 Annan in 2011 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Anthony Gildas Kofi Annan | ||
| Date of birth | (1986-07-21)21 July 1986 (age 39) | ||
| Place of birth | Accra, Ghana | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | DJK Arminia Lirich | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1998–2000 | Super Rainbow Stars | ||
| 2000–2001 | Venomous Vipers | ||
| 2002 | S.C. Adelaide[citation needed] | ||
| 2003 | Sekondi Wise Fighters | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2003–2005 | Sekondi Hasaacas | ||
| 2005–2007 | Hearts of Oak | ||
| 2007–2008 | Start | 11 | (0) |
| 2008 | →Stabæk (loan) | 12 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Rosenborg | 51 | (0) |
| 2011–2014 | Schalke 04 | 12 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | →Vitesse (loan) | 24 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | →Osasuna (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2014 | HJK | 7 | (0) |
| 2015 | 1860 Munich | 3 | (0) |
| 2015 | Stabæk | 7 | (0) |
| 2016–2018 | HJK | 72 | (3) |
| 2019 | Beitar Jerusalem | 4 | (0) |
| 2019–2021 | Inter Turku | 42 | (1) |
| 2022 | TPS | 23 | (0) |
| 2023- | DJK Arminia Lirich | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2007–2013 | Ghana[1] | 67 | (2) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23 October 2022 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 20 January 2013 | |||
Anthony Gildas Kofi Annan (born 21 July 1986[1]) is a Ghanaian professionalfootballer who plays as amidfielder for DJK Arminia Lirich.[1]
Born inAccra, Anthony Annan began playing football with a local Colts Super Rainbow Stars inCape Coast, Ghana. He also played forCape Coast Venomous Vipers in the Ghanaian Division one league before joinedSekondi Hasaacas in 2003 and later moving to Accra Hearts of Oak in 2005. AtAccra Hearts of Oak, Annan was regarded as the best young midfielder in Ghana. He combined midfield artistry with some goal scoring skills, and endeared himself to many football fans in Ghana. Annan joined Accra Hearts of Oak fromSekondi Hasaacas FC in the 2005–06 league season.[2]
Annan signed for the Norwegian clubStart on 26 January 2007, after a very promising career in Ghana with his local clubAccra Hearts of Oak.[3][4] It came after when he made his last training at Hearts of Oak.[5]
Annan made his Start debut, in the opening game of the season, where he made his first start and played 74 minutes before being substituted, in a 4–2 loss againstAalesunds.[6] He quickly established himself as a first team regular during I.K. Start's preseason games, and showed skills both on and off the ball. Unfortunately he was plagued by injury and illness during the first part of the 2007 season, and did not gain trust from then head coachBenny Lennartson in the important final games to avoid relegation.[7][8][9][10]
After Start got relegated during the 2007 season, he joinedStabæk on loan until August 2008 despite signing a contract with them.[11][12] Annan made his Stabæk debut, in the opening game of the season, where he started and played the whole game, in a 0–0 draw againstMolde.[13] After being away from the Stabæk, due to international commitment[14] and injury,[15] Annan made his return to the first team for a month, only to be sent-off, in a 2–1 loss against Vålerenga on 6 July 2008, for which he received a two match suspension.[16][17] After making his return from suspension, Annan made a handful of appearances in his final month at the club before cutting his spell at the club to join Rosenborg.[18]
He had been playing well in the heart of midfield as Stabæk went unbeaten in an impressive opening half of the season. Stabæk hinted that they want to buy him from Start, but Start stated that they would have to pay a "European transfer-fee".[19] Instead, Annan claimed that several "big" clubs had approached his agent and that he would leave Norway during the summer.[20] On 1 August 2008, it was revealed that Annan would be travelling to England for a trial withBlackburn Rovers.[21] After impressing Paul Ince and theBlackburn coaching staff immensely, while on trial, he was sent back to his club to play in one more competitive game where the Blackburn Rovers scouts were to watch and report back on whether or not to complete the signing.[22][23] However, the club decided against signing Annan.[24] Nevertheless, he continued to be linked around Europe, such as,Arsenal,Manchester United,Racing Santander,A.C. Milan andAtlético Madrid.[25][26]
On 29 August 2008, it was announced that Annan was on the verge on joiningRosenborg from Start for worth about 10 million kroner,[27] which was €1.2 million to get him.[28]
Two days later, on 30 August 2008, he was presented for the audience onLerkendal as a Rosenborg player before the match againstVålerenga and after the match, Rosenborg went on to win the game against Vålerenga by two goals to one.[29] Annan made his league debut for Rosenborg on 14 September 2008 againstFredrikstad, with the game ending 1–1 draw.[30] After missing out one match, due to a suspension, Annan returned to the first team from absent on 28 September 2008, in a 2–1 win over Aalesunds.[31][32] Annan finished the rest of the season, making six appearances, as they finished second place in the league.
The following season saw Annan played under 4-2-3-1 tactics, alongsideAlexander Tettey, under the management ofErik Hamrén.[33] In the opening game of the season against Vålerenga, which saw Rosenborg win 3–0, Annan's performance was described as "exceptionally skilled at placing themselves and have defensive control."[34] Following Tettey's departure, Annan assumed responsibility in the defensive midfielder and the formation had changed from 4-2-3-1 tactics to either 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 formations.[33] As the season progressed, Annan helped the club win theleague after beating Molde on 27 September 2009.[35] Despite being suspended,[36] his international commitment[37][38] and injury,[39] Annan made twenty-seven appearances in all competitions and at the end of the season, Annan was named the league's Team of the Year.[40]
In the 2010 season, Annan began to play to either a 4-3-3 or an offensive 4-4-2 throughout the season under the management of both Hamrén andNils Arne Eggen.[33][41] In a 1–1 draw against Aalesund on 19 April 2010, Annan claimed that Aalesund'sTor Hogne Aarøy bit him during the match and even as going by far as calling him racist.[clarification needed][42][43] However, Stig Thorbjørnsen played down Annan's claims[44] and the Norwegian FA decided against taking action against Hogne Aarøy.[45] After missing out several matches throughout June and early-June, due to international commitment at the World Cup,[46] Annan made his return to the first team after a month absence on 18 July 2010, in a 1–1 draw againstOdds.[47] Then in a 1–1 draw against Vålerenga on 3 October 2010, Annan set up one of the goals, in a 3–1 win for Rosenborg.[48] However, during the match, Annan was involved in an incident with André Muri.[49] For this, Annan was suspended for a one match after picking up a yellow card[50][51] and after returning to the club, Annan, once again, helped the club win the league for the second time in the row after beatingTromsø 1–0 on 24 October 2010.[52] At the end of the season, Annan finished the season, making thirty appearances in all competitions.
At the end of the 2010 season, Annan was awarded theKniksen of the year.[53] Annan was also awardedVG's Player of the Year in Norwegian football.[54] Following this, Annan was offered a new contract by the club, as his contract set to expire the following season, as the transfer speculation continues.[55]
After four years in Norway, Annan left Rosenborg to joinSchalke 04 on 28 January 2011, signing a three-year contract.[56] The move was reported to be worth €3.5 million.[57] Upon joining the club, Annan was expected to be a replacement forIvan Rakitić, who left Schalke 04 forSevilla soon after.[58] Despite this, Annan stated that he opened to make a return to Rosenborg in the near future.[59]
Annan made his debut for Schalke 04 on 4 February 2011, in theRevierderby againstBorussia Dortmund, where he played 76 minutes before being substituted, in a 0–0 draw.[60] Despite missing out, due to international commitment[61] and a toe injury that kept him out for the rest of the season,[62] Annan made nine appearances for the club.
Ahead of the 2011–12 season, Annan was linked with a move to Russian sideSpartak Moscow.[63] Instead, Annan opted to join Eredivisie sideVitesse Arnhem on a season-long loan deal.[64] Annan made his Vitesse debut on 10 September 2011, where he played the whole game and made his first start, in a 4–0 loss againstAZ Alkmaar.[65] Since making his debut, Annan established himself in the starting eleven at the club until he called up by the national squad for theAfrica Cup of Nations.[66] After the campaign of the African Cup of Nation finished, Annan returned to the first team and made a handful of first team appearances before suffering an abdominal influenza that kept him out for the rest of the season.[67][68] While the club was in doubt about signing Annan for the next season, he nevertheless returned to his parent club.[69]
In the 2012–13 season, Annan moved to Spain when he joinedLa Liga sideOsasuna on loan for the rest of the season.[70] Annan made his Osasuna debut on 22 September 2012, where he came on as a substitute in the 75th minute, in a 3–1 loss againstReal Zaragoza.[71] Since then, Annan was given a handful of first team appearances before losing his first team place around November, due to fallen out of favour, international commitment[72] and ankle injury that kept him out for the rest of the season.[73] Despite this, Annan made eight appearances in all competitions for the Osasuna and returned to his parent club soon after.
For the rest of 2013, Annan continued to recover from ankle injury[74] and despite appearing on the substitute bench in early 2014, he made his first appearance in three years for Schalke 04, in the second leg of the Champions League Knockout stage, where he came on as a late substitute, in a 3–1 loss againstReal Madrid.[75] Four days later, on 22 March 2014, Annan made his first league appearance in three years, playing 10 minutes after coming on as a substitute, in a 3–1 win againstEintracht Braunschweig.[76] After making four appearances this season, Annan was released by the club.[77]
Despite being linked with a move to SwedishMalmö,[78] though they remained quiet throughout summer,[79] Annan joined Finnish sideHJK on 3 September 2014, until the end of the season.[80] Upon joining the club, Annan hope the move would help rediscover his form he did before.[81]
Annan made his HJK debut on 12 September 2014, where he came on as a substitute in the 58th minute forTeemu Tainio, in a 2–2 draw againstKuPS.[82] This was followed up by on 18 September 2014 when he made his first start for the club, in aUEFA Europa League againstCopenhagen, which saw HJK lose 2–0.[83] Annan went on to make twelve appearances for the club, seven of them being in the domestic league.
After helping the club win the league for the sixth times in a row, Annan also helped the club win theFinnish Cup againstInter Turku 5–3 in the penalty shoot-out, which Annan played 120 minutes.[84] Following this, Annan was offered a new contract by the club.[85]
During the winter break of the 2014–15 season, Annan opted to leave HJK when he signed a contract with German club1860 Munich on 26 January 2015.[86]
Annan made his 1860 München debut on 9 February 2015, where he played 32 minutes after coming on as a substitute in the second half, in a 2–1 loss againstFC Heidenheim.[87] However, Annan soon lost his first team place and was not in the squad for the rest of the season.[88] With three appearances for the club, his contract was not extended after the season.[89]
Following his release by 1860 München, Annan returned toNorway, where he joinedStabæk for the rest of the season.[90]
Annan made his Stabæk debut for the second time on 19 September 2015, where he made his first start for them and played 63 minutes, in a 2–1 win over Tromsø.[91] Four days later, on 23 September 2015, Annan caused controversy against his former club, Rosenborg in the semi-final of Norwegian Football Cup after being involved in an incident with player,Ole Selnæs.[92] The referee,Tom Harald Hagen, who refereed the match, admitted that he would have sent-off Annan for his action.[93] In the end, Annan escaped action from the NNF despite initially planning to give a two match suspension.[94] After making seven appearances for the club, Annan was released by the club.[95]
On 5 February 2016, Annan returned toHJK, signing a contract to the end of the 2018 season.[96] Annan later revealed he took a pay-cut to join the club.[97]
However, at the start of the season, Annan suffered an undisclosed injury in training and was out of action for several months.[98][99] Despite expecting to return, Annan's return was delayed for another month.[100] After returning to training around early-June,[101] Annan made hisVeikkausliiga return on 10 July 2016 againstPS Kemi, where he played for 20 minutes.[102][103] However, in a match againstHIFK on 10 August 2015, Annan received a red card after a second bookable offence, in a 0–0 draw.[104] After serving a one match ban, Annan returned to the first team and then provided a winning goal, in a 1–0 win over KuPS on 28 August 2016.[105] Annan finished his full season at HJK, making sixteen appearances in all competitions.
After failing to renew his contract, Annan left HJK at the end of 2018.[106]
On 5 February 2019 Annan signed theIsraeli Premier League clubBeitar Jerusalem until the end of the season, with an option for one more season.[107]
In August 2019, Annan moved toVeikkausliiga, Finnish top flight side Inter Turku after leaving Beitar Jerusalem as a free agent to make a return to the Finnish league after playing 111 league matches forHJK Helsinki in the past.[108] He signed a one-year deal contract after passing his medical.[109][110] Annan scored his debut goal for the club on 28 September 2020 after scoring in the 29th minute of the match to push them to a 3–0 victory against FC Lahti at the Veritas Stadion.[108]
In January 2021, after playing for the club for more than a year his contract was extended for another year with an extended obligation also as a player-coach.[111]
On 17 March 2022, Annan signed withTPS for the 2022 season with an option to extend for another year.[112]
A Junior and Olympic International forGhana, Annan received his first senior call up for the national team on 20 March 2007 as a direct injury replacement forEssien for Ghana'sFIFA International friendlies againstAustria andBrazil in 2007.[113][114]
His first cap came against Brazil on 27 March 2007 at theRåsunda Stadium,Stockholm, Sweden when Ghana lost 0–1.[115][116] After helping the national side finish third place in theAfrican Cup of Nations. He made his first goal for the national team in the 2–2 draw againstMali 15 November 2009.[117]
The following year, Annan played for Ghana at theFIFA World Cup in South Africa[118][46] and played his first World Cup match, where he played the whole game, in a 1–0 win overSerbia in the group stage.[119] Annan played all five matches for the national side in the World Cup until their elimination againstUruguay after losing 4–2 in the penalty shootout.[120]
Two years on, Annan was called up by the national team for theAfrica Cup of Nations campaign and went on to make seven appearances for the side.[121] Later in the year, Annan scored his second national goal for the side on 8 September 2012, in a 2–0 win overMalawi.[122] Following this, Annan was then called up by the national team for theAfrican Cup of Nations.[123]
In 2020 Annan expressed his readiness to play for the GhanaBlackstars despite staying home for sometime.[124]
Annan claims to be related to Ghanaian diplomat and formerSecretary-General of the United Nations,Kofi Annan, although this has been denied by a spokesperson working for Kofi Annan.[125][126][127][128][129][130][131][132]
Annan's mother, Sophia Sampson, died inCape Coast on 2 February 2012 after a short illness. This was while he was playing for Ghana in the2012 Africa Cup of Nations.[133]
In April 2007, Annan married his girlfriend Gifty Annan in Ghana, causing him to miss a game against Stabæk, though he also missed out, due to a virus around the same time.[7][134] Together, the couple has two children.[135]
While settling in Norway, Annan began to take driving lessons[136] and began to adapt in the country by learning English.[137]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Start | 2007 | Tippeligaen | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 0 | ||
| Stabæk | 2008 | Tippeligaen | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | — | 14 | 0 | |
| Rosenborg | 2009 | Tippeligaen | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4[b] | 0 | — | 29 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 26 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11[c] | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 39 | 1 | ||
| Total | 51 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 68 | 1 | ||
| Schalke 04 | 2010–11 | Bundesliga | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | |
| 2013–14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| Total | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | ||
| Vitesse (loan) | 2011–12 | Eredivisie | 24 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 0 | ||
| Osasuna (loan) | 2012–13 | La Liga | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| HJK | 2014 | Veikkausliiga | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5[b] | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | |
| 1860 Munich | 2014–15 | 2. Bundesliga | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| Stabæk | 2015 | Tippeligaen | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| HJK | 2016 | Veikkausliiga | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4[b] | 0 | — | 20 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 30 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4[b] | 0 | — | 37 | 3 | |||
| 2018 | 27 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 6[f] | 0 | — | 41 | 0 | |||
| Total | 72 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 98 | 3 | ||
| Beitar Jerusalem | 2018–19 | Israeli Premier League | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| Inter Turku | 2019 | Veikkausliiga | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 16 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | — | 26 | 1 | |||
| 2021 | 20 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2[g] | 0 | — | 27 | 0 | |||
| Total | 42 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 1 | ||
| TPS | 2022 | Ykkönen | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2[h] | 0 | 27 | 0 | |
| Career total | 275 | 4 | 35 | 1 | 41 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 354 | 5 | ||
As of 20 January 2013[1]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghana | 2007 | 6 | 0 |
| 2008 | 12 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 14 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 14 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 65 | 2 | |
International goals
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 15 November 2009 | Baba Yara Stadium,Kumasi,Ghana |  Mali | 2 – 2 | 2–2 | 2010 World Cup qualification |
| 2. | 8 September 2012 | Ohene Djan Stadium,Accra, Ghana |  Malawi | 2 – 0 | 2–0 | 2013 African Cup of Nations qualifier |
Hearts of Oak
Stabæk
Rosenborg
Schalke 04
HJK Helsinki
Ghana
Individual
Ghana coach, Claude Le Roy had the opportunity to try out four uncapped players as he handed Anthony Annan a place in the starting line up in his debut game for the Black Stars.
Ghana squads | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
