Harrison Afful facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Harrison Afful

Afful with Ghana in 2015
Personal information
Full name	Harrison Afful
Date of birth	(1986-07-24) 24 July 1986 (age 38)
Place of birth	Tema, Ghana
Height	1.68 m
Playing position	Fullback
Youth career
0000–2005	Feyenoord Academy
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2005–2009	Feyenoord Academy
2007–2009	→ Asante Kotoko (loan)		(1+)
2009–2015	Espérance de Tunis	118	(11)
2015–2021	Columbus Crew	164	(6)
2022–2023	Charlotte FC	21	(0)
2024	Michigan Stars	0	(0)
National team‡
2006	Ghana U20	6	(1)
2009	Ghana A'	8	(0)
2008–2018	Ghana	84	(0)
Honours  Ghana Third Africa Cup of Nations 2008 Runner-up Africa Cup of Nations 2010 Runner-up Africa Cup of Nations 2015
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 4 January 2023. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 18 November 2018

Harrison Afful (born on July 24, 1986) is a former Ghanaian footballer. He played as a fullback. Harrison played for teams like Feyenoord Academy, Espérance de Tunis, and Columbus Crew. He also spent time on loan at Asante Kotoko.

Afful started his career at the Feyenoord Academy. He played his first two professional seasons there. Later, he joined Asante Kotoko on loan. With Kotoko, he won the Ghana Premier League in 2007–08. After four years in Ghana, Afful moved to Tunisia. He joined Espérance de Tunis. He played for Tunis for six seasons, appearing over 180 times. During his time there, Tunis won four league titles. They also reached three CAF Champions League finals. In 2011, they won the 2011 CAF Champions League Final, with Afful scoring the winning goal. In 2015, Afful moved to the United States. He signed with Columbus Crew. He helped them reach the MLS Cup 2015 in his first year.

Harrison Afful also played for the Ghanaian national team. He made his debut at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations. Ghana finished third in that tournament. He played in four more AFCON tournaments. Ghana was runner-up in 2010 and 2015. He was also part of Ghana's team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He played in two matches during that World Cup. Afful first captained Ghana in a friendly game in 2015.

Early Life and Beginnings

Harrison Afful was born in Tema, Ghana. He grew up in a town called Nungua, about 23 kilometers away. As a child, he loved watching the Ghana national team play on TV. He dreamed of becoming a professional footballer himself.

Club Career Highlights

Feyenoord Academy and Early Loans

Afful joined the Feyenoord Academy as a young player. A scout named Sam Arday discovered him. He moved up through the youth teams to the main senior team. He played 148 games and scored 11 goals for the academy. In 2008, he tried out for Feyenoord, the main club in the Netherlands. But he was told he was too small and did not get a contract. He also trained with other clubs but returned to Ghana.

Loan to Asante Kotoko

After his academy team was moved to a lower league, Afful joined Asante Kotoko on loan. This allowed him to keep playing in the Ghana Premier League. He quickly impressed the coach, Bashir Hayford. Afful made his first league appearance for Kotoko on December 2, 2007. He even scored a goal in a 3–0 win. He was named the league's Player of the Year. Asante Kotoko won the Ghana Premier League title in 2007–08. He played 68 games and scored five goals during his time on loan.

Success with Espérance de Tunis

Joining Espérance de Tunis

On August 25, 2009, Afful signed a three-year contract with Tunisian club Espérance de Tunis (EST). He had trained with the team and scored in a friendly game, which helped them decide to sign him. He played his first game for EST on September 12. They won 4–0. He scored his first two goals for the club in April and May 2010. He finished his first season with two goals in 23 games. Tunis won their second league title in a row that year.

Winning the Champions League

In his second season, Afful played a big role in the 2010 CAF Champions League. He helped EST reach the final against TP Mazembe. Tunis lost the final, but Afful scored his first Champions League goal in the second game. In the 2011 CAF Champions League, Afful helped Tunis reach the final again. He scored the only goal in the second game against Wydad Casablanca. This goal gave Tunis a 1–0 victory and their second Champions League title. Winning this title meant Tunis qualified for the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup. Afful played in two games at this tournament.

Later Seasons in Tunisia

Afful signed a new contract with Espérance de Tunis in 2012. He started scoring more goals in the league. He also played a key part in the 2012 CAF Champions League. Tunis reached their third final in a row. However, Afful missed the second game due to yellow cards. Tunis lost the final. In the 2013–14 season, Afful played his most games ever, 38 matches. He scored six goals. Tunis won their fourth league title during his time there.

Afful left Tunis in June 2015. There was a disagreement about money owed to him. FIFA later ruled that Espérance had to pay him. He played 183 games and scored 17 goals for Tunis.

Playing in the United States: Columbus Crew

First Years in Columbus

After leaving Tunis, Afful joined Major League Soccer (MLS) club Columbus Crew SC. He was recommended to the team by a former Ghanaian player. He made his debut for Columbus on August 19, 2015. He helped the team reach MLS Cup 2015 in his first season. Columbus lost the final 2–1. Afful played 14 games in his first year.

In 2016, Afful played his first full season with Columbus. He scored his first MLS goal on July 13 against Toronto FC. He scored two more goals later in the season. He finished the year with three goals and three assists in 30 games.

Injuries and Team Challenges

The 2017 season was tough for Afful due to several injuries. Even with injuries, he scored an important goal in the 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs. His goal helped Columbus win a game against New York City FC. He played 29 games and scored one goal that season.

In 2018, Afful played well, with two goals and six assists in 35 games. He helped Columbus win three games in a row in July and August. He also assisted a goal in the playoffs. In 2019, Afful had a fractured jaw after a collision. He missed eleven games because of this. He returned to play later in the season. His contract ended, but he signed a new deal to stay with the club.

Winning Trophies with the Crew

In 2020, Afful played in the 2020 season. He scored a goal in November. He started every game in the 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs. The Crew reached MLS Cup 2020, which was Afful's second time in the league's final. He assisted a goal in the final as the Crew won 3–0. This was his first trophy since joining Columbus.

In 2021, his final season with the Crew, Afful played 30 games. He helped the Crew win the 2021 Campeones Cup. This was his second trophy with the club. After seven seasons, 188 games, and seven goals, Afful left Columbus.

Charlotte FC and Michigan Stars

After leaving Columbus, Afful signed with new MLS team Charlotte FC on December 17, 2021. He signed a one-year deal. He played 24 games for Charlotte in 2022, scoring one goal. His contract with Charlotte ended in October 2023. In April 2024, Afful played for National Independent Soccer Association team Michigan Stars FC.

International Career for Ghana

Afful first played for Ghana at the under-20 level. He played six games and scored one goal in 2006.

Early AFCON Tournaments and World Cup Qualification

Afful has won three medals from Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.

Afful made his debut for the senior national team at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations. He was called up to the team by coach Claude Le Roy. He played his first game on February 9 in the third-place match. Ghana won 4–2. Afful helped Ghana qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He played 10 games in the qualifying rounds. He was also called up for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, where Ghana reached the final. However, he did not play in any games at that tournament. He was not chosen for the 2010 World Cup team.

The 2014 World Cup

Afful was called back to the Black Stars team in June 2012. He played in qualifying games. He was also part of the Ghanaian team for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. He played five games in that tournament.

On May 12, 2014, Afful was named in Ghana's team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He played in two matches during the tournament. He even assisted a goal in a game against Germany. Ghana was eliminated in the group stage.

Afful captained Ghana for the first time at the age of 29.

AFCON Success and World Cup Qualifying

Afful played in all six games during Ghana's 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification. He was then named to the team for the main tournament in 2015. He played in every match. Ghana reached the final against Ivory Coast. Afful scored in the penalty shootout, but Ghana lost. He was a runner-up for the second time. Later that year, Afful captained Ghana for the first time. They won 3–2 against Congo. He also played in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. Ghana finished fourth in that tournament.

Ghana did not qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Afful played in six qualifying games. This was the first time Ghana missed the World Cup since 2002. In late 2018, he played two more games for Ghana. He helped them qualify for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. However, Afful was injured and could not play in the tournament.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Afful is one of the ten most-capped players in the history of the Ghana national team.

Honours and Awards

Asante Kotoko

• Ghana Premier League: 2007–08
• SWAG Cup: 2008
• GHALCA President's Cup: 2008

Espérance de Tunis

• Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1: 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14
• Tunisian Cup: 2010–11
• CAF Champions League: 2011

Columbus Crew

• MLS Cup: 2020
• Campeones Cup: 2021

Individual

• African Nations Championship Best XI: 2009
• CAF Team of the Year: 2011
• Ghana Player of the Year: 2014
• Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2015

See also

In Spanish: Harrison Afful para niños