Ghanaian forward Felix Afena-Gyan rediscovered his scoring touch with an inspired display for Juventus Next Gen. He scored a goal and provided an assist to secure a crucial victory over Messina in Serie C Group C.

The 21-year-old, who had been struggling with a prolonged goal drought, played a decisive role as his side cruised to their third consecutive win in the competition.

Afena-Gyan had endured an 11-match barren spell since his last strike in a loss to Catania back in September.

Determined to rediscover his form, the Black Stars striker turned provider in the 68th minute, setting up Simone Guerra for the opener with an incisive pass that carved through the opposition’s defence.

His moment came in stoppage time, where he exhibited the instincts of a true marksman.

Latching onto a perfectly timed through ball, the former AS Roma talent raced into the penalty area with precision and composure, slotting the ball into the net to end his scoring woes.

With this performance, Afena-Gyan has now been directly involved in four goals—two strikes and two assists—across 12 appearances for Juventus Next Gen this season, per Transfermarket.

Afena-Gyan’s strike for Juventus' reserve side reminds us of the potential that once made him one of Ghana’s most promising prospects. Hailing from Sunyani, he rose to prominence during Ghana’s crucial 2022 World Cup qualification playoff against Nigeria, where his contributions proved pivotal in securing a spot at the tournament.

However, his route took a downturn after being excluded from the final squad for Qatar 2022. The snub appeared to have affected his form, leading to a decline in confidence and consistency.

With this performance, Afena-Gyan will hope to reignite the form that once saw him as Ghana’s next big star.