An intrepid West Ham United fan who travelled thousands of miles to watch one of the Premier League club's new signings in action on international duty has seen his astonishing effort rewarded.
The supporter embarked on a 4,000-mile round voyage from London to watch Ghana face Central African Republic in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, desperate to catch a glimpse of Mohammed Kudus, who signed for the Hammers from Ajax in late August.
The presence of Ian, the lone West Ham fan, caused something of a stir at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, in the Ghanaian city of Kumasi, where he even fielded questions from local reporters ahead of the game.
A West Ham fan came to Kumasi to watch Kudus in action for 🇬🇭https://t.co/lcuaenMIKn pic.twitter.com/6Z0UnFljms
— GhanaWeb (@TheGhanaWeb) September 7, 2023
"I am here to watch Mohammed Kudus, our new signing," Ian told Ghanaweb. "He is very skillful and strong. We love him.
"West Ham are massive everywhere we go and I have come all the way from the UK to watch Mohammed Kudus and the Black Stars."
Kudus, who made his West Ham debut as a late sub in a 2-1 win at Luton Town just before the international break, played for the Black Stars and even scored a vital equaliser in their 2-1 comeback victory, netting a free kick just before half-time.
With a 2,000-mile return trip and an impressive anecdote to tell, that might well have been the end of the story.
Then after hearing about the extreme footballing pilgrimage, the Ghana Football Association stepped in to reward the exceptional endeavour.
Arrangements were made for the fan to meet Kudus at the Black Stars' camp and even receive the 23-year-old winger's No. 20 jersey as a little added bonus. The shirt was then donned and photos were taken, complete with the pair making the "Irons" gesture.
"After making the journey from the UK to watch Mohammed in the AFCON qualifiers, this West Ham fan had the incredible opportunity to meet starboy Kudus!" the Ghana FA wrote on Instagram.
Lovely stuff.
