Ghanaian goalkeeper Richard Ofori has opened up about his disappointment at missing out on the opportunity to play at the World Cup, despite his crucial contributions to the Black Stars.
Ofori, who currently plays for Orlando Pirates, has yet to make an appearance for Ghana in the prestigious tournament. In 2018, Ghana failed to qualify for the World Cup hosted by Russia, and most recently, Ofori was unable to recover in time for the 2022 World Cup, resulting in his exclusion from the final squad.
The former Wa All-Stars player had been dealing with fitness issues, and although he was working hard to regain full fitness, he suffered another injury setback. As a result, Lawrence Ati Zigi was chosen to man the goal for Ghana in all three games, as Joseph Wollacott was also unavailable due to a finger injury.
Reflecting on this challenging time, Ofori admitted that missing out on the opportunity to participate in the Champions League and the World Cup was disheartening. He expressed his disappointment and acknowledged that every player dreams of competing in the biggest tournaments on the world stage.
“Missing the Champions League and the World Cup was very challenging because every player’s dream is to play the biggest tournaments in the world.
During his time away from international duty, Ofori closely followed South African football and developed a desire to play in the South African league. His visit to the Orlando Pirates training ground left a lasting impression on him, further fueling his ambition to join the club. Now, Ofori finds himself at Orlando Pirates, where he is currently undergoing preseason training in Spain.
“I was very disappointed not to be there. But whenever we were in camp with the team I watched South African football and I always wanted to play in this league. I visited the Orlando Pirates training ground and I was impressed with the professionalism. I knew then I wanted to play for this club one day and now here I am.” He told sowetanlive.co.za in an interview.
As the new season approaches, the 29-year-old goalkeeper aims to step up and earn first-team football with his new South African club. With 26 appearances for the senior national team under his belt, Ofori remains determined to excel at club level and continue making significant contributions to Ghana’s footballing success.
