Afriyie Acquah facts for kids
.jpg)
Acquah with Ghana in 2015
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Afriyie Acquah | ||
| Date of birth | 5 January 1992 | ||
| Place of birth | Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana | ||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2005 | Goldfields | ||
| 2005–2008 | Glentoran | ||
| 2008–2009 | Mine Stars | ||
| 2009 | Bechem United | ||
| 2009–2010 | D.C. United Agogo | ||
| 2010–2011 | Palermo | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011–2013 | Palermo | 31 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | → Parma (loan) | 13 | (0) |
| 2013–2015 | 1899 Hoffenheim | 0 | (0) |
| 2013–2015 | → Parma (loan) | 41 | (1) |
| 2015 | → Sampdoria (loan) | 10 | (1) |
| 2015–2018 | Torino | 71 | (5) |
| 2018–2019 | Empoli | 28 | (2) |
| 2019–2021 | Yeni Malatyaspor | 60 | (3) |
| 2021–2022 | Al-Batin | 8 | (0) |
| 2023 | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | ||
| 2023–2024 | Chitwan | 8 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2012–2021 | Ghana | 39 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Afriyie Acquah (born on January 5, 1992) is a professional footballer from Ghana. He plays as a midfielder on the field.
Contents
About Afriyie Acquah
Afriyie Acquah learned to speak Italian. He had a private tutor after moving to Italy in 2010. He also has a brother. Acquah chose the number 94 shirt for a special reason. It was to honor his mother, who survived a car accident in that year.
His Football Journey
Starting Out in Ghana
Afriyie Acquah was born in Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana. He started his football journey at the Glentoran Football Academy in Sunyani, Ghana. This academy was started by Christopher Forsythe. While at Glentoran, Acquah was named the "Best Ghanaian Midfielder Under-14."
Later, he moved to Bechem United. This happened because the Irish club could not sign him due to work permit rules. He even traveled to Belfast to train with the first team. In April 2009, he played for Bechem United against the Italian club Empoli.
Playing in Italy: Palermo
On February 1, 2010, Palermo, an Italian club, signed Acquah. He joined them from the Ghanaian club D.C. United Agogo.
Acquah chose the number 94 shirt for Palermo. He played his first game for Palermo on February 13, 2011. He came into the game as a substitute. Palermo lost that game 4–2 against Fiorentina. After playing four games, Acquah signed a five-year contract. This contract kept him with the club until 2016.
Loan to Parma
On July 16, 2012, Palermo announced that Acquah would play for Parma. Parma was another team in the same league, Serie A. This was a loan deal, meaning he played for Parma for a set time.
Moving to Germany: Hoffenheim
In January 2013, Acquah moved to Germany. He joined the Bundesliga club Hoffenheim. He signed a four-year deal with them. However, he did not get to play any matches for them that season.
Back to Parma on Loan
In July 2013, Acquah returned to Parma on a loan deal. This time, he played much more often. He played in 27 league games during the 2013–14 season. Acquah scored his first professional goal on April 2, 2014. It was in a game against Roma, which Parma lost 4–2. His loan was then extended for another year.
Loan to Sampdoria
In February 2015, his loan at Parma ended early. He then moved to another Italian team, Sampdoria, also on loan. He played his first game for Sampdoria for the full 90 minutes. They lost 2–1 to Chievo.
Playing for Torino
On June 19, 2015, Afriyie Acquah signed a four-year contract with Torino. This was another club in Italy.
Joining Empoli
On August 17, 2018, Acquah signed with Serie A team Empoli.
Moving to Turkey: Yeni Malatyaspor
On August 23, 2019, Acquah joined the Turkish club Yeni Malatyaspor. He signed a two-year contract with an option to stay longer. After playing for a year, he became the team's deputy captain. He was also given his favorite number 6 jersey.
Playing in Saudi Arabia: Al Batin
On June 22, 2021, Acquah signed a two-year deal with the Saudi Arabian club Al Batin FC. He joined them as a free agent. He left the club on January 1, 2022.
Playing in Iraq: Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
On February 1, 2023, Acquah joined the Iraqi club Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya.
International Career for Ghana
On February 26, 2012, Acquah was called to play for the Ghana squad. His first game for Ghana was against Chile on February 29, 2012. This game took place in the USA. On October 13, 2012, he scored a goal for Ghana against Malawi.
In May 2014, Acquah was chosen for Ghana's team for the FIFA World Cup. He made his World Cup debut on June 2, 2014. He came into the game as a substitute. Ghana lost that game 2–1 against Portugal.
He also played in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2015. Ghana reached the final but lost to the Ivory Coast in a penalty shootout. The game ended 0–0. Acquah was named the Man of the Match, but he missed his penalty kick.
How He Plays Football
Afriyie Acquah is a strong and determined player. He usually plays as a defensive midfielder. This means he plays in front of the defense to protect the goal. He is known for his speed, strength, and ability to win the ball back.
He can play in different midfield roles. He can help his team both in defense and attack. He works hard and stays calm during games. He can also make runs into the opponent's penalty area. Even though he is right-footed, he can kick or pass the ball well with both feet. His playing style has been compared to another Ghanaian player, Michael Essien.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Palermo | 2010–11 | Serie A | 11 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| 2011–12 | Serie A | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | |
| Total | 31 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 37 | 0 | |||
| Parma (loan) | 2012–13 | Serie A | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 0 | ||
| 1899 Hoffenheim | 2012–13 | Bundesliga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Parma | 2013–14 | Serie A | 27 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 1 | ||
| 2014–15 | Serie A | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 0 | |||
| Total | 54 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 55 | 1 | ||||
| Sampdoria | 2014–15 | Serie A | 10 | 1 | — | — | — | 10 | 1 | |||
| Torino | 2015–16 | Serie A | 29 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 31 | 3 | ||
| 2016–17 | Serie A | 20 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 2 | |||
| 2017–18 | Serie A | 22 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 1 | |||
| Total | 71 | 5 | 8 | 1 | — | — | 79 | 6 | ||||
| Empoli | 2018–19 | Serie A | 28 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 194 | 9 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 209 | 10 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghana | 2012 | 3 | 1 |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 39 | 1 | |
Awards and Achievements
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
- Iraq FA Cup: 2022–23
Ghana
- Africa Cup of Nations runner-up: 2015
See also
In Spanish: Afriyie Acquah para niños
