Accra: Former Black Stars midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng has opened up on the cultural shock he experienced after joining the Black Stars. He revealed how different the environment was compared to Germany, noting the stark contrast in football culture between the two nations.
According to Ghana Web, Prince Boateng explained that having represented Germany up to the under-21 level, adapting to the Ghanaian way of doing things was initially difficult for him. "It was a complete culture shock for me. I knew Ghanaian people, but they had already adapted a little bit to the German ways. I didn't know the real Ghanaian way," he recalled.
The former Schalke and AC Milan midfielder described the Black Stars' camp as lively and full of music, dance, and jokes, something he was not used to. "It was like come whenever you want, eat whenever you want, dance and sing the whole time," Boateng recalled. He particularly mentioned former Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan, joking that the striker spent most of his time dancing instead of worrying about football. "Asamoah was just dancing the whole time. I said, 'Brother, are you a professional dancer or are you a footballer?'" he said.
Reflecting on his approach to matches, Boateng noted differences between his mentality and that of his teammates. While the Ghana players danced and played drums before games, he remained serious and focused with headphones on due to his "German mentality." His teammates initially misunderstood his quiet and intense behavior, believing he was unhappy. However, Prince Boateng said the team eventually found the perfect balance between enjoyment and professionalism once the World Cup started. "The moment we hit the field, it was a different team. That's when I realized we were serious," he added.