 Danning playing forSydney FC Youth in 2008 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Duke Kofi Appiah Danning[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1991-03-02)2 March 1991 (age 34) | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Kumasi, Ghana | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Striker /Right winger | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Belconnen United | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| Canberra FC | |||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | O'Connor Knights | ||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | AIS | ||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Sydney FC | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2008 | AIS | 26 | (9) | ||||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | Sydney FC | 22 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Brisbane Roar | 14 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | C.S. Visé | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Brisbane Roar NPL | 7 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Brisbane Roar | 5 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Oakleigh Cannons | 10 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Hume City | 16 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Canberra FC | 30 | (12) | ||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Canberra Olympic | 16 | (6) | ||||||||||||||
| 2020 | Belconnen United | 10 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| 2021– | Monaro Panthers | 15 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | Australia U-20 | 30 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Australia U-23 | 5 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 November 2021 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 7 August 2011 | |||||||||||||||||
Duke Kofi Appiah Danning (born 2 March 1991) is aGhanaian-bornAustralianfootballer who plays forNational Premier Leagues clubBelconnen United.
Danning was born inKumasi in southern centralGhana.[2] Kofi's mother initially moved to Australia on her own, and Kofi lived in Kumasi with his grandmother and extended family until he was reunited with his mother inCanberra at the age of seven.[3][4] Following his arrival in Canberra, he was educated Forrest Primary School, then followed on to High School atTelopea Park School inBarton, Australian Capital Territory making his mark on the school's sports teams. He later finished 11th and 12th grade under the talented sports program atErindale College inCanberra.
After playing forCanberra FC and then the O'Connor Knights in theACT Premier League, Danning was invited to train with theAustralian Institute of Sport (AIS) squad in 2007. He impressed then coach Steve O'Connor and his successor Ray Junna enough to claim a full scholarship, and spent the following year with the AIS team.[5]
Following his appointment as Sydney FC youth coach for the inaugural National Youth League season, Steve O'Connor was quick to make Danning a member of his new squad. Danning was signed as a member of Sydney FC's inauguralNational Youth League squad on 22 August 2008.[5] He was later billeted with a Ghanaian family inSydney's south to allow him to become more settled.[4]
On 3 January 2009, Danning made his senior debut forSydney FC againstAdelaide United at theAdelaide Oval, appearing as a 71st-minute substitute for club captainSteve Corica. The game was won 2–0 by Adelaide United.[6][7] On 11 January 2009, after he had come on as a 63rd-minute substitute forAdam Biddle, he scored his first senior goal for Sydney FC, an 85th-minute winner as Sydney FC defeatedWellington Phoenix 1–0 at theSydney Football Stadium. Receiving the ball out on the left, Danning cut inside and squared the ball to Steve Corica. Corica then played a direct ball toAlex Brosque, who held off a defender on his back to flick the ball onto a flying Danning, who showed great poise to toe poke it past Phoenix andNew Zealand national football team goalkeeperGlen Moss.[8][9][10]
The following week, Kofi Danning made his starting debut againstQueensland Roar atSuncorp Stadium, and scored his second senior goal in the 25th minute of the game. Young defenderRhyan Grant rounded his Roar opponent and crossed deep for Danning, who sent a beautiful looping header over the outstretched arms of Roar goalkeeperGriffin McMaster to level the scores at 1–1. However,Sydney FC went on to lose 3–1, a result which ended their slim hopes of qualifying for theA-League 2008–09 finals series.[11][12] Danning also appeared as a 69th-minute substitute forShannon Cole in Sydney FC's final game of the A-League season, a 4–0 win over the last-placedNewcastle Jets at the Sydney Football Stadium on 25 January 2009.[13]
Danning finished theA-League 2008–09 season with four senior appearances and two senior goals.[14] He wore shirt number 35 in these four matches.[2] Following his promotion to the senior squad in January 2009, Danning signed a two-year contract with Sydney FC.[4] He has been given shirt number 11 for theA-League 2009–10 season.[15]
Although the A-League season ended in disappointment for Sydney FC's seniors, it was a very different story for the club's National Youth League squad, who finished as champions for the2008–09 season. Kofi Danning made 16 appearances for the National Youth League team during the season, scoring four goals.[16] After they had clinched the National Youth League minor premiership by winning 13 and drawing two of their 18 regular season games,[17] Sydney FC progressed to the Grand Final where they met Adelaide United atHindmarsh Stadium inAdelaide on 21 February 2009. Despite their opponents' home advantage, Sydney FC ran out deserving 2–0 winners, with Kofi Danning's strong work in the penalty area leading toRobbie Mileski's sealing goal in the 77th minute.[18] In Danning's first game for the 2009–10 season againstNorth Queensland Fury, Danning was involved in all 3 goals for the visitors with 1 goal and 2 assists. The result of this game was a 3–2 win to Sydney FC.
Danning tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a match against Melbourne Victory in December 2009 and is expected to be out of action for up to nine months.[19] Danning revealed he had the chance to re-sign with Sydney, but could not see his plight getting any better under Sky Blues coach Vitezslav Lavicka.[20]
On 27 June 2011, Danning signed a two-year deal withA-League clubBrisbane Roar.[21] He made his Roar debut off the bench in the side's 1–0 win overCentral Coast Mariners. Kofi went on to make another 3 appearances throughout the season, before earning his fifth appearance when he was substituted on the field in the 69th minute for youngsterPatrick Theodore against theNewcastle Jets. In the 71st minute of the game, Danning provided the opening goal with his first touch of the game. In May 2015, it was confirmed that Danning had been released fromBrisbane Roar to join NPL sideOakleigh Cannons.
It was announced at an open training session on 5 August 2012 that he had been transferred toC.S. Visé in Belgium, a sister club of Brisbane, both sharing the same owners.[22] Prior to the 2013–14 Season, Danning was required to undergo a full knee reconstruction following a serious knee injury. He was allowed to return to previous club, Brisbane Roar, to complete his rehabilitation whilst still remaining contracted to Vise under an agreement made possible due to the common ownership of the two clubs.[23]
In May 2015, Danning joinedNational Premier Leagues Victoria sideOakleigh Cannons FC on a free transfer. Danning departed Oakleigh after just half a season, joining title hopefulsHume City FC for the 2016 season.[24]
Born in Ghana but a resident of Australia since 1999, Danning had been caught up inFIFA's recent edict to tighten its international eligibility rules. After almost a year of lobbying by theFFA on the basis that genuine immigrants should not be penalised, FIFA declared in August 2009 that Danning would be granted an exemption and cleared to play for theYoung Socceroos[25] in the 2009 Under 20 World Cup in Egypt. He was a member of the Australian under 19s squad that played in Indonesia in the AFC Qualification phase.
On 7 March 2011 he was selected to represent theAustralia Olympic football team in anAsian Olympic Qualifier match againstIraq.[26]
| Club | Season | Division | League | Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | |||
| Sydney FC | 2008–09 | A-League | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 2009–10 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2010–11 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Sydney FC total | 22 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 3 | 1 | ||
| Brisbane Roar | 2011–12 | A-League | 12 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 4 |
| Brisbane Roar total | 12 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 3 | ||
| C.S. Visé | 2012–13 | Belgian Second Division | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| C.S. Visé total | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 38 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 45 | 4 | 5 | ||
Sydney FC
Australia U-20
