Accra Lions FC

Accra Lions FC (ALFC)
Full nameAccra Lions Football Club
Founded12 December 2015; 8 years ago (2015-12-12)[1]
GroundAccra Sports Stadium
Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana
Capacity40,000[2]
ChairmanOliver König
CoachJames Francis
LeagueGhana Premier League
2023–242nd of 18 teams
Websitewww.accralions.com

Accra Lions Football Club is a football club based in East Legon, Accra, Ghana. The club competes in the Ghana Premier League, the top division of the Ghanaian soccer league system, and in the Ghanaian FA Cup.[3] It plays its home matches at the Accra Sports Stadium.[4]

History

Accra Lions Football Club was founded on 12 December 2015.[5]

It secure promotion after 2 seasons in the Greater Accra Division 2 after winning the Zone IV division with a record 73 points in 28 matches to qualify for the middle league.[6]

Accra Lions FC - Champions 2017

During the Greater Accra promotional playoffs at the Tema Sports Stadium, Accra Lions booked the sole qualification ticket with a 100% winning record. It beat Emmanuel FC (4–1), R-Stakes (3–0) and Photizo Future Professionals (2–0) to slot into Division 1 Zone III which includes clubs based in Greater Accra, Eastern Region and Volta Region.[7]

Accra Sports Stadium

On 28 January 2018, Accra Lions officially announced the Accra Sports Stadium as its new home ground for the 2017/2018 Division 1 League.[8]

In 2018 it made its debut in the Ghana Division 1- Zone 3[9] and in the Ghanaian FA Cup.[10]

After becoming champions in the Ghana Division One 2020/2021, Accra Lions earned promotion to the Ghana Premier League. It scored the most goals (57 goals in 28 matches) and the club's striker Rauf Salifu ended up as top scorer in this seasons Division 1 with 21 goals.[11]

In the FIFA Global Transfer Report 2021, Accra Lions ranked 7th in Africa ( CAF ) with 10 outgoing transfers. The following year it was able to transfer 10 players abroad.[12]

On 23 May 2023, Accra Lions officially announced that former German international, World Cup Winner and FIFA World Player of the Year, Lothar Matthäus has joined Accra Lions Soccer Club as board member and shareholder.[13][14]

Accra Lions finished the Ghana Premier League season 2023/2024 as runners-up. They reached second place (out of 18 teams) with the youngest first division team in the world. On matchday 7 against Bofoakwa Tano they played with an average age of 18.09 years. Throughout the whole season it was the youngest squad that ever played in the Ghana Premier League. [15]

Staff and players

Source:[16]

Head coach
  • England James Francis
Sporting director
General manager
  • Ghana Ishmael Hamidu
Director of finance & administration
  • Ghana Enoch Kofi Osei
Goalkeeper's coach
  • Ghana Osei Boateng
Physiotherapist
  • Ghana Manaf Abubakar
Assistant academy manager
  • Germany Fiete Kaupp

Squad

As of 1 October 2024 [17]

No. Nat. Name Date of Birth
Keepers
1 Ghana Kwadwo Bonsu 02.05.2000
22 Ghana Daniel Afful 03.09.2005
33 Ghana Carl Domie 13.07.2008
Defence
2 Ghana Remember Boateng 15.11.2004
3 Ghana Kofi Peprah 30.03.2007
4 Ghana Ali Mohammed 07.02.2002
5 Ghana Jacob Awoute 28.01.2005
14 Ghana Felix Amofa 25.06.2007
15 Ghana Musa Hamzata 04.05.2003
16 Ghana Issah Mohammed 06.04.2006
21 Ghana Richard Agyen 25.07.2007
24 Ghana Ibrahim Issa 11.11.2003
25 Ghana Baba Salifu Apiiga 07.03.2007
Midfield
8 Ghana Fuzy Taylor 02.06.2008
12 Ghana Larry Ayuuba 05.04.2007
18 Ghana Sadat Seidu 05.01.2004
20 Ghana Lawrence Setordjie 16.07.2008
23 Ghana Samuel Tettey-Narh 01.03.2007
26 Ghana Caleb Agyemang 02.02.2007
28 Ghana George Paaku 26.01.2006
31 Ghana Musah Anikaro Joseph 16.10.2005
Attack
7 Ghana Abdul-Shakun Abubakari 21.04.2004
9 Nigeria Lucky Nwafor 21.05.2005
11 Ghana Faris Tahiru 19.02.2007
13 Ghana Emmanuel Doku 05.05.2008
19 Ghana Bernard Kesse 17.03.2004
27 Ghana Osman Yousif 03.12.2005
29 Ghana Ezekiel Alladoh 13.09.2005
30 Ghana Ahmed Yousif 13.11.2006
32 Nigeria David Akintunde 25.04.2004
37 Ghana Blessing Asumang 11.05.2006


Former Players

Crest

  • 2015–2024
    2015–2024
  • 2024–present
    2024–present


Notes

  1. ^ "Our history". Accra Lions Football Club. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  2. ^ "Accra Sports Stadium – StadiumDB.com". stadiumdb.com. Archived from the original on 24 June 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  3. ^ "2018 MTN FA Cup preliminary round fixtures". FootballMadeinGhana. 5 April 2018. Archived from the original on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  4. ^ "Accra Lions FC opts for Accra Sports Stadium as home ground for Division One League campaign". Ghanasoccernet. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  5. ^ "Our history". Accra Lions Football Club. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  6. ^ "Our History". Accra Lions FC. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  7. ^ "Accra Lions FC snatch Greater Accra Division One League ticket with three straight wins". GhanaSoccernet. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  8. ^ "Accra Lions FC opts for Accra Sports Stadium as home ground for Division One League campaign". Ghanasoccernet. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  9. ^ "Division One - Zone Three". Ghana Football Association. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  10. ^ "MTN FA CUP PRELIMINARY ROUND GAMES TO BE PLAYED THIS WEEKEND". Ghana Football Association. Archived from the original on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  11. ^ "Accra Lions earn maiden promotion to Ghana Premier League less than six years after being founded". Joy Sports. 18 July 2021. Archived from the original on 19 July 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  12. ^ "FIFA GLOBAL TRANSFER REPORT 2021" (PDF). FIFA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  13. ^ "LOTHAR MATTHÄUS IS A LION". Accra Lions FC. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  14. ^ "Bundesliga legend Lothar Matthäus buys Ghana's Accra Lions". DW. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  15. ^ "ACCRA LIONS ENDS 2023-24 GPL SEASON AS RUNNERS-UP". ALFC. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  16. ^ "Accra Lions FC Staff". Accra Lions Football Club. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  17. ^ "Accra Lions FC Squad". Accra Lions Football Club. Retrieved 1 October 2024.