Bennard Yao Kumordzi

Football player infobox| playername= Bennard Kumordzi


fullname = Bennard Yao Kumordzi
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1985|11|11
cityofbirth = Accra
countryofbirth = Ghana
height = height|m=1.86
currentclub = Panionios
clubnumber =
position = Attacking midfielder
youthyears = ?
?-2005
youthclubs = Klagon FC
Supreme FC
years = 2005 2005 - 2006 2006 - 2007 2007 -
clubs = FC Norrköping IFK Norrköping Egaleo Panionios
caps(goals) = ? (?) 14 (2) 22 (5) 00 (0)
nationalyears = 2007 –
nationalteam = Ghana
nationalcaps(goals) = 2 (0)
pcupdate = June 30, 2007
ntupdate = June 30, 2007

Bennard Yao Kumordzi (born March 21, 1985 in Accra) is a Ghanaian footballer. He currently plays for Panionios in the Greek Super League. He is an attacking midfielder for his club and has recently made an appearance for Ghana's national team.

Club career

Kumordzi started his career, playing street football at Klagon FC Youth before being snapped up by lower league side Supreme FC, where he had stints in only two 3rd Division league matches in Ghana before leaving for Sweden to pursue a European career in 2005 in the city of Norrköping. He struggled early on to get a Club, until he got a break with a Division 6 Amateur club called FC Norrköping where he played as an attacking midfielder though he left Ghana as a central defender. He made a big impression while playing in the division 6 amateur league and he became the leading goal scorer with 17 goals in 11 matches from the offensive midfield role.

During a cup match in July 2005 between FCN amateurs and IK Sleipner, a second Division Club, Bennard performed magnificently to win the match for his amateur club. Stefan Hellberg, the then Coach of Swedish Superettan side IFK Norrkoping, who was at the game told journalists that he had just discovered a gem. He gave him a trial with his club and Bennard jumped four levels from the sixth Division amateurs to the Superettan (Swedish 2nd Div.). However, he never became a regular starter in the team. His stay there was ended after Bennard going on a strike on contractural disputes. [cite news | date=2006-06-26 | url=http://www.realtid.se/ArticlePages/200606/26/20060626111507_Realtid039/20060626111507_Realtid039.dbp.asp?sAction=SendLink&MailId=20060626111507_Realtid039.dbp=AND&PubDate=&FreeText= | title=Fotbollsspelare strejkar | publisher=realtid.se | accessdate=2007-02-22]

Greece

During the strike he had gone to Greece to practice with Greek Super League side Egaleo FC. He signed a five-year contract with the Greek outfit.

“I struck my [http://www.goal4replay.net/GoalWatch.asp?Ln=En&ID=590 first goal] in the land of Greece in a premiership match against Skoda Xanthi and after that, many journalist told me that my goal would compete for best goal of the 2006/2007 Greek premiership season” Bennard said. He also received plaudits from the Greek media who says he is the true revelation of the season after another superb and [http://www.greeksoccer.com/forums/index.php?act=module&module=gallery&cmd=si&
] game against Ergotelis FC [cite news | date=2006-12-17 | url=http://sport24.gr/html/ent/513/ent.155513.asp | title=Αιγάλεω-Εργοτέλης 2-0 | publisher=sport24.gr | accessdate=2006-12-17] . Watch some of Bennard's goals in Greece Super League: [http://www.goal4replay.net/GoalWatch.asp?Ln=En&ID=590] , [http://www.goal4replay.net/GoalWatch.asp?Ln=En&ID=853] , [http://www.goal4replay.net/GoalWatch.asp?Ln=En&ID=1019] , [http://www.goal4replay.net/GoalWatch.asp?Ln=En&ID=1229]

On 18 January 2007, the Greek FA - Hellenic Football Federation [http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/SportsArchive/photo.day.php?ID=117557 gave] Bennard the [http://sport24.gr/html/ent/905/ent.159905.asp Most Valuable Player award] of the 1st Half of the 2006/2007 Greek Super League, for his performances in the current season [cite news | date=2007-01-18 | url=http://sport24.gr/html/ent/905/ent.159905.asp | title=Κουμορτζί για "άσπρες" μέρες | publisher=sport24.gr | accessdate=2007-01-18] .

Among clubs scouting Bennard was German Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen [cite news | date=2006-12-13 | url=http://www.nt.se/GEN_Sok.asp?ArticleID=1371570&ArticleOutputTemplateID=47&mode=SEARCH&Bool
| title=Leverkusen vill ha Bennard | publisher=nt.se | accessdate=2006-12-13] . [http://sport24.gr/html/ent/782/ent.154782.asp]

His excellent performances was the reason that he gained a transfer to a bigger team. He signed a contract [cite news | date=2007-05-23 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/6685463.stm | title=Kumordzi opts for Panionios | publisher=bbc.co.uk | accessdate=2007-05-23] with Panionios on 23 May 2007.

International career

In 2005, Swedish newspaper Folkbladet described and compared Bennard to Nigerian International Nwankwo Kanu. Today, Bennard thinks his quality on or off-the-ball and height gives him an advantage to be one of the best players of the Ghana national teams especially the Ghana Olympic Team [http://sport24.gr/html/ent/782/ent.154782.asp] .

“I wait to be called upon to wear the colors of the Ghana Under-23 or Senior national team jersey,” said Bennard Kumordzi. “There are still unlimited Ghanaian football talents spread across Europe who can become great national football assets that are not being tapped". "Playing in the World Cup for my country is my biggest dream. I will continue to work hard to make it into the Olympic Team and from there I can move onto the next stage. I dream of playing in one of the Top 20 teams in the World" added Bennard. [cite news | date=2007-01-13 | url=http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/SportsArchive/artikel.php?ID=117195 | title=Bennard Kumordzi: A Rising Star | publisher=ghanaweb.com | accessdate=2007-01-13] .

On 20 January 2007, Bennard was called up by Ghana's Olympic Team known as the "Black Meteors" for the 2008 Olympic Games Qualifier against Burkina Faso Olympic Team [cite news | date=2007-01-20 | url=http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/SportsArchive/artikel.php?ID=117619
title=28 called up for Black Meteors | publisher=ghanaweb.com | accessdate=2007-01-20] . He also played the two-legged tie of the 2007 All-African Games qualifying match against Nigeria U-23, which Ghana won.

On his 22nd Birthday, Bennard received his first senior call up for Ghana, as a direct injury replacement for Ghana captain Stephen Appiah for Ghana's FIFA International friendlies against Austria and Brazil on 24 & 27 March 2007. [cite news | date=2007-03-21 | url=http://www.ghanafa.org/news/read.asp?contentid=1837
title=Fresh call-ups for Ghana | publisher=Ghana Football Association | accessdate=2007-03-21] . His international debut was against Brazil on March 27, 2007 at the Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden when Ghana lost 0-1. [cite news | title =Stars fall to Love strike | url =http://www.ghanafa.org/news/read.asp?contentid=1851 | work =Official Website | publisher =Ghana Football Association | date =2007-03-29 |accessdate =2007-03-29 | quote = Bernard Yao Kumordzi, Alfred Arthur and Ekow Benson - both locally-based players, all uncapped were given run outs by Claude Le Roy in the later stages of the game as Michael Helegbe enjoyed his second cap coming on as a substitute. ]

He scored his [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j39vje1_ID4 first goal] for Ghana against Iran National Team at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran on Thursday June 28 2007.

Olympiacos and AEK Athens Summer bid

Following his [http://www.goal4replay.net/GoalWatch.asp?ID=1613&Ln=En wonderful 30-yard goal] for Egaleo in the Greek Super League match against giants AEK Athens on Sunday 15 April 2007, the Greek media reported on 27 April 2007, that the top two teams in Greece, Olympiacos and AEK Athens have expressed interest in signing Bennard when the summer transfer window opens. [cite news | date=2007-04-27 | url=http://www.sportime.gr/football_inside.asp?article_id=47735 | title=Σενάρια για Κουμορτζί | publisher=sportime.gr | accessdate=2007-04-27] .

Bennard also told "goal.com" that he dreams of playing for Arsenal in the English Premier League one day. [cite news | date=2007-04-24 | url=http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=287832 | title=Kumordzi Dreams of playing for Arsenal FC | publisher=goal.com | accessdate=2007-04-24] "“I have a secret admiration for Arsenal of England since I want to step into the shoes of former Arsenal superstar, Patrick Vieira,” the central midfielder told the Ghana FA’s official newspaper, GFA News." [cite news | date=2007-04-14 | url=http://ghanafa.org/news/read.asp?contentid=1893 | title=Kumordzi dreams of Viera role | publisher=ghanafa.org | accessdate=2007-04-14]

References

Honors

* [http://sport24.gr/html/ent/905/ent.159905.asp 2006/2007 MVP] - 1st Half of Greek Super League

External links

* [http://www.supersport.gr/soccer/ANational/default.asp?action=player&tid=219&pid=8500 Bennard's 2006/07 Greek Season Stats]
* [http://www.ghanafa.org/ Ghana Football Association] - Ghana Football official website
* [http://discussions.ghanaweb.com/viewforum.php?f=2/ Ghanaweb Football Forum] - Ghana Football Fan Forum
* [http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=192305 Player Profile – Ghana’s Bennard Yaw Kumordzi]