John Mensah

John Mensah was born on November 29, 1982 at Obuasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana

Hailing from Obuasi, Ashanti, Mensah embarked on his football journey by joining MBC Accra at a young age before moving to Italy to join Bologna, where he made two appearances in the Coppa Italia, and later spent two years at Bellinzona in Switzerland, where he refined his skills and showcased impressive positioning and awareness despite being overlooked for his lack of speed.

Mensah began his professional career at Genoa in Italy, scoring three goals in 26 appearances before moving to Chievo and Modena on loan. After joining Rennes on loan and impressing, he secured a permanent deal and extended his contract until 2010. Mensah later joined Lyon, where he faced injuries and racial abuse, but still managed to help the team to a third-place finish in Ligue 1.

Mensah's international career included appearances in the Ghana national under-20 team squad for the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship, his senior debut for Ghana in the 2002 African Cup of Nations, participation in the 2004 Summer Olympics and the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups, where he captained Ghana to a quarter-final finish, as well as his involvement in the 2008 and 2012 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. Throughout his international career, he earned 86 caps and scored three goals, serving as assistant-captain and captain for the national team.

John Mensah, while playing for the Ghana U20 team, was a runner-up in the FIFA World Youth Championship in 2001, and Ghana achieved runner-up in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2010 and third place in 2008; he also received individual accolades including the Ghana 2008 Samsung Fair Play Award, the Societe Generale Trophy in September 2006. He was being named Ghana Player of the Year in 2006, and being included in the Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament.

In February 2002, Mensah entered into marriage and they have four children, but they later announced their divorce after ten years. Mensah remarried in November 2014. He is also the half-brother of Ekow Benson, a player in the Ghana national team, and has two sisters and brothers. Tragically, his mother passed away at the age of 78 in October 2019 after a brief illness. Furthermore, Mensah's father, John Attu Mensah, who was a former footballer for Cambridge United and the Ghana senior team, passed away in June 2021.