Felix Afena-Gyan

Last updated

Felix Afena-Gyan
Personal information
Full name Felix Afena Ohene-Gyan
Date of birth (2003-01-19) 19 January 2003 (age 21)
Place of birth Sunyani, Ghana
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Juventus Next Gen
(on loan from Cremonese)
Number 3
Youth career
2018–2021 EurAfrica FC
2021 Roma
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2021–2022 Roma 17 (2)
2022– Cremonese 30 (0)
2024– → Juventus Next Gen (loan) 13 (2)
International career‡
2022– Ghana 7 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18 December 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:20, 23 September 2022 (UTC)

Felix Afena Ohene-Gyan (born 19 January 2003) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie C Group C club Juventus Next Gen, on loan from Cremonese. He also plays for the Ghana national team.

Contents

Club career

Roma

Youth squad

Born in Sunyani, Ghana, [1] Afena-Gyan moved to Serie A side Roma's youth team on 13 March 2021, from EurAfrica FC. [2] [3] Just a day after being unveiled on 13 March, he made his debut for AS Roma's under-18 team, scoring and assisting in a 5–0 win over Genoa. [4] He then scored in his next two games for the under-18 and due to his immediate impact he was quickly promoted to Roma's Primavera under-19 squad managed by Alberto De Rossi, where he scored four and assisted two in 15 appearances to finish the season. [5] [4]

Starting the 2021–22 campaign well, he scored six goals in just five Primavera games to capture Mourinho's attention and earn a first-team call to train with the first team in mid-October. [5]

First team

Afena-Gyan was first called up to the senior team on 24 October, in Roma's Serie A game against Napoli. [6] He made his professional debut on 27 October, against Cagliari. [7] [8] [9] On 21 November, he came off the bench to score two late goals against Genoa, to give Roma a 2–0 win. [10] [11] [12] The brace made him the first player born in 2003 to score in the Serie A. [13] José Mourinho, AS Roma's manager promised to buy Afena-Gyan a pair of shoes that cost €800 if he scored a goal. After scoring, he ran to Mourinho's bench to remind him of his promise. [13] The next morning Mourinho bought the shoes and presented it to him. [5]

At the end of his first professional season, the Ghanaian striker played a total number of 22 games for the Italian side, having also contributed (with three appearances) to their final victory in the opening edition of the UEFA Europa Conference League. [14]

On 6 July 2022, he officially renewed his contract with Roma until 2026. [15]

Cremonese

On 29 August 2022, Afena-Gyan was signed by newly promoted Serie A club Cremonese on a permanent deal. [16] On 20 October, he scored his first goal for the club in a 4–2 Coppa Italia win over Modena after the extra time. [17]

On 17 January 2023, during the match of the cup's round of 16 against Napoli, the forward scored the equalizer (2–2) for Cremonese at the 87th minute, taking the game to the extra time. [18] The match ended up in a penalty shoot-out, with Afena-Gyan himself scoring the last attempt of his side and allowing Cremonese to qualify for the quarter-finals of the tournament. [18]

Loan to Juventus

On 30 August 2024, Afena-Gyan was loaned to Juventus for their reserve squad Juventus Next Gen. [19]

International career

On 4 November 2021, Afena-Gyan received his first call-up by the Ghana national team. [20] However, he turned down the invitation for the Black Stars for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Ethiopia and South Africa. [21] He revealed in an interview with Italian journalist, Gianluca Di Marzio that he felt the call-up was too early and that he wanted to concentrate on developing under José Mourinho at club level before accepting a call-up. [22] [23]

He debuted with Ghana in a 0–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification tie with Nigeria on 25 March 2022. [24]

On 1 June 2022, Afena-Gyan scored his first international goal, as he contributed to the Black Stars' 3–0 win against Madagascar in the first match of the qualifiers to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations: in the same occasion, he also provided the assist for Mohammed Kudus' opening goal. [25]

Style of play

Afena-Gyan is a quick striker who is able to play in different attacking positions. [1] [26] His pace is attributed to his involvement in athletics and being a 100m sprinter whilst in high school. [5]

Personal life

In February 2022, Afena-Gyan signed a sponsorship deal with German sportswear and equipment supplier Puma. [27]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 26 August 2023 [28]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeague Coppa Italia ContinentalTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Roma 2021–22 Serie A 172203 [a] 0222
Cremonese 2022–23 Serie A23052—282
2023–24 Serie B2011—31
Career total4228330535

International

As of match played 23 September 2022 [29]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Ghana 202271
Total71
Scores and results list Ghana's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Afena-Gyan goal. [29]
List of international goals scored by Felix Afena-Gyan
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
11 June 2022 Cape Coast Sports Stadium, Cape Coast, GhanaFlag of Madagascar.svg  Madagascar 2–03–0 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

Honours

Roma

Individual

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sulley Muntari</span> Ghanaian footballer

Suleyman Ali "Sulley" Muntari is a Ghanaian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He spent most of his career in Italy, playing for clubs such as Udinese, Inter Milan, and AC Milan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kwadwo Asamoah</span> Ghanaian footballer

Kwadwo Asamoah is a Ghanaian former professional footballer. Mainly a left midfielder or left-back, he was also occasionally deployed as a central midfielder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008–09 Inter Milan season</span> Internazionale 2008–09 football season

The 2008–09 season was Football Club Internazionale Milano's 100th in existence and 93rd consecutive season in the top flight of Italian football. This was the first season for new Inter manager José Mourinho.

The 1993–94 season was Società Sportiva Lazio's 94th season since the club's existence and their sixth consecutive season in the top-flight of Italian football. In this season, Lazio finished in fourth in Serie A.

The 1994–95 season was Società Sportiva Lazio's 95th season since the club's existence and their seventh consecutive season in the top-flight of Italian football. In this season, Lazio finished in second place in Serie A this season and reached the quarter-final of the UEFA Cup.

The 1991–92 season was Società Sportiva Lazio's 92nd season since the club's existence and their fourth consecutive season in the top-flight of Italian football. In this season, Lazio finished in 10th in Serie A and reached the round of 16 in the Coppa Italia. The most significant event was that Sergio Cragnotti, took charge of the club on 20 February 1992, which reignited the club as a force on the transfer market.

S.S.C. Napoli once again struggled to reach the levels it had achieved previously, but still finished sixth in Serie A, which ended up with coach Marcello Lippi joining Juventus. Financial woes caused Napoli to sell its two prominent foreign players, Jonas Thern and Daniel Fonseca to Roma following the season's end.Skipper Ciro Ferrara also left, in his case for Juventus.

Juventus Football Club finished second in Serie A this season.

Unione Calcio Sampdoria bounced back from a disappointing season the year before, and scored the most goals of all teams on its way to third in Serie A. It also won Coppa Italia following a furious second-half offensive against Ancona, winning both the match and on aggregate with a commanding 6–1.

Associazione Sportiva Roma continued to trundle in the bigger clubs' wake, being unable to challenge for any trophies, and missing out on European qualification. New president Franco Sensi had won the battle to get the vacancy against Luciano Gaucci, who departed the club in a customary fit of rage. Sensi appointed Carlo Mazzone as coach, but the defensive-minded Mazzone did not have an easy baptism at Roma, the squad drawing 15 out of 34 matches in the league, which rendered missing out on Napoli's sixth place that guaranteed the UEFA Cup by a solitary point.

Juventus Football Club finished second in Serie A and reached the final of the Coppa Italia in this season.

SSC Napoli finished a creditable fourth in its first season without the club legend Diego Maradona in the squad. With the Argentinian having failed a doping test in the spring 1991, Napoli was facing an uphill battle, but coped remarkably well, actually improving on its fortunes from Maradona's final season with the club.

Parma Associazione Calcio eased through the infamous second season following promotion, and ended it in style by winning Coppa Italia, the club's first ever significant silverware. That also qualified the club for the 1992–93 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, a tournament it went on to win. Its inaugural European adventure was in the autumn of 1991, when it lost to CSKA Sofia of Bulgaria in the first round of the UEFA Cup. It did not improve on 1991's famous fifth place in Serie A as rookies, but only slipped one position, with the defence playing as well as ever. The lack of a top scorer cost Parma the chance to fight Torino for third in the championship.

Juventus Football Club won the league title for the first time in nine years. The Scudetto was won in the wake of defender Andrea Fortunato's death from cancer during the course of the season. The title was dedicated to the 23-year-old, who had been established in the starting line-up before he got sick.

Parma Associazione Calcio had one of its most successful seasons ever, thanks to a third-place finish in Serie A with the same points as runner-up Lazio, plus a victory against Juventus in the UEFA Cup Final. It also reached the Coppa Italia Final, where they were defeated by Juventus.

Associazione Sportiva Roma was rejuvenated in Carlo Mazzone's second season as coach, much due to Abel Balbo being the goalscorer it had lacked for the previous years. The summer signings of 1994 helped, with internationally recognized players Jonas Thern and Daniel Fonseca joining the club from rivals Napoli. Also Francesco Moriero became a household player since he proved his worth in the club, recently coming from Cagliari.

S.S.C. Napoli performed about the same as it had in the 1993-94 season, finishing seventh in the championship, but having a better domestic cup run. Napoli also reached the Last 16 of the UEFA Cup, where it lost to Eintracht Frankfurt. The squad had been depleted due to losses of several offensive key players in the seasons before, so seventh in the domestic league would normally have been regarded as a positive result, but it was only after Vujadin Boškov had been appointed to lead the team in place of Vincenzo Guerini that Napoli could stay well clear of the relegation zone. Brazilian signing André Cruz was crucial to the defense, and also showed unusual offensive skills for a central defender, scoring several goals. Fabio Cannavaro also had a spectacular season, which ended with Parma buying the defender.

In the 1994–95 season Cagliari Calcio is competing in Serie A and Coppa Italia.

The 2022–23 Serie A was the 121st season of top-tier Italian football, the 91st in a round-robin tournament, and the 13th since its organization under an own league committee, the Lega Serie A. AC Milan were the defending champions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022–23 AS Roma season</span> Roma 2022–23 football season

The 2022–23 season was the 96th season in the history of AS Roma and their 71st consecutive season in the top flight. The club participated in Serie A, the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Europa League, finishing as runners-up of the latter competition.

References

  1. 1 2 "Chi è Afena-Gyan, l'attaccante della Roma che ha incantato contro il Genoa". Goal. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "AS Roma sign Ghanaian youngster Felix Afena-Gyan". My Joy Online. 13 March 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  3. ↑ "EurAfrica Academy FC hire 'former Serie A coach' Renzo Gobbo". GhanaSoccernet. 12 April 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  4. 1 2 Asante, Ibrahim Ridwan (8 April 2021). "'I play for the team I fell in love with on TV'". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Conflitti, Gabriele (24 November 2021). "Felix Afena-Gyan: Roma wonderkid earning himself new €800 trainers from Mourinho". Goal. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  6. ↑ "Roma coach Mourinho names Ghana's Felix Afena-Gyan in squad for Napoli clash". GhanaWeb. 24 October 2021. Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  7. ↑ "Cagliari vs. Roma". Soccerway. 27 October 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  8. ↑ "Fast-rising Ghanaian teen Felix Afena-Gyan marks Serie A debut as Roma beat Cagliari". GhanaSoccernet. 27 October 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  9. ↑ "Afena-Gyan makes debut in win over Cagliari". AS Roma. 27 October 2021. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  10. ↑ Tahiru, Fentuo (21 November 2021). "Serie A: Afena-Gyan's incredible brace to seal AS Roma win [Video]". Citi Sports Online. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  11. ↑ "Afena-Gyan goals leave Mourinho out of pocket". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 22 November 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  12. ↑ "10 grandi foto Felix in Genoa-Roma!". AS Roma. 21 November 2022. Archived from the original on 15 March 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  13. 1 2 Mabuka, Dennis (22 November 2021). "Afena-Gyan reveals 'great' Mourinho motivation after firing AS Roma past Genoa". Goal.com. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  14. ↑ "Roma-Feyenoord 1-0: Zaniolo illumina Tirana, la coppa è giallorossa". UEFA.com (in Italian). 25 May 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  15. ↑ "Felix Afena-Gyan rinnova fino al 2026". AS Roma (in Italian). 6 July 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  16. ↑ "Felix Nuovo Caliatore Della Cremonese" (in Italian). U.S. Cremonese. 29 August 2022. Archived from the original on 29 August 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  17. ↑ Pierelli, Matteo (20 October 2022). "Cremonese, che fatica! Elimina 4-2 ai supplementari il Modena in 10". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  18. 1 2 Monti, Gianluca (17 January 2023). "Clamoroso al Maradona: il Napoli piange, Cremonese avanti ai rigori. Ballardini, che prima!". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  19. ↑ "Afena-Gyan in prestito alla Juventus" [Afena-Gyan on loan to Juventus] (in Italian). Cremonese. 31 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  20. ↑ "Afena Gyan, Boakye-Yiadom, Edmund Addo make Ghana squad for Ethiopia and South Africa World Cup qualifiers". Ghana Football Association. 4 November 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  21. ↑ "AS Roma youngster Felix Afena -Gyan REJECTS Black Stars call-up, youngster won't be available for Ethiopia and South Africa matches". GhanaSoccernet. 9 November 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  22. ↑ Juric, Marco (19 November 2021). "Felix racconta il rapporto speciale con Mou: "Do tutto in allenamento". E sul no al Ghana: "Era prematuro"". Gianluca Di Marzio. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  23. ↑ Lawrence, Kweku (19 November 2021). "'It was premature for me to play for Ghana' - Afena-Gyan on saying no to the Black Stars". My Joy Online. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  24. ↑ "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™".
  25. ↑ Omotto, Joel (1 June 2022). "Kudus, Afena-Gyan and Bukari on target as Ghana thrash Madagascar in Afcon qualifier". Goal.com. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  26. ↑ "Felix Afena Gyan: The story of AS Roma's latest gladiator from Ghana". GhanaSoccernet. 14 March 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  27. ↑ Osei, Bernard Esar Ebo (17 February 2022). "Felix Afena-Gyan signs deal with Puma". Citi Sports Online. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  28. ↑ Felix Afena-Gyan at Soccerway. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  29. 1 2 "Felix Afena-Gyan". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  30. ↑ Honeyman, Sam (25 May 2022). "Roma 1–0 Feyenoord: Zaniolo strike wins the first Europa Conference League final". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  31. ↑ Danquah, Chris (4 July 2022). "Full List: Winners of the 4th edition of the 2022 Ghana Football Awards". Max TV. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  32. ↑ Sekyere, Eddie K. (30 June 2022). "Andre Ayew, Afena-Gyan and others win Calcio Trade Ball 2022 awards". MX24. Archived from the original on 26 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.