Akwasi Asante
Encyclopedia
Akwasi Asante is a Dutch footballer who plays for Birmingham City
as a striker. He made his first-team debut for Birmingham in the Europa League play-off round second leg against C.D. Nacional in August 2011.
to Ghana
ian parents. As a youngster he had interested Ajax, but he chose to join HFC Haarlem
's youth academy, where he spent three years before the family moved to the UK when he was 13. He played for Wednesbury Sports Union in the Walsall Junior Youth League before joining Birmingham City F.C.
's Academy, where he began a two-year scholarship in July 2009.
In the 2010–11 season, Birmingham chose not to enter a reserve team in a competitive league, but Asante was a regular member of the under-18 Academy team and played in the Birmingham Senior Cup
. On 16 October 2010 he scored five goals as the under-18s beat Tottenham Hotspur's under-18s 6–0. This performance contributed to his first competitive involvement with the first team a few days later, when he was named among the substitutes for the Football League Cup
fourth-round tie against Brentford
. Asante signed his first professional contract, of two-and-a-half years, in January 2011. Injury kept him out for four months, but he was an unused substitute for Birmingham's last two Premier League games of the season, against Fulham
and Tottenham Hotspur.
He was part of the Birmingham squad for their 2011 pre-season visit to Ireland, and came close to scoring in the second half of the friendly against Cork City
, when he appeared to be brought down after touching the ball past the goalkeeper, but no penalty was awarded. In the absence through injury of strikers Cameron Jerome
, Marlon King
and Nikola Žigić
, Asante was named in the 20-man squad for Birmingham's Europa League match against Nacional in Madeira
in August. An unused substitute in the first leg, he made his first-team debut on 25 August 2011 in the second leg, replacing Chris Burke
in the 88th minute as Birmingham won 3–0 to qualify for the group stage
.
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
as a striker. He made his first-team debut for Birmingham in the Europa League play-off round second leg against C.D. Nacional in August 2011.
Club career
Asante was born in AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
to Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
ian parents. As a youngster he had interested Ajax, but he chose to join HFC Haarlem
HFC Haarlem
HFC Haarlem was a Dutch football club from the city of Haarlem, established in 1889. The club won the Dutch national title in 1946 and reached five Cup finals, winning in 1902 and 1912...
's youth academy, where he spent three years before the family moved to the UK when he was 13. He played for Wednesbury Sports Union in the Walsall Junior Youth League before joining Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
's Academy, where he began a two-year scholarship in July 2009.
In the 2010–11 season, Birmingham chose not to enter a reserve team in a competitive league, but Asante was a regular member of the under-18 Academy team and played in the Birmingham Senior Cup
Birmingham Senior Cup
The Birmingham Senior Cup is a football competition for Birmingham County FA club teams, organized by the Birmingham County Football Association...
. On 16 October 2010 he scored five goals as the under-18s beat Tottenham Hotspur's under-18s 6–0. This performance contributed to his first competitive involvement with the first team a few days later, when he was named among the substitutes for the Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
fourth-round tie against Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
. Asante signed his first professional contract, of two-and-a-half years, in January 2011. Injury kept him out for four months, but he was an unused substitute for Birmingham's last two Premier League games of the season, against Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
and Tottenham Hotspur.
He was part of the Birmingham squad for their 2011 pre-season visit to Ireland, and came close to scoring in the second half of the friendly against Cork City
Cork City F.C.
Cork City Football Club is an Irish football team that plays in the League of Ireland. Founded and elected to the league in 1984 to continue the long tradition of Association Football in Cork, City's traditional colours are green and white with red trim, and the crest is a variant of the Cork...
, when he appeared to be brought down after touching the ball past the goalkeeper, but no penalty was awarded. In the absence through injury of strikers Cameron Jerome
Cameron Jerome
Cameron Zishan Rana-Jerome is an English footballer who plays for Stoke City as a striker. He also played for Cardiff City in the Football League, and for Birmingham City in the Football League and Premier League, and at international level has several caps for the England under-21 team.-Early...
, Marlon King
Marlon King
Marlon Francis King is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Birmingham City. After starting his career in non-League football with Dulwich Hamlet, he played for Barnet, Gillingham, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest before moving to Watford in 2005...
and Nikola Žigić
Nikola Žigic
Nikola Žigić is a Serbian footballer who plays for English club Birmingham City as a centre forward.At , Žigić is among the tallest professional players in the world...
, Asante was named in the 20-man squad for Birmingham's Europa League match against Nacional in Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
in August. An unused substitute in the first leg, he made his first-team debut on 25 August 2011 in the second leg, replacing Chris Burke
Chris Burke (footballer)
Christopher Robert "Chris" Burke is a Scottish footballer who plays for Birmingham City.Burke began his career with Scottish Premier League club Rangers, playing in almost 100 league games, but without establishing himself as a regular first team player. He then played more than 100 matches over...
in the 88th minute as Birmingham won 3–0 to qualify for the group stage
2011–12 UEFA Europa League group stage
This article details the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League group stage.The group stage will feature 48 teams: the 38 winners of the play-off round, and the 10 losing teams from the Champions League play-off round....
.
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Birmingham City Birmingham City F.C. Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the... |
2011–12 2011–12 Football League The Football League 2011–12, called the Npower Football League, is the 112th season of the Football League. It began in August 2011 and will conclude in May 2012, with the promotion play-off finals.... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Career total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
External links
- Profile at Birmingham City F.C. website