Black Stars goalkeeper Benjamin Asare has revealed that he lost his parents at a young age, with his grandmother in Korle Gonno taking full responsibility for raising him to where he is today.
“I’m an orphan. I lost my parents many years ago, and my grandmother in Korle Gonno took responsibility for raising me to where I am today,” Asare said, offering a rare, personal glimpse into the hardship behind his rise to international football.
The 33-year-old goalkeeper grew up in Korle Gonno, a predominantly Ga neighbourhood in Accra, despite tracing his ethnic roots to the Akuapem tribe.
Before becoming a professional footballer, Benjamin Asare worked a string of odd jobs, including as a steel bender, carpenter, and trotro conductor, to support himself while playing part-time football.
His grandmother became a national talking point in her own right last month, breaking down in tears of joy while speaking to a visiting JoyNews team in Korle Gonno following Asare’s standout performance in Ghana’s goalless World Cup draw against England, reflecting on personally raising him after the loss of his mother years earlier.
Benjamin Asare made history at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the first Ghana Premier League-based goalkeeper to represent the Black Stars at the tournament, stepping in after an injury to first-choice goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi and delivering back-to-back clean sheets, including the result against England.
Watch his interview here.
