ANKARAGUCU AND THE AFRICAN CONNECTION - A HISTORY

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

Here is an excellent article from Bellshill Kanka Nadeem tracing the African connection with Ankaragucu in recent times.

Some you will remember and some will be a distant haze, but I've put my favourite African's photo up as a reminder. Of course, it is Augustine Ahinful.

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Ive just wrote a wee article for the blog in tribute to Africa. The club has had a lot of African players and i thought it would be nice to hear peoples views on them.


Ankaragucu is a club that has seen players from many countries pull on the Yellow and Blue Jersey, i felt it would be nice to remember the African players who have played for the club and see what the Kankas memories are of them.

One of the first players i came across was N'Dayi Kalenga is a former Zaire international who played 87 Games for the club scoring 24 goals. A midfielder who played for three seasons in Ankara from 1994-97 before moving onto Altay.

Fans favourite and Ghana international Augustine Ahinful had two spells with Ankaragucu playing 133 games and scoring 44 goals, a good record for Augustine, a quick and powerful forward who would be a key player in the team today. Also had a spell with Trabzonspor, Borussia Dortmund, Fc Zurich amongst a few clubs but his best time in his career was with Ankaragucu.

Stephen Baidoo was a Ghana international signed from Ashanti Gold in 1996, the midfielder had a fantastic career at the club and had two spells playing 160 games scoring 38 goals. Baidoo spent 7 years at the club and also had a spell with Samsunspor before moving back home to King Faisal in 2006.

The 1997-98 season saw a small but quick forward in Ferdinand Coulibaly from Mali sign for the club from Gaziantepspor. He only played one season in Ankara playing 27 games and scoring 13 goals before moving back to Gaziantepspor.

Ankaragucu fans were delighted when we signed former Arsenal and Paris SG striker from Guinea, Kabba Diawara. It proved to be a poor signing though as Kabba played 12 games and only the 1 goal in a game against Bursaspor.

Another striker from Ghana Ohene Kennedy spent 5 years at the club. Kennedy was highly rated when he came to Ankara after a fantastic spell in Saudi Arabia with Al Nasr. Gave good service to the club before moving to Adanaspor in 2002.

Nil Lamptey when he broke into the Ghana squad at 17 was tipped as one of the most talanted players in world football. At the age 0f 16 he was playing first team football for Anderlecht and then won a big move to PSV. In his first and only season for the dutch club he was sensational scoring 10 goals. All the top clubs in Europe wanted him, he agreed a move to the premiership with Aston Villa. From then on his career was never the same and he never reached the heights that he promised so much. The death of his 2 kids and a young african player messed about by greedy agents sadly saw the gifted player turn into a journeyman. Nil pulled on the Ankaragucu jersey in the 1997-98 season scoring 1 goal in his 10 appearances.

In 1995-96 Ankaragucu welcomed Congo striker Bunene Ngaduane to the club, he went on to play 26 games and score 9 goals before moving onto Qwa Qwa Stars. Another member of the Zaire national team along with Ankaragucu team mate N'Dayi Kalenga.

Gustav Bebbe, Cameroon international player who also has had two spells at the club. His first spell was a successful one playing 66 games with 25 goals, skillfull strong player who could also play out wide. Had a poor second stint at the club last season. Now playing with Kasimpasa.

Last January the club signed Cameroon international Geremi Nijtap from Newcastle. An important player who helped the team avoid relagation. Played at right back and scored a couple of important penalties. Currently without a club.

The current Ankaragucu squad have three Africans, Roguy Meye from Gabon, and Liberian duo Theo weeks and Tonia Tisdell. They will be hoping they can be as succesfull as there fellow africans have been in the past.

Among other africans who have wore the Blue and Yellow colours are Victor Agali (Nigeria), Ismael Bouzid (Algeria), James Debbah (Liberia), Mohamed Farouk (Egypt), Mohamed Ali Ghairani (Tunisia), Mohamed Gouda (Tunisia), Tchiressoua Guel (Senegal), Norman Mapeza (Zimbabwe), Helman Mkhalele (South Africa), Madiou Konate (Senegal), Habib Mohamed (Ghana), Tarek Mostafa (Egypt), Dumisa Ngobe (South Africa), Calvin Sosibo (South Africa), Abdoul Salam Sow (Guinea), Godfrey Sapula (South Africa), Jean Effa Owona (Cameroon), Edouard Ndeki (Cameroon), David Nyathi (South Africa)

It really is fantastic when you see the amount of different nationalites who have played for the club and this is just from Africa itself. We will also look at Europe and South America in the coming months and see how they have influenced the club.


Nadeem

UNQUOTE.

Thanks for this 'history lesson' Nadeem and look forward to the next one !

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim