5 things about Ghana goalkeeper Benjamin Asare

In a group comprising England, Croatia and Panama, Ghana were not expected to do well. However, they are now joint-top of Group L after a 1-0 win over Panama and 0-0 draw with England, with goalkeeper Benjamin Asare keeping clean sheets in both matches.

Who is this unheralded 33-year-old, one of just four goalkeepers to remain unbeaten at the World Cup so far?

1. He was not the first choice

Lawrence Ati-Zigi, who played at the 2022 World Cup, was the starting goalkeeper against Panama until he was substituted at half-time because of a groin injury with the score at 0-0. Up stepped Asare, who also kept the Panamanians at bay.

Asare proved his form was no fluke by denying England in their next game.

2. He came from a humble background

Asare was raised by his grandmother following the death of his mother when he was little.

At 1.88m, he is not particularly tall for a goalkeeper. He did not have professional training early in his career. But he managed to hone his reflexes training barefoot at the beach in Korle Gonno, a suburb in the capital Accra.

Asare makes a meagre living in the local league and used to work as a mason, steel bender, carpenter and a bus coordinator directing passengers and assisting drivers through transport routes.

Asare is said to remain down-to-earth and generous, once sharing half of his S$20,000 national team bonus with his club teammates and members of the women’s team.

3. He used to play outfield

In an earlier interview, Asare shared that he used to play as a midfielder and converted to a goalkeeper in school only because he was inquisitive and up for a challenge.

He said: “I had the passion to learn everything and I easily adapted. I decided to challenge our school team goalkeeper, and that’s where I knew I could do it.”

4. He is a late bloomer

Asare kicked off his club career relatively late, joining his first club Sporting Mirren in 2017 when he was already 24.

His international career has followed in the same vein, as he received his first national call-up in 2025 at the age of 32. He did not take long to impress, clocking clean sheets in his first two games – wins over Chad (5-0) and Madagascar (3-0).

Following his World Cup exploits at age 33, he now has 13 caps and already seven clean sheets.

5. He is the only player from the Ghana Premier League at this World Cup

From Ghana’s 26-man squad, 24 ply their trade in Europe, one plays in Saudi Arabia, and only Asare is from the Ghana Premier League.

Having also played for the lower-division Accra City Stars and top-tier Great Olympics, the custodian signed for Accra Hearts of Oak in 2024. He has never played outside his home country.

In his five seasons in the Ghanaian top flight, Asare chalked up an impressive 63 clean sheets in 118 games, conceding just 79 goals.