Ghanaian teenager Felix Ohene Afena-Gyan is over the moon after making his senior debut for AS Roma in Serie A on Wednesday.
The 18-year-old was a second-half substitute as I Giallorossi came from behind to register a 2-1 win in the matchday 10 away fixture at Unipol Domus.
It marked a remarkable rise in fortune for the striker who only last year was playing school football back home in Ghana.
''First of all, I will like to say thank you to Roma and everyone for the opportunity they gave me. I am very happy,'' Afena-Gyan told AS Roma TV after the game.
''The coach believed in me that's why he sent me to the field and due to that I didn't want to prove him wrong or prove myself wrong. So I need to work hard and have a strong mentality and give my best on the field to support the team.''
“I thank everyone, I dedicate my debut to everyone who supported me and who’s still supporting me. I thank the club, everyone in Roma, my mum, everyone who’s in Ghana, “mum, I love you”. I love my club, my agent, players, I love everyone, I thank everyone.”
After a barren first half, Raoul Bellanova set up Leonardo Pavoletti for the opener for Cagliari in the 52nd minute.
Chasing the game, Roma manager Jose Mourinho, who had to orchestrate things from the stands due to a suspension, brought on Afena-Gyan for Matias Vina five minutes later.
On 71 minutes, the visitors, playing with renewed energy, fetched the equaliser as Lorenzo Pellegrini assisted Roger Ibanez to make it 1-1.
Seven minutes later, Pellegrini completed the comeback with a goal to make it 2-1.
Impressed by Afena-Gyan, Mourinho posted a social media photo of himself eating after the game with the caption, “Game over, three points, nice food (can’t go to the dressing room) and one more kid Ohene Gyan Felix.”
Afena-Gyan, who was discovered by scouts while playing school football in Ghana last year, signed for Roma in January.
He first joined the club’s youth side, for whom he had hit six goals in five matches so far this term.
