and nine assists.
Inaki Williams played a key role for the Black Stars despite his initial struggles, netting once in Ghana’s 5-0 massive win over Chad in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Arsenal midfield maestro Thomas Partey might be the most popular among the nominees following his performance in the UEFA Champions League, especially against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.
In the Premier League, he played 35 games, recording four goals and two assists; in the Champions League, he played 12 games with no goals but one assist; in the EFL Cup, he played four matches with no goals or assists; and in the FA Cup, he played one match with no goals or assists.
He played 52 games in total, scoring four goals and making three assists.
He played a crucial part in the Black Stars’ away victory against Madagascar by scoring twice and making brilliant midfield interceptions to keep the game intact in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
With none of the nominees winning a major trophy with their respective clubs, the race remains wide open, and any of them could be given the accolade based on their performances.
Meanwhile, watch as Eleven Wonders beat RTU 2-1 in the Division One League play-off final
