Kwadwo Duah, the first England-born player to score at this summer’s European Championship, is gearing up to face England in the quarter-finals on Saturday. The 27-year-old forward, who moved to Switzerland with his family at age two, grew up in Islington, London, and is a devoted Chelsea supporter. Despite his allegiance to the Premier League, Duah is focused on helping Switzerland achieve their first-ever tournament semi-final appearance.
Reflecting on England’s squad, Duah expressed his surprise at Cole Palmer’s limited playtime. “He had a fantastic season last year,” Duah said. “I’m also wondering why he’s not playing. His stats were perfect. Let’s see if he starts at the weekend.”
Switzerland has shown impressive form, remaining unbeaten in eight matches, knocking out Italy in the last 16, and holding their own against hosts Germany in the group stage. Duah is confident that England will not underestimate them in Düsseldorf. “I don’t think they will,” he said with a smile. “We want to show what we can and play our game. We will see what happens.”
Duah’s journey to this point has been remarkable. Raised by Ghanaian parents, he joined Bulgarian champions Ludogorets from Nuremberg last year and was a surprise inclusion in Murat Yakin’s provisional Swiss squad in May. Despite representing Switzerland at various youth levels, his senior call-up came as a shock, bolstered by his impressive scoring record, including 13 goals in 24 top-flight appearances last season.
Duah made an impact by scoring 12 minutes into Switzerland’s 3-1 victory over Hungary and has featured in three of their four matches. Although likely to be on the bench against England, with Breel Embolo expected to start, Duah cherishes his goal against Hungary. “It was a big moment for my family and me,” he said. “To score the first goal for Switzerland in a European Championship is something special.”
Switzerland hopes for another defining moment as they prepare for the quarter-finals. Captain Granit Xhaka, despite nursing a thigh problem, is expected to start. “He’s very positive and always wants to win, even in training,” Duah said of Xhaka. “He pushes the people around him and controls everything.”
A multilingual and confident speaker, Duah is also an interesting character off the pitch. A fan of comic books, he sometimes reads them to relax before matches. “I’m a big fan of Donald Duck and stuff,” he shared.
As Switzerland gears up to face England, one question looms: Can Jude Bellingham’s spectacular overhead kick against Slovakia surpass Xherdan Shaqiri’s stunning goal against Scotland? Duah weighs in, “Shaq’s goal was more difficult and probably more beautiful. It did something for us, equalising at a crucial moment. Shaq has already scored many goals like that, so I’d say his goal was a bit better.”
With the stage set for an exciting encounter, Duah and Switzerland are ready to challenge England and make history.
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