William Dankyi
Personal information
Full name William Ntori Dankyi
Date of birth (1999-09-04) 4 September 1999
Place of birth Ghana
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 King Faisal Babes
Number 6
Youth career
Charity Stars
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2018 Liberty Professionals 38 (0)
2018–2022 Hearts of Oak 52 (0)
2023– King Faisal Babes 16 (0)
International career
2012–2014 Ghana U17
2016–2018 Ghana U20
2019 Ghana U23
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 August 2023

William Ntori Dankyi (born 4 September 1999) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Ghanaian Premier league side King Faisal Babes.[1]

A youth product of Charity Stars and Liberty Professionals, Dankyi spent three seasons playing for Liberty Professionals before joining Hearts of Oak in May 2018. With Hearts, he won five trophies, one Ghana Premier League title, two Ghana FA Cups, the Ghana President's Cup and the Ghana Super Cup. Departing Hearts in 2022, he joined King Faisal Babes on a short-term contract helping them to reach the 2023 Ghana FA Cup.

Dankyi has capped for Ghana at youth level in all age group covering the Ghana U-17, U-20 and the U-23 national team levels. He was selected for the 2013 African U-17 Championship and 2019 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations.

Club career

Early career

Dankyi started his career with lower-tier side Charity Stars before moving to Liberty Professionals.[2] His performance in the Ghana U-17 attracted top-tier teams in Ghana.

Liberty Professionals

In 2015, Dankyi moved to Dansoman-based side Liberty Professionals, who are known for producing young talented footballers. He became a key member of the senior side in 2017. He made his Ghana Premier League debut during the 2017 Ghanaian Premier League season. He featured in 26 league matches.[3] He played 12 league matches during the first round of the 2018 Ghana Premier League season for Liberty Professionals before being poached by Accra Hearts of Oak during the transfer period.[3]

Hearts of Oak

In May 2018, Dankyi was signed by Accra Hearts of Oak during the second transfer period of the 2018 Ghana Premier League season.[4][5] He signed a 3-year contract and was expected to serve as the direct replacement for Joshua Otoo whose contract was mutually terminated few weeks before his signing.[4][5] He made his debut on 24 May 2018 in a 0–0 against West African Football Academy.[6] He played the full 90 minutes of the match and helped them keep a clean sheet. He played in 3 league matches before the league was abandoned due to the dissolution of the GFA in June 2018, as a result of the Anas Number 12 Expose.[3] During the 2019 GFA Normalization Committee Special Competition, he became a key member of the club under Kim Grant and played an integral role in the club as he featured in all 14 group matches helping Hearts to 1st place in group B.[3]

In the 2019–20 Ghana Premier League, due to the arrival of Raddy Ovouka, his league appearances were limited.[7][8] He only featured in 3 league matches before the league was abandoned and later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] There were reports at the end of the season that he wanted to leave the team due to a lack of playing time and a limited number of appearances.[7][8]

Dankyi, on the other hand, remained at the club and was named on the club's squad list for the 2020–21 Ghana Premier League season.[10][11] He continued to face competition in the left-back role due to Ovouka and only made his first appearance for the club on match-day 7 in a 6–1 victory over Bechem United.[1] At the end of the season, Hearts won the domestic double by winning the league and the 2021 Ghanaian FA Cup after scoring Ashanti Gold in the final via penalty shootout.[12][13]

Dankyi became a regular starter in the 2021–22 season, following the departure of Ovouka, and played 20 league matches, the most in a season since joining Hearts of Oak. On 27 June, he played the entire 90-minute final match of the 2021–22 Ghanaian FA Cup against Bechem United as a defensive midfielder to win his second FA Cup trophy with goals from Daniel Afriyie and Caleb Amankwah in a 2–1 victory.[14] At the end of the season, he announced his departure from the club after the expiration of his contract.[15] He spent four years, played over 55 matches and won five trophies including the Ghana Premier League.[3][15]

King Faisal

In February 2023, Dankyi joined King Faisal signing a short-term contract for 6 months. He made his debut for the club in a 23 April, in a 1–0 loss to Nsoatreman. He played 16 league matches, however despite his performances King Faisal were relegated to the Ghana Division One League.[3][16] He was instrumental in the Kumasi-based club reaching the FA Cup final with a 3–2 win over Nsoatreman in the semi-final. This was his third consecutive appearance in the cup competition final.[17]

International career

Dankyi has represented Ghana at the U-17, U-20, and U-23 levels, but he has yet to be called up to the senior national team.[18][4] Dankyi played for the Ghana national under-17 football team from 2012 to 2014.[4][19] In 2013, he was a member of the squad that played in the 2013 African U-17 Championship.[20] In 2018, Isaac Kwadwo Boateng, popularly known as Coach Opeele a former assistant coach of the U-17 revealed that Dankyi had to miss one of his Senior High School education examination papers due to national team commitment. He was personally scouted by him whilst playing for a colts team at Mamprobi Indafa Park.[18]

He was later promoted to the Ghana national under-20 football team featuring for 2016 to 2018.[21] He was given his first call up in 2016, ahead of the 2017 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations qualifiers.[21][2] In 2018, he was a member of the squad that played in the 2019 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations qualifiers, Ghana subsequently qualified for the main competition after scoring Algeria.[22][23] In November 2019, he was selected to be part of the Ghana national under-23 football team ahead of the 2019 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations in Egypt.[24][25]

Honours

Hearts of Oak

References

  1. 1 2 "Hearts defender William Dankyi delighted to make his first appearance of the season". GhanaSoccernet. 4 January 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Thirty players invited to Black Satellites camp on". Ghana Football Association. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "William Dankyi - Soccer player profile & career statistics". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Hearts new signing William Dankyi says he joined the club for progress in his career". GhanaSoccernet. 23 May 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Hearts of Oak acquire defender Dankyi in a three-year deal". Goal. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  6. ↑ "Match Report of Accra Hearts of Oak SC vs West Africa Football Academy SC - 2018-05-24 - Zylofon Cash Premier League - Global Sports Archive". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  7. 1 2 "Hearts defender William Dankyi wants to leave the club". GhanaWeb. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  8. 1 2 "Hearts of Oak's William Dankyi hands in transfer request". The Ghana Guardian News. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  9. ↑ "William Dankyi: Signing for Hearts of Oak was an easy decision". GhanaSoccernet. 8 July 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  10. ↑ "Full list: Hearts of Oak squad for 2020/21 season". Ghana Sports Online. 12 November 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  11. ↑ "The ultimate 18-team Ghana Premier League season guide 2020/21". My Joy Online. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  12. 1 2 "2020/21 MTN FA Cup Final: Match Report- AshantiGold 0 (7)-(8) 0 Hearts of Oak- Phobians complete season's double". GhanaSoccernet. 8 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  13. ↑ Teye, Prince Narkortu (9 August 2021). "Hearts of Oak beat Ashanti Gold in Ghana FA Cup final to seal season double". Goal. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  14. ↑ Delrand, Nii (27 June 2022). "William Dankyi over the moon after Hearts beats Bechem United to win FA Cup". Sports World Ghana. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  15. 1 2 "Hearts of Oak defender William Dankyi announces departure from club". Ghanasoccernet. 8 July 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  16. ↑ "Former Hearts of Oak defender William Dankyi nears move to Bibiani Gold Stars". Ghanasoccernet. 23 August 2023. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  17. ↑ "King Faisal defender William Dankyi shares excitement after reaching third consecutive FA Cup final". Ghanasoccernet. 15 May 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  18. 1 2 "REVEALED: Hearts new signing William Dankyi once sacrificed his SHS exams to play for Ghana U17". Ghana Sports Online. 19 May 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  19. ↑ "Hearts of Oak sign defender William Dankyi from Liberty". My Joy Online. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  20. ↑ "Black Starlets ready for Afcon". supersport.com. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  21. 1 2 "Ghana FA announce 30-man squad for Satellites' camp". Goal. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  22. ↑ "CAF - Competitions - Qualifiers of Total U-23 Africa Cup of Nations - Match Details". CAF Online. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  23. ↑ "CAF - Competitions - Qualifiers of Total U-23 Africa Cup of Nations - Match Details". CAF Online. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  24. ↑ "Black Meteors arrive in Egypt for 2019 U-23 AFCON". Ghana Football Association. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  25. ↑ "U23 Afcon: Celta Vigo's Yaw Yeboah headlines Ghana's final squad". Goal. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  26. ↑ Appiah, Samuel Ekow Amoasi (17 July 2021). "Hearts of Oak crowned 2020/21 Ghana Premier League champions [Photos]". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  27. ↑ "Hearts of Oak beat Bechem United to claim record twelfth MTN FA Cup title". Ghana Football Association. 27 June 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  28. ↑ "Ghana FA to confirm Hearts of Oak as Super Cup winners". Ghanasoccernet. 9 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  29. ↑ "Hearts of Oak beat Asante Kotoko 2-1 to lift 2022 President's Cup". GhanaWeb. 4 March 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
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