Ghanaian attacker Nicholas Gyan recalls playing with a younger Richard Ofori back home.
Ofori was turning out for Ghana Premier League side Wa All Stars at the time while Gyan was with Ebusua Dwarfs.
Gyan, who spent two seasons at Simba SC in Tanzania, says he has witnessed Richard Ofori’s stock rise in South Africa.
The Orlando Pirates goalkeeper left Wa All Stars in July 2017 to join Maritzburg United before moving to the Buccaneers at the start of this season.
“I remember playing and scoring against Ofori in 2017 in a Ghana Premier League match. I was actually telling a friend recently how he has grown in his career because of the exposure in the South African league,” Gyan tells FARPost.
The Accra-born star believes the Black Stars goalie’s move to the DStv Premiership was life-changing.
“I do follow the South African league and the changes I see in Ofori make a lot of sense especially when he comes to the national team. He’s in a good league and it has helped his game progress.”
Gyan had a trial with Black Leopards in January last year, but the club could not sign him as they had exceeded their foreign quota.
“Of course, things didn’t work out in South Africa because of the foreign quota, but I enjoyed the short time I spent there. The infrastructure and level of professionalism was quite impressive.
“It’s a really professional league. I always watch the league with keen interest now,” said the two-time league title winner with Simba SC.
In Dar es Salaam, Gyan was moved from his usual attacking midfield position to play right-back for Simba when there was a crisis.
“I’m that kind of player, when there’s a crisis I’d fill in. So, our only right-back had been injured and I was asked to play there and I enjoyed it,” he says.
He says he enjoyed his time in Tanzania, particularly the passion of the fans.
He recently parted ways with Ghana topflight side Legon Cities FC after the two parties agreed to terminate their agreement.
“We’ve agreed that they will give me my clearance and they called me a few days ago telling me to come and collect the letter.”
The 23-year old is renowned for his versatility and can play across all positions upfront.
