Stephen Appiah facts for kids
Appiah with Fenerbahçe in 2006
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 24 December 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Accra, Ghana | ||
| Height | 1.78 m | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1995–1997 | Hearts of Oak | 21 | (19) |
| 1997–2000 | Udinese | 36 | (0) |
| 2000–2003 | Parma | 28 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | → Brescia (loan) | 31 | (7) |
| 2003–2005 | Juventus | 48 | (3) |
| 2005–2008 | Fenerbahçe | 64 | (11) |
| 2009–2010 | Bologna | 2 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | Cesena | 14 | (0) |
| 2012 | Vojvodina | 11 | (1) |
| Total | 255 | (41) | |
| National team | |||
| Ghana U17 | |||
| Ghana U20 | |||
| 1995–2010 | Ghana | 67 | (15) |
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Stephen Leroy Appiah (born 24 December 1980) is a famous former footballer from Ghana. He played as a midfielder, which is a player who helps both defend and attack. Stephen Appiah played for many big teams like Udinese, Parma, Brescia, Juventus, and Fenerbahçe.
He was also a very important player for the Ghana national team. He played for Ghana's youth teams, Olympic team, and the senior team. Stephen Appiah was the captain when Ghana first played in the World Cup in 2006. He also led them in the 2010 World Cup.
Contents
Stephen Appiah's Club Career
Stephen Appiah started his football journey at a local club called Hearts of Oak in Ghana. He was only 15 years old when he joined them in 1995. In 1996, he tried out for a youth team in Turkey, but he wasn't signed. So, he went back to Hearts of Oak.
Playing in Italy
In 1997, Stephen Appiah moved to Italy to play for Udinese, a team in the top Italian league called Serie A. He first played as a striker, scoring goals. Later, he moved to a deeper midfield role, helping to control the game. He stayed with Udinese for three seasons.
In 2000, Appiah moved to Parma. After two seasons there, he went on loan to Brescia for the 2002–03 season. At Brescia, he became a regular player and scored seven goals in 31 games.
Joining Juventus
Stephen Appiah's great playing at Parma caught the eye of Juventus, one of Italy's biggest clubs. Juventus borrowed him for the 2003–04 season, with an option to buy him later. In 2003, he was ranked 8th for the African Footballer of the Year award.
He had a good first season with Juventus. He played in 30 league games and reached the Coppa Italia final. He also played in the UEFA Champions League for the first time. In his second season at Juventus, he played in 18 league games.
Moving to Fenerbahçe
In July 2005, Stephen Appiah moved to Fenerbahçe, a big club in Turkey. He helped them win the Turkish Super League Championship in their 100th year.
In January 2007, he got a knee injury while playing for Ghana. He decided to wait until the end of the season to have surgery. After the 2006–07 season, Appiah wanted to leave Fenerbahçe.
Injury Challenges and Club Dispute
After his knee injury, Stephen Appiah played briefly for Fenerbahçe in October 2007. However, his injury came back in December, and he went to Italy for treatment. This long-term injury meant he couldn't play in the 2008 African Cup of Nations. Instead, he became a special advisor for the team.
There was a disagreement between Appiah and Fenerbahçe about his injury and treatment. Appiah felt the club wasn't handling his injury well, while the club believed he wasn't following their plans for his recovery. This led to a dispute, and Appiah decided to end his contract. The case went to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which later ruled that Appiah did not have to pay Fenerbahçe any money.
Return to Italian Football
After leaving Fenerbahçe, Stephen Appiah was without a club for some time. He tried out for Tottenham Hotspur in England and Rubin Kazan in Russia in 2009, but concerns about his knee fitness meant he wasn't offered a contract. Even without a club, he continued to play for the Ghana national team.
On 1 November 2009, he signed with Bologna in Italy. On 7 August 2010, Appiah joined Cesena, another Italian Serie A team, on a one-year deal. His contract with Cesena ended in 2011, and he became a free agent again.
Playing in Serbia
On 2 February 2012, Stephen Appiah signed a six-month contract with Vojvodina, a club in Serbia. He played 11 league games for them and scored one important goal. This goal helped Vojvodina finish third in the league, which earned them a spot in the UEFA Europa League for the next season.
Retirement from Football
After being out of football for two years due to his knee injury, Stephen Appiah announced his retirement on 14 January 2015, at the age of 33.
Farewell Match
On 27 June 2015, a special farewell match was held to celebrate his career. The game took place at the Accra Sports Stadium in Ghana. It featured the Ghana national team, known as The Black Stars, playing against a team of former international footballers called Appiah XI. Famous players like Samuel Eto'o and Emmanuel Adebayor were part of Appiah XI. The match ended in a 2–2 draw, with Appiah scoring the first goal from a free kick.
The stadium was completely full, and Appiah did a lap of honor with his family. Many important people attended the match, including former Presidents of Ghana and religious leaders. Before the match, a dinner and fundraising event were held. All the money raised from the match and dinner went to his charity, the Step App foundation.
Stephen Appiah's International Career
Stephen Appiah was part of the Ghana team that won the FIFA U-17 World Championship in 1995. He was only 14 years old then. His team beat Brazil in the final to win the trophy.
Playing in the Olympics
In the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, Appiah was one of three older players allowed in the squad. He was known as a skilled attacking midfielder who could score goals. He scored twice in the tournament and was key to Ghana's attack in all three group games.
Leading the Black Stars
Stephen Appiah made his debut for the senior Ghana national team, the Black Stars, on his 16th birthday. He came into the game against Benin in the 80th minute.
He first became captain of Ghana in a friendly match against Slovenia. He then led the team to qualify for their first-ever World Cup in 2006. Stephen Appiah also captained Ghana in the 2010 World Cup.
On 22 August 2010, after Ghana reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup, Appiah announced his retirement from the national team at age 29. He finished his international career with 67 games played and 15 goals scored.
Stephen Appiah's Playing Style
Stephen Appiah was a very talented and strong box-to-box midfielder. This means he was good at both defending and attacking. He could help set up goals, create chances for his teammates, and score goals himself. He had good vision, technique, and a powerful shot with his right foot. He was a hard-working player who could play in different midfield positions, but he usually played in the center of the field.
Other Activities
Stephen Appiah has his own clothing line called StepApp. It was launched in November 2007 in his hometown of Accra. All the money from the clothing line goes to his charity, the StepApp foundation. The clothing line was first sold in Africa and later planned for Europe and the United States.
Black Stars Team Manager
In May 2017, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) named Stephen Appiah as the team manager for the Black Stars. This was his first role as a technical staff member for the team after he retired from playing.
Personal Life
Stephen Appiah has a son named Rodney Appiah. Rodney also plays football for a club called Accra Great Olympics in the Ghana Premier League.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Udinese | 1997–98 | Serie A | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 11 | 0 | ||
| 1998–99 | 21 | 0 | 6 | 3 | – | 2 | 0 | 29 | 3 | |||
| 1999–2000 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 5 | 0 | |||
| Total | 36 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 3 | ||
| Parma | 2000–01 | Serie A | 15 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 1 | – | 26 | 2 | |
| 2001–02 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | – | 23 | 0 | |||
| Total | 28 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 2 | ||
| Brescia (loan) | 2002–03 | Serie A | 31 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 32 | 7 | |
| Juventus | 2003–04 | Serie A | 30 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 1 |
| 2004–05 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 23 | 2 | |||
| Total | 48 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 69 | 3 | ||
| Fenerbahçe | 2005–06 | Süper Lig | 32 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 2 | – | 44 | 11 | |
| 2006–07 | 26 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 | – | 37 | 6 | |||
| 2007–08 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 9 | 0 | |||
| Total | 64 | 11 | 8 | 1 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 90 | 17 | ||
| Bologna | 2009–10 | Serie A | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | |
| Cesena | 2010–11 | Serie A | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 | 0 | |
| Vojvodina | 2011–12 | SuperLiga | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 | 1 | |
| Career total | 234 | 22 | 36 | 5 | 42 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 315 | 33 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghana | 1995 | 1 | 0 |
| 1996 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1997 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2002 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 5 | 3 | |
| 2004 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2005 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2006 | 16 | 2 | |
| 2007 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2009 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 67 | 15 |
Honours and Awards
Stephen Appiah won many trophies and awards during his career:
Hearts of Oak
- Ghana Premier League: 1996–97
- Ghanaian FA Cup: 1996
Parma
- Coppa Italia: 2001–02 (Italian Cup)
Juventus
- Serie A: 2004–05 (Italian League)
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2003 (Italian Super Cup)
Fenerbahçe
- Süper Lig: 2006–07 (Turkish League)
- Turkish Super Cup: 2007 (Turkish Super Cup)
Ghana U17
- FIFA U-17 World Championship: 1995 (World Cup for players under 17)
Individual Awards
- SWAG Most Promising Football Star of the Year: 1997
- Summer Olympic Football All-Star Team: 2004
- African Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2006
See also
In Spanish: Stephen Appiah para niños
