Bennard Yao Kumordzi

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Personal information
Bennard Kumordzi
Full name	Bennard Yao Kumordzi
Date of birth	March 21, 1985 (age 22)
Place of birth	Accra, Ghana
Height	1.86 m (6.2)
Playing position	Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current club	Egaleo
Number	14
Youth clubs
	Supreme FC
Senior clubs¹
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
2005–2006 2006–present	IFK Norrköping Egaleo	14 (9) 18 0(4)
National team²
2007–present	Ghana	1 0(0)
¹ Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19:22, 21 March 2007 (UTC). ² National team caps and goals correct as of March 27, 2007. * Appearances (Goals)

Bennard Yao Kumordzi (born March 21, 1985 in Accra) is a Ghanaian footballer. He currently plays for Egaleo in the Greek Super League. He is an attacking midfielder for his Club and plays as the playmaker for Ghana's Olympic Team.

1 Club career
- 1.1 Amazing kid
- 1.2 Egaleo
2 International Career
3 References
4 Honors
5 External links

[edit] Club career

Bennard Yao 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.

[edit] Amazing kid

Bennard is a tall silky player with dazzling skills and great ball control. His height is a major factor in his aerial dominance. He also has the ability to read the game, he is a good passer of the ball and can also shoot from distance.

During a cup match in July 2005 between FCN amateurs and IA 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.) Pros. It was the first time such a thing had happened to any African player in Sweden.^[1]. However, his stay there was marked by contractural disputes from his transfer from Division 6 to the Suprettan side. Barely one year after arriving there, he moved on.

[edit] Egaleo

Bennard's excellent form all season eventually attracted the interest of Greek Super League side Egaleo FC. He signed a five-year contract with the Greek outfit. After just 5 games into the 2006-2007 season, he had secured a first team position playing the offensive midfield role.

“I struck my 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 goal game against Ergotelis FC^[2]. Watch some of Bennard's goals in Greece Super League: [1], [2], [3], [4]

On 18 January 2007, the Greek FA - Hellenic Football Federation gave Bennard the Most Valuable Player award of the 1st Half of the 2006/2007 Greek Super League, for his outstanding performances in the current season^[3].

Among clubs currently seeking the player’s services are German Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen^[4].[5]

[edit] International Career

In 2005, Swedish newspaper Folkbladet described and compared Bennard to Nigerian International Nwankwo Kanu. Certainly, Bennard’s physique and style of play can make him the "Kanu" of Ghana. 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[6].

“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.^[5].

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^[6]. 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. ^[7]. His international debut was against Brazil on March 27, 2007 at the Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden when Ghana lost 0-1.^[8]