Quincy Owusu-Abeyie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Quincy Owusu-Abeyie

Owusu-Abeyie pictured in 2007
Personal information
Full name	Quincy Jamie Owusu-Abeyie
Date of birth	(1986-04-15) 15 April 1986 (age 39)
Place of birth	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Height	1.80 m
Playing position	Forward, left winger
Youth career
1993–2002	Ajax
2002–2003	Arsenal
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2003–2006	Arsenal	5	(0)
2006–2010	Spartak Moscow	29	(3)
2007–2008	→ Celta Vigo (loan)	21	(4)
2008–2009	→ Birmingham City (loan)	19	(2)
2009	→ Cardiff City (loan)	5	(0)
2010	→ Portsmouth (loan)	10	(0)
2010–2011	Al-Sadd
2010–2011	→ Málaga (loan)	25	(2)
2011–2014	Panathinaikos	38	(5)
2014–2015	Boavista	7	(0)
2016–2017	NEC	12	(0)
Total		171	(16)
National team
2005–2006	Netherlands U21	7	(1)
2008–2011	Ghana	17	(2)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Quincy Jamie Owusu-Abeyie (born 15 April 1986), known simply as Quincy, is a former professional footballer. He played as a forward or left winger. Quincy is also a rapper, known by the name BLOW.

He started his football journey at Ajax in the Netherlands. At 16, he moved to Arsenal in England. Quincy played for many clubs in different countries. These included Spartak Moscow in Russia, Celta Vigo and Málaga in Spain. He also played for Birmingham City, Cardiff City, and Portsmouth in England. Later, he joined Al-Sadd in Qatar, Panathinaikos in Greece, Boavista in Portugal, and NEC in his home country.

Quincy played for the Netherlands youth teams. However, in 2007, he asked to play for Ghana, his parents' country. FIFA agreed, and he played for Ghana in the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2010 World Cup.

Quincy's Football Journey

Starting Out at Ajax

Quincy was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands. His parents were from Ghana. He spent nine years in the youth system at his hometown club, Ajax. When he was 16, he left Ajax.

Playing for Arsenal

Liam Brady, who led youth development at Premier League club Arsenal, offered Quincy a trial. Quincy did well and joined Arsenal in September 2002. In the 2002–03 season, he scored 17 goals in 20 games for the under-17 team. This included six goals in a big 7–1 win.

Quincy signed his first professional contract when he turned 18. He signed a new long-term contract in July 2005. His first game for the main team was in the League Cup on 28 October 2003. He came on as a substitute. He scored his first goal for Arsenal's first team on 9 November 2004 against Everton. He also helped Arsenal win the 2004–05 FA Cup by playing in two matches.

Even though he played well, Quincy found it hard to get a regular spot in the first team. He learned a lot from famous players like Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp. But when Arsenal signed new forwards in January 2006, Quincy knew he needed to leave to play more.

Moving to Spartak Moscow

Quincy playing for Spartak Moscow

On 31 January 2006, Quincy joined the Russian club Spartak Moscow.

Loan to Celta Vigo

In June 2007, Quincy went on loan to the Spanish team Celta de Vigo. He played for them during the 2007–08 season. He played 20 games and scored five goals. He also missed some weeks to play for his country in the 2008 African Cup of Nations.

Loan to Birmingham City

On 6 August 2008, Quincy joined Birmingham City on loan. He played his first game as a substitute in a League Cup match. He scored a great goal from 18 yards in a 4–0 win. He also scored important league goals against Cardiff City and Derby County. His loan ended in January 2009.

Loan to Cardiff City

Quincy then joined Cardiff City on loan until the end of the 2008–09 season. He made his debut on 25 February as a late substitute. He played only a few more games as a substitute before going back to Moscow.

Loan to Portsmouth

On 27 January 2010, Quincy signed a loan deal with Premier League team Portsmouth. He made his debut a few days later. In an FA Cup match against Southampton, Quincy made a big difference. He scored the first goal and helped set up two more goals as Portsmouth won 4–1.

Playing for Al-Sadd

In late March 2010, Quincy signed a three-year contract with the Qatari club Al-Sadd.

Loan to Málaga CF

By the summer of 2010, Quincy was playing for the Spanish club Málaga. On 20 August, he signed a loan deal with them for the 2010–11 season. He scored his first goal for Málaga and also made an assist in a 5–3 win.

Joining Panathinaikos

Quincy joined the Greek club Panathinaikos in July 2011 on a one-year loan. Later, in 2012, he signed a three-year contract with the team. He was happy to return and work with coach Jesualdo Ferreira.

Time at Boavista

After trying out for other clubs, Quincy signed a one-year contract with the Portuguese club Boavista on 27 August 2014. His contract ended in February 2015. He played eleven games and scored one goal.

Later Career at NEC

In July 2016, Quincy signed a one-year contract with NEC Nijmegen in the Netherlands. He played 12 league games. In January 2017, he left the club. In 2020, Quincy retired from professional football at age 30 to focus on his music career. However, he later returned to play for a Dutch amateur club, SV Robinhood.

International Football for Quincy

Playing for Netherlands Youth Teams

Quincy played for the Netherlands national under-21 football team in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. He helped set up a goal in the first game. FIFA.com described him as "special" and full of "power, pace, and skill." He was seen as one of the best players in that tournament.

Quincy had played for the Netherlands' junior teams since he was 15. He played his last game for the Dutch youth teams in November 2006.

Switching to Play for Ghana

Quincy Owusu-Abeyie with Ghana in 2008

In January 2007, Quincy went to Ghana to talk about playing for their national team. Ghana wanted him to play for them in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, but he couldn't because he had already played for the Netherlands youth teams. After talks, Quincy decided to play for Ghana's senior team.

On 10 January 2008, FIFA approved Quincy's request to switch to Ghana. His teammates were very happy for him! He was then chosen for Ghana's squad for the 2008 African Cup of Nations. He helped Ghana beat Nigeria to reach the semi-finals. He scored his first international goal in the third-place match, where Ghana won 4–2.

Quincy was also chosen for Ghana's squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. On 5 June, he scored the only goal in Ghana's final warm-up match against Latvia. Quincy played in two group stage games as Ghana reached the quarter-finals.

Quincy's Life Outside Football

Quincy is a cousin of the English rapper Sway.

Using the name "Blow," Quincy released his first music collection as a solo rapper in early 2020. He had been recording songs for many years. He also performed secretly with an Amsterdam rap group called De Fellas.

Career Statistics

Club

International Goals

Scores and results list Ghana's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Owusu-Abeyie goal.

List of international goals scored by Quincy Owusu-Abeyie

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	3 February 2008	Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi, Ghana	Ivory Coast	2–2	4–2	2008 Africa Cup of Nations
2	5 June 2010	Stadium:mk, Milton Keynes, England	Latvia	1–0	1–0	Friendly

See also

In Spanish: Quincy Owusu-Abeyie para niños