Harrison Afful


Harrison Afful, commonly known simply as Harrison, is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a fullback for Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew SC and the Ghanaian national team. He appeared previously for Feyenoord Academy and ES Tunis and spent time on loan to Asante Kotoko.
Harrison came through the youth setup at the Feyenoord Academy, spending his first two professional seasons on the Academy's senior team. He then moved on loan to Asante Kotoko, spending two seasons with the Porcupines and winning the Ghana Premier League in 2008. After four years of professional football, Harrison left Ghana for the first time to join ES Tunis of the Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1. He played the next six seasons with Tunis, appearing for the club more than 170 times. Tunis won four league titles during Harrison's time there, appeared in three CAF Champions League finals, and won the 2011 CAF Champions League Final; Harrison scored the only goal over the two legs. In the summer of 2015, Harrison moved to the United States and signed for Columbus Crew SC, helping the club reach MLS Cup 2015 in his first season.
At the international level, Harrison made his Ghanaian debut at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, helping Ghana to a third-place finish at that tournament. He has since appeared for the Black Stars at four more AFCON tournaments, finishing as runners-up in 2010 and 2015. He was called up to Ghana's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, appearing twice during the tournament. Harrison captained his nation for the first time in a friendly against Congo on 1 September 2015.

Early life

Born in Tema, Harrison grew up away in Nungua, Ghana. He used to watch the Ghana national team on television with his family before becoming a professional footballer.

Club career

Feyenoord Academy

Harrison joined the Feyenoord Academy after being discovered as a youth by Sam Arday and went on to spend four years with the senior team. Although he spent two of those seasons on loan to Asante Kotoko S.C., Harrison appeared 148 times in total and scored 11 goals for the Academy. In 2008, he went on a trial with the Academy's parent club, Feyenoord. He was linked with a move to København but was told that he was too small and returned to Ghana. He also spent time training with Helsingborgs in December of that year but failed to land a deal after suffering a hamstring injury while he was in Sweden.

Loan to Asante Kotoko

Harrison joined Asante Kotoko on loan at the start of the 2007 season, the first time he had played at a club other than the Feyenoord Academy. The loan move was made possible through a clause in Jordan Opoku's contract. He had been bought by Asante Kotoko the year before, and his contract allowed Kotoko to choose one player to bring in on loan from the Academy. They exercised it by choosing Harrison.
Kotoko head coach Bashiru Hayford handed Harrison his debut with a 10-minute cameo in a friendly match. This allowed the defender to break into the first team after initially appearing to be outside Hayford's plans. Harrison went on to spend two seasons on loan to Kotoko. He scored five goals in 68 appearances during his time at the club, winning the Ghana Premier League in 2008, and was named the league's Player of the Year that season. He also made his national team debut while at Kotoko.

ES Tunis

2009–2010: Early career in Tunisia

On 25 August 2009, Harrison officially signed a three-year contract with Espérance Sportive de Tunis. He had trained with the club prior to the announcement and had scored a goal in a friendly match, helping convince Tunis to complete the signing. The move to the Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 side marked the first time Harrison had signed for a club outside Ghana. He made his debut for EST on 12 September, playing the full 90 minutes in a 4–0 victory over CS Sfaxien. Harrison scored his first two goals for the club in a three-round span in the spring of 2010, tallying against CA Bizertin on 28 April and ES Hammam-Sousse on 15 May. He finished the season with two goals from 18 appearances as Tunis claimed their second consecutive CLP-1 title.

2010–2013: Champions League success

In his second season at ES Tunis, Harrison did not play a large role in league play. He appeared 17 times without a goal as the Blood and Gold claimed their third consecutive league title. Instead, he became a fixture in the Tunis squad in CAF Champions League play. Harrison made his debut in the tournament on 16 July 2010, appearing in Group A play against ES Sétif. He went on to appear in every game of the tournament from the group stage on, helping lead EST to the 2010 CAF Champions League Final. Against TP Mazembe in the final, Harrison played 90 minutes in the first leg in a 5–0 defeat for Tunis. He scored in the 24th minute of the second leg, his first-ever goal in the competition, but Tunis could only manage a 1–1 draw and were defeated on aggregate. On the season, Harrison appeared 27 times in all competitions and scored once.
Final appearances with Tunis.
Just as in the prior season, Harrison played sparingly in the CLP-1, failing to make a league appearance until ES Tunis had concluded their Champions League run. He appeared in 16 league matches without scoring as Tunis rolled to a fourth consecutive league crown. In CAF Champions League play, Harrison again played a headlining role once the group stage began as Tunis eliminated Al-Hilal in the semifinals and advanced to the continental final for the second consecutive year. He came off the bench in the first leg of the 2011 CAF Champions League Final, replacing Wajdi Bouazzi in the 90th minute of a draw with Wydad Casablanca. Harrison started in the second leg, playing at right back at the Stade 7 November. In the 22nd minute, he placed a left-footed, curling shot into the upper corner, a goal that gave Tunis a 1–0 lead on the night and eventually the second Champions League title in club history. Harrison would later rate that goal as his favorite soccer memory. By virtue of winning the Champions League, Tunis qualified for the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup; Harrison appeared off the bench in the quarterfinals against Al Sadd and started the fifth place match against Monterrey. On the season, he played 29 times in all competitions, scoring once.
Although Harrison's contract with ES Tunis expired at the end of June, he re-signed with the club on 2 July 2012, inking a three-year contract extension that ran through the end of June 2015. With his contract situation resolved, he found his scoring boots in CLP-1 play, scoring goals against ES Zarzis on 21 November, JS Kairouan on 8 December, and Club Africain on 31 March — all matches that ended in victories for Tunis. Harrison again played a vital role for EST in the Champions League. He helped the Blood and Gold eliminate Mazembe in the semifinals and advance to their third consecutive final to take on Al Ahly. He played 73 minutes in the first leg of the 2012 CAF Champions League Final, helping Tunis earn a 1–1 draw but was suspended for the second leg due to yellow card accumulation as Tunis were defeated by a 3–2 aggregate scoreline. Harrison appeared 28 times in all competitions on the campaign, scoring three goals.

2013–2015: Final seasons at EST

would turn out to be the busiest and most prolific season of Harrison's career to date. He appeared in a career-high 37 matches in all competitions and scored four goals. In CLP-1 play, he scored twice before the turn of the year, tallying against Stade Tunisien on 3 November and LPS Tozeur on 25 December. He continued his form after new head coach Ruud Krol was hired, scoring in the return fixture against Tunisien on 15 February. He tallyed the game-winning goal against Sfaxien on 2 April as Tunis claimed their fourth league title in Harrison's five seasons at the club. He added ten more appearances in the Champions League, but EST were defeated by Orlando Pirates in the semifinals and denied a fourth consecutive trip to the final.
In April 2014, Harrison was the subject of transfer interest, with reports from his native Ghana claiming that he was the subject of an offer from Olympique de Marseille. The Ligue 1 club were reportedly looking to sign Harrison before the 2014 FIFA World Cup began, in an effort to keep down the player's price. Following the domestic season, however, ES Tunis announced that Harrison would not leave the club until after the World Cup at the earliest. He continued to attract interest after the World Cup, with a reported 13 European clubs battling for his signature; however, it was Al Wahda, of the United Arab Emirates, who had reportedly won the race for the defender. Harrison underwent a medical with the Clarets, but the club canceled the deal after ES Tunis broke off communication and he thus returned to Tunisia.
After any potential move in the summer fell through, Harrison returned to Tunis to begin the 2014–15 season. On 31 August, in a match away to Bizertin, he scored two goals to help EST claim a 3–1 victory. Harrison would not score again for the remainder of the league's season as Espérance placed third in the CLP-1, their lowest league finish during Harrison's time at the club. In 2014 CAF Champions League play, he scored in both the first and second qualifying rounds, helping Tunis advance over Gor Mahia and Real Bamako, respectively. EST were eliminated in the group stage, however, the first time they had failed to advance to the knockout rounds since Harrison had joined the club. He finished the season with 29 appearances in all competitions, scoring four goals.
With his contract set to expire at the end of June, Harrison was rumored to be re-signing a two-year deal with the Blood and Gold. In the final month of his contract, he appeared four times and scored a goal for Tunis in continental competitions. However, Harrison and the club could not agree on a contract, and he departed after more than six seasons with Tunis. Harrison appeared 172 times and scored 16 goals for Esperance.

FIFA case

Following his departure from Tunis at the end of June 2015, Harrison was reportedly not paid the remaining salaries and bonuses owed to him by the club. He filed a case with FIFA over the issue, and in May 2016 the organization sided with Harrison in the case. FIFA ordered Espérance to pay the remaining monies within one month of the ruling date; if they failed to do so, they would be docked six points in league play. FIFA also ruled that if the debts persisted, Tunis would be relegated to the Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 2. The club also paid a fine "in the tens of thousands of Swiss francs to FIFA".

Columbus Crew SC

2015–2016: Initial years in Columbus

After his contract with Tunis expired at the end of June, Harrison joined Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew SC as a Discovery Signing. Although the transfer was announced on 30 July 2015, he was only added to the roster after securing his visa and thus had to wait to make his club debut until 19 August. He started a 2–2 draw with New York City FC, playing 60 minutes before being replaced by Hector Jiménez. Harrison missed several matches while on international duty but returned to start every game in Crew SC's run to MLS Cup 2015. Against Portland Timbers in the final, he played the full 90 minutes and picked up a yellow card as Columbus was defeated 2–1. Harrison made 14 appearances in his first season in Columbus and had his contract option picked up by the club on 7 December.
Harrison was rumored to be leaving Columbus ahead of the 2016 season. Reports from his native Ghana claimed that he would be joining Mersin İdman Yurdu when his contract expired at the end of 2015. No transfer came to pass, however, and he returned to Columbus for his first full season with the Black and Gold. Although Harrison again missed time while appearing with Ghana, he did find the time to score his first MLS goal — a 54th-minute strike against Toronto FC on 13 July. He added two more goals in the final month of the season, scoring in a victory over Chicago Fire on 1 October, and a defeat against New York Red Bulls in the season finale on 16 October. He did pick up a red card in a 1–1 draw with D.C. United on 16 July, but the card was rescinded by the league two days later. Harrison finished the season with three goals in 30 appearances and was ranked as the best right back in the league, according to the Audi Player Index.

2017–2019: Injuries and club struggles

Harrison's 2017 season was marred by injuries — a knee laceration in March, a sliced nerve in his hand in April, a thigh strain in late summer, and a sprained foot in October. Although he did not score during the regular season, he saved his best for the 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs. In the first leg of the conference semifinals against New York City FC, Harrison scored three minutes into stoppage time to give Columbus a 4–1 victory; that goal would end up being the difference as the club advanced by a 4–3 aggregate scoreline. He finished the season with one goal from 29 appearances and again had his contract option picked up by Crew SC.
After a season of personal struggle in 2017, Harrison bounced back in 2018 with two goals and six assists in 35 appearances. In one three-game span in July and August, he provided an assist in each match and helped Columbus claim three consecutive victories. Harrison tallied the third-most shots on the team, behind only Gyasi Zardes and Pedro Santos but only tallied two goals: against San Jose Earthquakes in April and New York City FC in September. He added an assist in the knockout round of the 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs, helping Columbus to advance over D.C. United. Harrison also set a personal mark in a mid-season friendly against Saprissa. He came on as a substitute and played as a defensive midfielder — the first time he had appeared for Columbus at any position other than right back.
After an injury-free 2018, Harrison was limited to just 24 appearances in all competitions over the course of the 2019 season. In a home match against Atlanta United on 30 March, he collided with countryman Jonathan Mensah and suffered a fractured jaw. Harrison would miss eleven matches due to the injury, returning on 11 June and making his U.S. Open Cup debut in a victory over Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. Although he would not score on the year, Harrison provided two assists over a three-match span in August. His contract expired following the season, but the Crew announced that the sides were still "in negotiations"; nine days later, they agreed on a deal for Harrison to return to the club on a new contract.

International career

Harrison debuted in the Ghanaian international setup at the U20 level, appearing six times and scoring a goal for the side. He struggled to lock down a place on the team outside 2006, however, and later said that "my unsuccessful attempts at the junior national teams not as a result of poor performance".

Early career and AFCON tournaments

Harrison made his debut for the senior national team at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations. He had not been named in the preliminary 40-man squad but was called up to the final squad by coach Claude Le Roy. Harrison earned his first cap on 9 February in the third place match, entering as an 89th-minute substitute in the 4–2 victory over Ivory Coast. Although Le Roy resigned in May 2008, Harrison continued to earn playing time under caretaker Sellas Tetteh and new manager Milovan Rajevac: he appeared 10 times in qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, helping the Black Stars qualify for the final tournament with games to spare. He was then called up to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, and although Ghana made a run to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations Final he did not make an appearance at the tournament. Harrison was left off Ghana's squad for the 2010 World Cup, failing to even crack the Black Stars' preliminary roster. After appearing against South Africa in a friendly in August, Harrison would not earn another cap for nearly two years.

Buildup to and the 2014 World Cup

Harrison was finally recalled to the Black Stars in June 2012, as James Kwesi Appiah brought in the defender for a pair of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Zambia. After appearing just twice in qualifying for the tournament, Harrison was called up to the Ghanaian squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations alongside his club teammate Emmanuel Clottey. Harrison appeared five times at the tournament, missing only a group-stage draw against DR Congo. He played 90 minutes in the third place playoff as the Black Stars were defeated 3–1 by Mali.
On 12 May 2014, Harrison was named in Ghana's 30-man preliminary squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup; he was then named to the final squad on 2 June. Harrison appeared twice as Ghana were eliminated in the group stage, providing an assist in a draw against eventual world champions Germany on 21 June.

AFCON success and World Cup qualifying failure

After appearing in all six matches in Ghana's 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification run, Harrison was named to the squad for the final tournament on 7 January 2015. He appeared in every match at the tournament, helping the Black Stars reach the final against Ivory Coast. As the eighth taker, Harrison scored his attempt in the penalty shootout, but Ghana were defeated 9–8 on spot kicks; for the second time, he finished as an AFCON runner-up. Later that year, Harrison captained Ghana for the first time, leading the team to a 3–2 victory over Congo on 1 September. He was back in an AFCON squad two years later, earning a place on the Ghanaian team for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations on 4 January. Harrison played every minute in the tournament, helping the Black Stars to a fourth-place finish after falling to Burkina Faso in the third place match.
Although Ghana had appeared in three consecutive World Cups, the Black Stars failed in their bid to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Harrison appeared six times in qualifying, including four matches in the third round as Ghana placed third in their group and missed out on the World Cup for the first time since 2002. In the fall of 2018, he returned to the Ghana team for the first time since the qualifying failure and made two appearances in 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying as the Black Stars finalized a spot at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

Career statistics

Club

International

Honors

Club

Asante Kotoko
ES Tunis