1. Overview
Ernest Nuamah Appiah (born 1 November 2003) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a winger, primarily as a left winger, for Ligue 1 club Lyon and the Ghana national team. Nuamah began his career at the Right to Dream Academy in Ghana before moving to Danish Superliga side FC Nordsjælland in 2022, where he quickly made an impact, earning the Danish Superliga Player of the Year award for the 2022-23 season. In 2023, he transferred to Belgian club RWD Molenbeek and was immediately loaned to Lyon, a move that later became permanent. He is also an active member of the Ghana national team, having debuted in 2023 and contributed to their qualification campaigns.
2. Early career
Nuamah was born and raised in Asafo, a suburb of Kumasi, Ashanti Region, Ghana. He began his football journey at the Right to Dream Academy, a renowned youth football academy located in the Eastern Region of Ghana.
2.1. Right to Dream Academy
Ernest Nuamah developed his skills at the Right to Dream Academy, a prominent football academy in Ghana known for nurturing young talent. He trained and started his career there before making his move to European football in 2022.
3. Club career
Ernest Nuamah's professional club career began in Denmark, where he quickly rose to prominence before making a significant move to French football.
3.1. FC Nordsjælland
In January 2022, Ernest Nuamah joined Danish Superliga side FC Nordsjælland. He made his professional debut on 10 April 2022 in a match against Aarhus GF. Coming on as a substitute for Magnus Kofod Andersen in the 67th minute, he scored his debut goal in the 84th minute, contributing to a 2-2 draw. Following this impressive debut, he was named the team's man of the match.
Nuamah continued to demonstrate his potential, and in September 2022, he was recognized as the Danish Superliga Young Player of the Month. On 19 March 2023, he scored a brace, including the winning goal, in a 2-1 victory against Brøndby. At the end of the 2022-23 season, Nuamah received multiple accolades, including the Danish Superliga Player of the Year, Danish Superliga Player of the Spring, and Danish Superliga Young Player of the Year. He started the 2023-24 season strongly, scoring a hat-trick in a 4-1 league victory against Viborg on 24 July 2023, which was the first matchday of the new campaign. His transfer from Nordsjælland later set a new record as the club's highest-grossing sale.
3.2. RWD Molenbeek and loan to Lyon
On 30 August 2023, Ernest Nuamah joined Belgian club RWD Molenbeek. This transfer was immediately followed by a loan move to French side Lyon for the remainder of the 2023-24 season. The agreement included a purchase option for Lyon worth 25.00 M EUR, with an additional 4.50 M EUR in potential add-ons. This complex transfer arrangement was facilitated by the common ownership between RWD Molenbeek and Lyon, both being part of John Textor's Eagle Football Holdings. The loan was a strategic move to help Lyon navigate spending restrictions imposed by the Direction Nationale du Contrôle de Gestion (DNCG), the financial watchdog for French football.
3.3. Lyon
During his initial loan spell with Lyon, Ernest Nuamah scored his first goal for the club on 8 October 2023, in a 3-3 draw against Lorient. His performances led to Lyon announcing his permanent transfer from RWD Molenbeek on 7 July 2024, for a reported fee of 28.50 M EUR.
In the final days of the 2024 summer transfer window, a potential 19.00 M EUR transfer of Nuamah to Premier League club Fulham fell through at the last minute. Despite an agreement between the clubs and a scheduled medical examination, Nuamah reportedly disappeared during the final stages of the deal, indicating his reluctance to leave Lyon. Following this incident, Lyon's owner, John Textor, publicly apologized for the situation, acknowledging that Nuamah might have felt pressured to leave the club.
4. International career
Ernest Nuamah has represented Ghana at the international level, making contributions to both youth and senior national teams.
4.1. Debut and major tournaments
Ernest Nuamah made his debut for the Ghana national team on 18 June 2023, during an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Madagascar. He entered the match as a substitute for Kamaldeen Sulemana in the 62nd minute. He has since participated in key international competitions, including qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA World Cup. He also represented the Ghana U-23 team, making 3 appearances and scoring 1 goal.
5. Career statistics
This section provides a statistical overview of Ernest Nuamah's appearances and goals throughout his playing career at both club and international levels.
5.1. Club statistics
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Nordsjælland | 2021-22 | Danish Superliga | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 9 | 1 | ||
| 2022-23 | Danish Superliga | 30 | 12 | 4 | 3 | - | 34 | 15 | |||
| 2023-24 | Danish Superliga | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 | ||
| Total | 43 | 17 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 49 | 20 | |||
| RWDM | 2023-24 | Belgian Pro League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2024-25 | Challenger Pro League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Lyon (loan) | 2023-24 | Ligue 1 | 29 | 3 | 4 | 0 | - | 33 | 3 | ||
| Lyon | 2024-25 | Ligue 1 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 24 | 3 | |
| Career total | 90 | 22 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 107 | 26 | |||
5.2. International statistics
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghana | 2023 | 7 | 2 |
| 2024 | 5 | 1 | |
| Total | 12 | 3 | |
Scores and results list Ghana's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Nuamah goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 September 2023 | Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi, Ghana | Central African Republic | 2-1 | 2-1 | 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 2 | 12 September 2023 | Accra Sports Stadium, Accra, Ghana | Liberia | 1-0 | 3-1 | Friendly |
| 3 | 6 June 2024 | Stade du 26 Mars, Bamako, Mali | Mali | 1-1 | 2-1 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
6. Honours
Ernest Nuamah has received several individual and team honors throughout his career.
6.1. Individual honours
- Danish Superliga Player of the Year: 2022-23
- Danish Superliga Player of the Spring: 2022-23
- Danish Superliga Young Player of the Year: 2022-23
- Danish Superliga Player of the Month: July 2023
- Danish Superliga Young Player of the Month: September 2022, July 2023
- Danish Superliga Team of the Month: July 2023
- Odartey Lamptey Future Star Award: 2023 (Ghana Football Awards)
6.2. Team honours
- Coupe de France runner-up: 2023-24 (with Lyon)