Gershon Koffie

Last updated

Gershon Koffie
Gershon Koffie.jpg
Gershon Koffie playing for Vancouver Whitecaps FC in 2010
Personal information
Date of birth (1991-08-25) 25 August 1991 (age 33)
Place of birth Koforidua, Ghana
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Maccabi Herzliya
Number 28
Youth career
2000–2006 Rot-Weiss Accra
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2006–2009 International Allies
2010 Vancouver Whitecaps 2 (0)
2011–2015 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 133 (9)
2016 New England Revolution 22 (0)
2017–2018 Hammarby IF 2 (0)
2017 → New England Revolution (loan) 23 (0)
2018–2019 Al-Fahaheel 18 (1)
2019–2020 Hapoel Kfar Saba 29 (1)
2021–2022 Indy Eleven 26 (0)
2022 Sandecja Nowy Sącz 9 (0)
2022–2023 Ironi Tiberias 42 (0)
2024– Maccabi Herzliya 8 (0)
International career
2011 Ghana U20 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 25 August 2024

Gershon Koffie (born 25 August 1991) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Israeli club Maccabi Herzliya. [1]

Contents

Club career

Youth career

Koffie grew up in the Ghanaian capital Accra, and began his soccer career when he joined Rot-Weiss Accra - a development club affiliated with German club Rot-Weiss Essen - as a nine-year-old in 2000. He spent five years with Rot-Weiss Accra, before signing his first professional contract in 2006 with Ghanaian Division Two League team International Allies at the age of 15.

Senior career

Koffie played four full seasons with International Allies, scoring 28 goals in all competitions, before leaving the club in 2009 to try to secure a spot with a professional team in Europe. The Swedish side Hammarby IF was at a scouting trip in Ghana when Koffie broke his leg. Hammarby helped him with the operation and the rehabilitation in Sweden. Later on he trained with the Danish club Randers, but was not offered a contract. [2]

Having been spotted by Vancouver's director of soccer operations Tom Soehn at a tournament in Ghana six months previously, Koffie relocated to Canada in 2010, and subsequently signed with the Vancouver Whitecaps of the USSF Division 2 Professional League. [3] [4] He made his Whitecaps debut on 5 September 2010, in a 0–0 tie with the Puerto Rico Islanders. [5] On 9 February 2011, he signed a new contract for the 2011 Major League Soccer season with Vancouver Whitecaps FC. [6] He scored his first goal for the club on 7 August 2011, in a 4–2 win over Chicago Fire.

He would later establish himself as a key player for Whitecaps FC, making a total of 133 appearances, and scoring on 9 occasions. Before the 2016 MLS season Koffie was traded to New England Revolution. The deal was confirmed on February 11, 2016, with Whitecaps FC getting general allocation money and targeted allocation money in exchange for the player. Vancouver were also to receive a percentage of any future transfer fee obtained by New England. [7]

Koffie would later move on to make 22 competitive league games for New England during the season. His stint at the club was plagued by injuries, but Koffie performed like a club MVP when healthy, covering acres of space in the middle of the park while constantly bullying attackers. [8]

On 15 January 2017, he moved to Europe for the first time in his career, signing a three-year deal with Hammarby IF in the Swedish Allsvenskan, the club he had rehabilitated with in 2009. [9]

He made his first and ultimately only appearance in Allsvenskan on 9 April, in a 1–1 home draw against Kalmar FF. [10] After failing to impress manager Jakob Michelsen, Koffie was deemed surplus to requirements and got sent on a one year-loan to his former club New England Revolution in May 2017. [11] After playing 23 games with New England during the season, he returned to Hammarby before the start of the 2018 season. He made one appearance during the first half of the season, before leaving on a free transfer on 1 June 2018. Koffie and Hammarby cancelled the contract by mutual consent. [12]

On 10 June 2022, he signed with Israeli Liga Leumit club Ironi Tiberias. [13]

International career

Koffie was called up to the Ghana under-20 national team national team for the first time in July 2010. [14] He was named in Ghana's team for the 2011 African Youth Championship, starting against Gambia on 21 April 2011. He was substituted after an hour for James Bissue. [15] He made a substitute appearance against Cameroon on 24 April 2011, replacing Paul Aidoo in the 67th minute. [16] Ghana were eliminated from the competition at the group stage finishing in third position behind Cameroon and Nigeria.

Personal life

Koffie received his Canadian Permanent Residency in 2013, which qualifies him as a domestic player on Canadian clubs for MLS roster purposes. Koffie was married to Souadou Drame former Model and Miss Guinee North America 2013. [17]

Honours

Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay Nolly</span> American soccer player

Jay Nolly is an American former professional soccer player who played as a goalkeeper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blake Wagner</span> American professional soccer coach and former player (born 1988)

Blake Wagner is an American soccer coach and former player who currently is the assistant coach of USL League Two side, Tampa Bay United SC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Janicki</span> American soccer player

Gregory Janicki is an American former professional soccer player who last played for Detroit City FC in the NPSL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vancouver Whitecaps FC</span> Soccer club in Canada

Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Vancouver. They compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The MLS iteration of the club was established on March 18, 2009, and began play in 2011 as the 17th team to enter Major League Soccer while replacing the USSF Division 2 team of the same name in the city, making them a phoenix club and the third to carry the Whitecaps name. The club has been owned and managed by the same group since their USSF days.

Paulo Morais de Araújo Júnior is a Brazilian footballer who most recently played as a forward for Forward Madison FC in USL League One.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Ousted</span> Danish footballer (born 1985)

David Ousted Hansen is a Danish retired professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He played with SønderjyskE and Randers in the Danish Superliga, before moving to the Major League Soccer in 2013 where he went on to represent Vancouver Whitecaps, D.C. United and Chicago Fire. At the end of his career, Ousted returned to Europe playing with Hammarby IF in the Swedish Allsvenskan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nizar Khalfan</span> Tanzanian footballer (born 1988)

Nizar Khalfan is a Tanzanian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Pamba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camilo Sanvezzo</span> Brazilian footballer (born 1988)

Camilo da Silva Sanvezzo is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Liga MX club Querétaro. He is a Mexican naturalized citizen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russell Teibert</span> Canadian soccer player

Russell James Teibert is a Canadian former professional soccer player who played his entire career for Vancouver Whitecaps FC in Major League Soccer.

Alexandre Morfaw is a Cameroonian footballer who last played for Vancouver Whitecaps FC in Major League Soccer.

The 2011 Vancouver Whitecaps FC season was the Whitecaps' debut season in Major League Soccer. The MLS club has incorporated the history of its NASL and various lower division predecessors into its marketing campaigns, reflecting 36 years of professional soccer in Vancouver.

The 2012 Vancouver Whitecaps FC season was the Whitecaps' second season in Major League Soccer, the top tier of soccer in the United States and Canada. In 2011, the expansion Whitecaps FC struggled to find the results and finished at the bottom of the league table winning just six matches with none on the road. By finishing last overall in the regular season the Whitecaps FC received the 2nd overall pick in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft and 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft that were held in January 2012.

The 2013 Vancouver Whitecaps FC season was the Whitecaps' third season in Major League Soccer, the top tier of soccer in the United States and Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kekuta Manneh</span> Professional soccer player (born 1994)

Kekuta Manneh is a professional soccer player who plays as a winger. In 2016, he obtained his American citizenship and has previously been called up to the United States national team, although he has not made an appearance.

The 2014 Vancouver Whitecaps FC season was the Whitecaps' fourth season in Major League Soccer, the top tier of soccer in the United States and Canada.

The 2017 New England Revolution season was the club's 22nd season of existence, and their 22nd season in Major League Soccer, the top-flight of American soccer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jake Nerwinski</span> American soccer player

Jakob Maling Nerwinski is an American professional soccer player who plays as a right-back for Major League Soccer club St. Louis City SC.

Patrick Metcalfe is a Canadian professional soccer player who currently plays for Fredrikstad.

David Egbo is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a forward.

References

  1. ↑ "Nowy nabytek "Biało-Czarnych"" (in Polish). 22 February 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  2. ↑ "Gershon Koffie klar – återvänder till Bajen". Expressen. 15 January 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  3. ↑ Whitecaps add four, including MLS signer Salgado
  4. ↑ Teen Whitecap Gershon Koffie aims to impress with an eye to MLS Archived September 7, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ "USSF Division-2 Pro League". Ussf.demosphere.com. 5 September 2010. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
  6. ↑ "Whitecaps FC sign Khalfan and Koffie". Whitecapsfc.com. 9 February 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
  7. ↑ "New England Revolution acquire midfielder Gershon Koffie in trade with Vancouver Whitecaps". MLS Soccer. 11 February 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  8. ↑ "Report: Gershon Koffie to Sign With Swedish Side Hammarby IF". The Bent Musket. 11 January 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  9. ↑ "HTV: Gershon Koffie klar för Hammarby – "Som att komma hem"". Hammarby Fotboll. 15 January 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  10. ↑ "Match, Hammarby-Kalmar FF, 2017-04-09, 15:00". Hammarby Fotboll. 9 April 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  11. ↑ "Gershon på lån till MLS". Hammarby Fotboll. 9 May 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  12. ↑ "Hammarby och Gershon Koffie avslutar kontraktet". Hammarby Fotboll. 1 June 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  13. ↑ "הרכש השלישי: גרשון קופי חתם בעירוני טבריה" (in Hebrew). ONE system. 10 June 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  14. ↑ "Gershon Koffie profile". WhiteCapsFC. Archived from the original on December 23, 2010. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
  15. ↑ "Ghana vs The Gambia - 2011 African Youth Championship" (PDF). CAFonline.com. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  16. ↑ "Ghana vs Cameroon - 2011 African Youth Championship" (PDF). CAFonline.com. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  17. ↑ "Koffie obtains permanent Canadian residency card and agrees to contract extension | Vancouver Whitecaps FC". Whitecapsfc.com. 3 September 2010. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
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.