MOHAMMED KUDUS’ hometown was awash with claret and blue as the West Ham star prepares for his home debut.
A few miles outside of Ghana’s capital city Accra, the streets had a distinct East London vibe.
Hammers jerseys from various decades were being worn with pride — one fan even donned club legend Billy Bonds’ name on the back of his jersey.
The Irons arm symbol was performed at any nearby camera, while some were using actual hammers.
And in the small town of Nima, birthplace of Kudus, there was a buzz among the market stalls.
Kudus only joined West Ham from Ajax in a £37.5million deal last month but fan group Ghanaian Hammers have already helped organise celebrations.
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Relief packages containing water and food supplies for the poor were handed out. Volunteers even had Kudus’ face printed on T-shirts.
The winger is an idol around these parts. Murals of the 23-year-old cover the walls of the town, a place he still regularly visits.
Issahaku Abdul-Mumen, president of the Ghanaian Hammers since 2010, told SunSport: “Kudus had a great upbringing and his respect for his roots is something dear to his heart.
“In the off-season, he visits the community where it all started.
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“Giving back to the society is something Kudus cares about and he has been providing assistance to the less privileged kids and his childhood team with donations.
“Kudus is an idol to the upcoming generation.”
Kudus has spoken of collaborating with Ghanaian Hammers to continue support to his beloved Nima.
Yet due to the lack of opportunities and limited facilities, making it as a professional footballer is still described as a “battle”.
Kudus was spotted thanks to an agent-organised match between his local side Strong Tower FC and Ghana’s Right to Dream academy in 2010, initially formed by ex-Manchester United scout Tom Vernon.
Abdul explained: “Without this match, he would have gone unnoticed.”
Right to Dream gathered pace, as well as financial backers, purchasing Danish club FC Nordsjaelland, who in turn brought Kudus to Denmark as a 17-year-old.
Kudus is an idol to the upcoming generation.
Ghanaian Hammers president
The first to make the transition from the African academy to Europe, he made his senior debut in 2018. Two years later, he joined Ajax for around £8m.
And now, another home debut awaits him, this time in the Prem, with champs Manchester City visiting the London Stadium on Saturday.
His first appearance was brief — as a late sub in the 2-1 win at Luton — but Kudus is already adored in claret and blue.
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Last week, one West Ham fan travelled to Kumasi — four hours outside of Accra — to watch him play for Ghana in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
The St Albans-based fan later got the chance to speak with Kudus. He said: “I told Kudus what we expect of him as fans and how he can be a hero.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
