Baba Yara Stadium was very loud – Tariq Lamptey on first game on Ghanaian soil

Brighton & Hove Albion defender Tariq Lamptey has shared his excitement and gratitude following his first game playing for the Black Stars on Ghanaian soil.

The young defender, born in Hillingdon, United Kingdom to Ghanaian parents, switched his nationality to represent Ghana in 2022 after previously playing for England’s youth teams.

But the former Chelsea player had to wait until Monday to play his first match in Ghana, and he was overwhelmed by the immense support at the Baba Yara Stadium, which he described as “very loud.”

“It was very loud, with lots of support, we could feel it straight away. It’s that type of support that pushes you on, motivates you to work harder and get the results for the team, and for the fans as well because we know how important it is for us to win and for us to show that we’re working harder and try to get it for them so it just pushed us on,” Lamptey told 3Sports in an exclusive interview.

“They were like the 12th man on the team so we’re grateful for their support and it was amazing to be back playing there. It was my first time and how the game went obviously maybe some people will be a bit up and down but it was an amazing day and, in the end, we got the results we wanted.”

Tariq Lamptey shares how he felt when he made his home debut at the Baba Yara Stadium#3SportsGH pic.twitter.com/LqIEfXgDUs

— #3Sports (@3SportsGh) June 12, 2024

Lamptey, who made his Ghana debut against Brazil in France, has managed just eight appearances for the Black Stars over two years, primarily due to injuries.