Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 23 February 1943 | ||
Place of birth | Accra, Ghana | ||
Height | 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1962 | Accra Standfast | ||
1963–1967 | Great Olympics | ||
1968 | Washington Whips | 6 | (0) |
1969 | Syracuse Scorpions | ||
1970–1978 | Rochester Lancers | 125 | (8) |
1979–1980 | Buffalo Stallions (indoor) | 11 | (1) |
International career | |||
1963–1968 | Ghana | ||
Managerial career | |||
1996–? | Rochester Rhinos (assistant) | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Frank Odoi (born 23 February 1943) is a Ghanaian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder in Ghana and the United States. He was a member of Ghana's 1964 Olympic football team.
In 1962, Odoi finished his degree in mechanical engineering at Kaneshie Technical College. That year, he began his football career with second division Standfast FC. In 1963, he moved to Great Olympics in the Ghana Premier League. In 1968, he left Ghana to move to the United States where he signed with the Washington Whips of the North American Soccer League. In 1969, he moved to the second division Syracuse Scorpions of the American Soccer League before returning to the NASL in 1970, this time with the Rochester Lancers. He spent nine seasons with the Lancers. In 1977, he was named to the Rochester Lancers Team of the Decade. [1] In 1979, he joined the Buffalo Stallions of the Major Indoor Soccer League for one season.
Odoi was called up to the Ghana national team in 1963. In 1964, he played one game for Ghana at the 1964 Summer Olympics. He also represented Ghana at the 1965 African Cup of Nations and scored twice, including the extra-time goal to defeat Tunisia in the final. [2]
In 1996, the newly established Rochester Rhinos hired Odoi as an assistant coach.
Dave Sarachan is an American former soccer player and coach. Sarachan spent two seasons as a player in the North American Soccer League and four in Major Indoor Soccer League before retiring in 1982. Since then, he has coached at the collegiate, professional, and national team levels. He served as head coach with Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer from 2002 to 2007 and as interim head coach of the United States men's national soccer team from 2017 to 2018. As of July 2023, Sarachan serves as Assistant Coach for Robbie Keane’s Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club.
The Rochester Lancers were an American soccer team that competed in the American Soccer League (ASL) from 1967 until 1969, and in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1970 to 1980. The team was based in Rochester, New York, and played home games at Holleder Memorial Stadium. The Lancers won the 1970 NASL Championship and was the only NASL team to compete in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. The Lancers could not sustain their early success, posting two winning records and a few playoff appearances before folding after the 1980 season.
Shep Norman Messing is a retired American soccer goalkeeper and current broadcaster who works as a studio analyst for the MLS Season Pass team. In 2021 he took the position of chairman of the Major Arena Soccer League.
Richard James Howard is a retired professional soccer player who played as a goalkeeper. He moved to Canada from England in 1967 and went on to appear for Canada internationally.
Momčilo "Mike" Stojanović was a professional soccer forward most notably playing in the NASL and for the Canadian national team.
Jose Carlos Metidieri is a retired soccer player who played as a forward. He played professionally in Canada with Toronto Italia and the United States with the Rochester Lancers. He was the leading scorer of the North American Soccer League in 1970 and 1971 with the Lancers and was named the league's Most Valuable Player—the only player in the league's history to receive both awards in consecutive seasons. Born in Brazil, he earned two caps for the United States national team in 1973.
Manfred "Manny" Seissler(German: Manfred Seißler) is a former soccer player who began his career in the lower German divisions before moving to the United States. He played one season in the National Professional Soccer League and seven in the North American Soccer League. Born in Germany, he earned one cap with the U.S. national team in 1973.
Warren "Laga" Archibald is a Trinidadian former soccer player who played as an inside left. He spent one season in the United Soccer Association and nine in the North American Soccer League, earning 1973 MVP honours. He also played professionally in Mexico and Haiti and was a mainstay of the Trinidad and Tobago national team from 1968 to 1976.
Werner Fricker was a German-American soccer halfback who later became president of the United States Soccer Federation. He is a member of both the National Soccer Hall of Fame and the USASA Hall of Fame.
Tibor Vigh is a Hungarian-born Canadian former soccer player who earned 4 caps for the Canadian national side in 1968, scoring 2 goals.
Eli Durante is a Brazilian retired footballer who played in the North American Soccer League from 1967 to 1975.
Theodore "Ted" Dumitru was a Romanian football manager who is best known for his time in South Africa. Dumitru was one of few coaches who have led South Africa's 'big three' clubs Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates.
Wilberforce "Willie" Mfum is a retired Ghanaian association football forward who played professionally in Ghana and the United States. He was a member of the Ghanaian Olympic soccer team at the 1964 Summer Olympics.
Demetrios "Jim" Lefkos is a retired Cypriot football (soccer) forward. He played professionally in the North American Soccer League and American Soccer League, where he led the league in scoring in 1969.
Salvatore "Sal" DeRosa was a naturalized American soccer coach best known for winning the 1970 North American Soccer League Championship with Rochester Lancers.
Ghana's most popular sport is football, followed by boxing, Athletics, Badminton and basketball.
Edward Kobina Acquah was a Ghanaian footballer who played as a forward. He competed for the Ghana national team at the 1964 Summer Olympics. He also scored four goals for Ghana in the 1963 African Cup of Nations.
Peter Short was an English professional footballer who played as a defender and a forward. Active in the United States and Canada, Short made over 150 appearances in a career lasting 11 seasons.
Charlie Williams is a Maltese former professional football player.
Joseph Agyemang-Gyau, also known as Agyemang Gyau or Nana Gyau, was a former Ghanaian international football player and traditional ruler.