Eric Ayiah

Eric Ayiah
Personal information
Full name Eric Ayiah
Date of birth (2000-03-06) 6 March 2000 (age 24)
Place of birth Accra, Ghana
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Winger, forward
Team information
Current team
 Trofense
Number 84
Youth career
0000–2018 Charity Stars
2018–2019 Monaco
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2022 Monaco B 42 (7)
2022–2023 Gil Vicente 0 (0)
2023– Trofense 1 (0)
International career‡
2016–2017 Ghana U17 15 (12)
Medal record
Representing  Ghana
Men's football
Africa U-17 Cup of Nations
Second place 2017 Gabon
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14:05, 9 October 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 30 December 2019 (UTC)

Eric Ayiah (born 6 March 2000)[1] is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a winger or forward for Portuguese Liga 3 club Trofense.[2][3][4][5] He is a former captain of the Ghana U17 Team.[6][7] He was included in The Guardian's "Next Generation 2017".[8]

Early and personal life

Ayiah attended Fomena T.I. Ahmadiyya Senior High for his secondary school education.[9] Whilst playing for the Ghana U17 team, Ayiah wore the number 6 jersey as a tribute to Ghana's Independence Day; 6 March, which is coincidentally also his birthday.[10][8][1]

Club career

Ayiah started his career in his native Ghana with lower-tier side Charity Stars at the age of ten.[11][12] He rose through the ranks till he was promoted to the senior team who played in the Ghana Division Two League.[1] In August 2018, he secured a move to AS Monaco after his exploits with the Ghana U17 team at both the 2017 Africa U-17 Cup of Nations and 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup.[13][14] He signed a five-year deal with the club.[12]

He was linked with several clubs including Porto, AC Milan and Anderlecht of which he apparently rejected their offers and signed for Monaco.[15]

On 1 September 2022, Ayiah signed a three-year contract with Primeira Liga club Gil Vicente.[16]

On 4 October 2023, after terminating his contract with Gil Vicente, Ayiah signed a two-year contract with Liga 3 side Trofense.[17]

International career

Ayiah was the captain for the Ghanaian youth team, the Black Starlets, the Ghana U17 Team.[1][18][7]

He served and played as captain at the 2017 Africa U-17 Cup of Nations where he came up as second top scorer to clinch the silver boot after scoring four goals and guided the Black Starlets to the silver medal at the competition.[1] He also played in the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup.[1][19] He was included in Goal's 10 players to watch out of for at the World Cup.[10] He went he score three goals as Ghana reached the quarter-finals.[20]

In December 2016, he was nominated for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Youth Player of the year alongside Ghanaian women's footballer Sandra Owusu-Ansah and eventual winner Nigerian footballer Alex Iwobi.[21][22] He was again nominated for CAF Youth Player of the year award in 2017.[23][24] The award was eventually won by Zambian footballer Patson Daka.[25][26]

Career statistics

Club

As of 11 December 2021[27]
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Monaco B 2018–19 Championnat National 2 3 0 – – 0 0 3 0
2019–20 10 3 – – 0 0 10 3
2020–21 6 1 – – 0 0 6 1
2021–22 13 2 – – 0 0 13 2
Career total 32 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 32 6

Honours

Ghana U17

Individual

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 - News - Ayiah: Ghana can go all the way". FIFA. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Éric AYIAH". AS Monaco. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  3. ^ Teye, Prince Narkortu (19 June 2021). "Ex-Ghana U17 captain Ayiah does not regret Monaco move". Goal. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Former Ghana U-17 captain Eric Ayiah joins French giants AS Monaco". GhanaSoccernet. 3 August 2018. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  5. ^ "Eric Ayiah came off the bench to score his first goal for AS Monaco - Kickgh.com". www.kickgh.com. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  6. ^ Football, CAF-Confedération Africaine du. "Ayiah: Ghana's new-found scoring sensation". CAFOnline.com. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  7. ^ a b "'I Am Motivated By Criticisms'- Eric Ayiah". Modern Ghana. Ghana News Agency. 24 November 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  8. ^ a b "Next Generation 2017: 60 of the best young talents in world football". The Guardian. 4 October 2017. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  9. ^ "PHOTOS: Ghana U17 captain Eric Ayiah visits alma Alma mater T.I Amass". GhanaSoccernet. 9 November 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  10. ^ a b Roy, Shivayan (4 October 2017). "Ten Players to watch out for in the U17 World Cup 2017". Goal. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  11. ^ "Who are Ghana's rising football stars?". GhanaSoccernet. 3 February 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  12. ^ a b "Charity Stars confirm the transfer of former Ghana U-17 captain Eric Ayiah to AS Monaco". GhanaSoccernet. 3 August 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  13. ^ "I've improved at Monaco - Eric Ayiah". GhanaWeb. 20 June 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  14. ^ Teye, Prince Narkortu (2 August 2018). "Ghanaian prodigy Ayiah joins Monaco". Goal. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  15. ^ Teye, Prince Narkortu (28 June 2021). "Ayiah: Monaco striker sheds light on Porto and AC Milan snub". Goal. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  16. ^ "Ganês Eric Ayiah deixou o Mónaco e é do Gil Vicente por três anos" [Ghanian Eric Ayiah left Monaco and is of Gil Vicente for three years] (in European Portuguese). O Jogo. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  17. ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Ghana youth international Eric Ayiah signs for Portuguese third division side CD Trofense". Sports World Ghana. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  18. ^ "FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 - News - Ghana ease their way to India". FIFA. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  19. ^ Parasar, Swapnaneel (4 October 2017). "FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017: All you need to know about Ghana U-17". Goal. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  20. ^ a b "Eric Ayiah joins Monaco on five-year deal". My Joy Online. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  21. ^ a b Teye, Prince Narkortu (11 December 2016). "Ghana to battle for three gongs at CAF Awards Gala". Goal. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  22. ^ Zurek, Kweku (5 January 2017). "Eric Ayiah and Sandra Owusu Ansah contest Alex Iwobi for CAF Youth Player award tonight". Graphic Online. Graphic Communications Group Limited. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  23. ^ Gyamera-Antwi, Evans (29 November 2017). "Ayiah hopeful of winning African Youth player award". Goal. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  24. ^ a b "Eric Ayiah nominated for CAF Youth Player of the Year". My Joy Online. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  25. ^ Ahmadu, Samuel (30 November 2017). "'It's a great feeling' - Zambia's Patson Daka on CAF African Youth Player award nomination". Goal. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  26. ^ "Patson Daka is CAF Youth Player of the Year". Ghana Web. 5 January 2018. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  27. ^ Eric Ayiah at Soccerway. Retrieved 30 December 2019.