Anthony Annan
Encyclopedia
Anthony Gildas Kofi Annan (born 21 July 1986 in Accra
) is a Ghana
ian international
footballer, who currently plays as a central midfielder
for Vitesse in the Dutch Eredivisie
(on loan from German
club Schalke 04
) of the Fußball-Bundesliga
.
, Ghana. He also played for Cape Coast
Venomous Vipers in the Ghanaian Division one league before joined Sekondi Hasaacas in 2003 and later moved to Accra Hearts of oak in 2005. At Accra 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. Anthony Annan joined Accra Hearts of Oak from Sekondi Hasaacas FC in the 2005/2006 league season.
in January 2007, after a very promising career in Ghana with his local club Accra Hearts of Oak. 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 coach Benny Lennartson in the important final games to avoid relegation.
After Start got relegated during the 2007 season, he joined Stabæk on loan until August 2008. 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". Instead, Annan claimed that several "big" clubs had approached his agent and that he would leave Norway during the summer.
On 1 August 2008 it was revealed that Annan would be travelling to England for a trial with Blackburn Rovers. After impressing Paul Ince and the Blackburn 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. It is also rumoured that Arsenal
and Everton
wanted to have Annan for a trial, but his first-team responsibilities with Stabæk prevented it from happening.
On 31 August 2008 he was presented for the audience on Lerkendal
as a Rosenborg player before the match against Vålerenga. Rosenborg paid £1.2 million to get him from Start. (Rosenborg won the game against Vålerenga 2–1). He made his league debut for Rosenborg on 14 September 2008 against Fredrikstad, with the game ending 1–1.
After four years in Norway, Annan left Rosenborg to join FC Schalke 04
.
A Junior and Olympic International for Ghana
, Annan received his first senior call up for the national team on 20 March 2007 as a direct injury replacement for Essien
for Ghana's FIFA
International friendlies against Austria
and Brazil
in 2007. His first cap came against Brazil on 27 March 2007 at the Råsunda Stadium
, Stockholm, Sweden when Ghana lost 0–1. He made his first goal for the national team in the 2–2 draw against Mali
15 November 2009.
He played for Ghana at the 2010 FIFA World Cup
in South Africa
.
Rosenborg BK
Schalke 04
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
) is a 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 international
Ghana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
footballer, who currently plays as a central midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
for Vitesse in the Dutch Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
(on loan from German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
club Schalke 04
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
) of the Fußball-Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
.
Playing in Ghana
Anthony Annan began playing football with a local colts Super Rainbow Stars in Cape CoastCape Coast
Cape Coast, or Cabo Corso, is the capital of the Central Region of Ghana and is also the capital city of the Fante people, or Mfantsefo. It is situated 165 km west of Accra on the Gulf of Guinea. It has a population of 82,291 . From the 16th century the city has changed hands between the...
, Ghana. He also played for Cape Coast
Cape Coast
Cape Coast, or Cabo Corso, is the capital of the Central Region of Ghana and is also the capital city of the Fante people, or Mfantsefo. It is situated 165 km west of Accra on the Gulf of Guinea. It has a population of 82,291 . From the 16th century the city has changed hands between the...
Venomous Vipers in the Ghanaian Division one league before joined Sekondi Hasaacas in 2003 and later moved to Accra Hearts of oak in 2005. At Accra 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. Anthony Annan joined Accra Hearts of Oak from Sekondi Hasaacas FC in the 2005/2006 league season.
Transfer to Norway
He signed for the Norwegian club I.K. StartI.K. Start
IK Start is a Norwegian football club from the town of Kristiansand, currently playing in Adeccoligaen having been relegated from Tippeligaen in 2011. The club was founded on 19 September 1905. The coach is Mons Ivar Mjelde...
in January 2007, after a very promising career in Ghana with his local club Accra Hearts of Oak. 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 coach Benny Lennartson in the important final games to avoid relegation.
After Start got relegated during the 2007 season, he joined Stabæk on loan until August 2008. 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". Instead, Annan claimed that several "big" clubs had approached his agent and that he would leave Norway during the summer.
On 1 August 2008 it was revealed that Annan would be travelling to England for a trial with Blackburn Rovers. After impressing Paul Ince and the Blackburn 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. It is also rumoured that Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
and Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
wanted to have Annan for a trial, but his first-team responsibilities with Stabæk prevented it from happening.
On 31 August 2008 he was presented for the audience on Lerkendal
Lerkendal stadion
Lerkendal Stadion is an all-seater football stadium located at Lerkendal in Trondheim, Norway. The home ground of the Tippeligaen side Rosenborg BK, it has a capacity for 21,116 spectators, making it the second-largest football stadium in the country....
as a Rosenborg player before the match against Vålerenga. Rosenborg paid £1.2 million to get him from Start. (Rosenborg won the game against Vålerenga 2–1). He made his league debut for Rosenborg on 14 September 2008 against Fredrikstad, with the game ending 1–1.
After four years in Norway, Annan left Rosenborg to join FC Schalke 04
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
.
International career
Ghana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
, Annan received his first senior call up for the national team on 20 March 2007 as a direct injury replacement for Essien
Michael Essien
Michael Kojo Essien is a Ghanaian footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Ghanaian national team. He is a midfielder who has often been touted as a box-to-box midfielder for his ability to exert boundless energy in supporting offensive and defensive play...
for Ghana's FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
International friendlies against Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
and Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
in 2007. His first cap came against Brazil on 27 March 2007 at the Råsunda Stadium
Råsunda Stadium
Råsunda Fotbollstadion, also Råsundastadion, Råsunda Stadium or just Råsunda, is a Swedish national football stadium. It is located in Solna Municipality in Metropolitan Stockholm and named after Råsunda, a zone of Solna.-History:...
, Stockholm, Sweden when Ghana lost 0–1. He made his first goal for the national team in the 2–2 draw against Mali
Mali national football team
The Mali national football team, nicknamed Les Aigles , is the national team of Mali and is controlled by the Fédération Malienne de Football. They have never qualified for the World Cup finals.-History:...
15 November 2009.
He played for Ghana at the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
International goals
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 15 November 2009 | Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi Kumasi Kumasi is a city in southern central Ghana's Ashanti region. It is located near Lake Bosomtwe, in the Rain Forest Region about northwest of Accra. Kumasi is approximately north of the Equator and north of the Gulf of Guinea... |
 MaliMali national football team The Mali national football team, nicknamed Les Aigles , is the national team of Mali and is controlled by the Fédération Malienne de Football. They have never qualified for the World Cup finals.-History:... |
2 – 2 | 2–2 | 2010 World Cup qualification |
Club
Stabæk- Norwegian Premier League ChampionshipNorwegian Premier LeagueTippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
: 2008
Rosenborg BK
- Norwegian Premier League ChampionshipNorwegian Premier LeagueTippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
: 2009, 2010 - SuperfinalenSuperfinalenSuperfinalen is a former Norwegian association football competition contested between the previous season's champions of the Norwegian Premier League and the Norwegian Football Cup. The super cup was incorporated as part of a charity-themed television show broadcast on TV2, with the profits from...
: 20102010 SuperfinalenThe 2010 Superfinalen was the second edition of Superfinalen, an annual football match between the winners of the previous season's Tippeligaen and Norwegian Cup competitions. Modeled on the FA Community Shield, the match is intended to be a season opener, with the net proceeds going to charity...
Schalke 04
- DFB-PokalDFB-PokalThe DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
: 2010–112010–11 DFB-PokalThe 2010–11 DFB-Pokal was the sixty-eighth season of the annual German football cup competition. It commenced on the weekend around 14 August 2010 with the matches of Round 1 and concluded on 21 May 2011 with the final at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin...
International
GhanaGhana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
- Africa Cup of Nations Silver Medal: 2010
- Africa Cup of Nations Bronze Medal: 2008
- FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
Quarterfinal: 20102010 FIFA World CupThe 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...