Think Mohammed Kudus, Kamaldeen Sulemana, or Thomas Partey – those are names many would expect to be making headlines in Europe after two UEFA Champions League (UCL) rounds of games.
But this year, 24-year-old Emmanuel Addai was the talk of the town when he became Ghana’s first goal scorer in Europe’s elite club competition.
Addai scored the second goal in Qarabag’s 2-0 victory over Danish side Copenhagen on matchday two to help the club win their second UCL game this season. This suddenly cast the spotlight on him.
So, what really is Addai’s story?
Addai was born in Kumasi and came through the academy system, playing for JMG Academy, which is owned by former French international Jean-Marc Guillou. He played there for a while before earning a move in August 2021 to FC 93 Bobigny in France.
But he wouldn’t stay for long. He netted six times in 20 games for the club and then came interest from Spain after just 11 months.
Major professional hurdle
Addai joined Spanish third-tier side AD Alorcon on July 12, 2022. There, he was ready to hit the ground running, albeit life had other plans. The Ghanaian winger was sidelined for half a season due to challenges with his registration.
His debut came six months later on January 14, 2023, in a 3-1 win over Deportivo La Coruna.
Clutch in Spain
That season, he was instrumental to Alorcon’s success, scoring the leveler as they edged past CD Castellon 2-1 to secure qualification to the Spanish second-tier. Addai later joined Qarabag for a fee of €1million in the 2024 summer transfer window.
Starred in Qarabag’s title-winning season
After joining the Azerbaijani side, the explosive winger scored four goals and assisted twice as Qarabag clinched their fourth consecutive league title.
First Ghanaian goalscorer in 2026/26 UCL
On Wednesday, October 1, 2025, Addai became the first Ghanaian to score in this year’s UCL. His 83rd-minute strike saw Qarabag offload Copenhagen by two goals.
Market value over time
Addai’s market value has skyrocketed significantly in three years. As of October 2023, he was valued at just €50,000, which has now shot up to €1.2million, per data from Transfermakt.
If he stays consistent and continues his fine form this season, that value is likely to double or triple before clubs come knocking for his signature.
Source:Lovinghananews.com
