Ghana forward Caleb Ekuban scores brace as Genoa beat Mantova in preseason friendly

Ghana international Caleb Ansah Ekuban was in fine form when Genoa defeated Mantova in a preseason friendly match on Thursday.

Ekuban was called to action and delivered an outstanding performance to help Genoa cruised to victory in the preparatory game.

The former Trabzonspor attacker bagged brace as genoa inflicted a 3-2 win over the lower-tier club at the Campo Sportivo Cesare Benatti.

The 30-year-old wasted no time to open the scoring for the Serie A outfit after hitting the back of the net, six minutes into the game.

He added his sides second goal of the match in the 23rd minute before Mantova pull one back in the 38th minute through Mattia Muroni.

Two minutes to the halftime break, Morten Frendrup fired home the third goal for Genoa which won them the game.

In the 63rd minute, Alessandro Debenedetti scored to reduce the deficit for Mantova as the game ended 3-2 for Genoa.

Ekuban, who joined the Italian outfit in 2021 recently signed a two-year extension with an option for a further year.

Having joined the Serie A side from Trabzonspor, Ekuban has become a key figure for the club, playing a pivotal role as they finished 11th last season.

The 30-year-old scored four goals and delivered three assists in 29 matches last season, playing mostly as a left winger.