Christian Annan

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Christian Annan

| image = HK NTRWTP Christian Kwesi Annan (cropped).JPG

| image_size = 250

| fullname = Christian Kwesi Annan

| height = 1.65 m

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1978|5|3}}

| birth_place = Accra, Ghana

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| position = Striker
Left winger

| years1 = 2005–2006 | clubs1 = Eastern | caps1 = 11 | goals1 = 14

| years2 = 2006–2013 | clubs2 = Tai Po | caps2 = 124 | goals2 = 42

| years3 = 2013–2019 | clubs3 = Kitchee | caps3 = 36 | goals3 = 8

| years4 = 2016–2017 | clubs4 = → Pegasus (loan) | caps4 = 19 | goals4 = 2

| years5 = 2018–2019 | clubs5 = → Hoi King (loan) | caps5 = 16 | goals5 = 5

| years6 = 2019–2020 | clubs6 = Rangers | caps6 = 9 | goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2020–2021 | clubs7 = Yuen Long | caps7 = 13 | goals7 = 8

| years8 = 2021–2022 | clubs8 = Tai Po | caps8 = 13 | goals8 = 9

| years9 = 2022– | clubs9 = Central & Western | caps9 = 56 | goals9 = 19

| nationalyears1 = 2007–2010

| nationalteam1 = Hong Kong League XI

| nationalcaps1 = 3

| nationalgoals1 = 1

| nationalyears2 = 2014

| nationalteam2 = Hong Kong U-23

| nationalcaps2 = 3

| nationalgoals2 = 1

| nationalyears3 = 2014–2016

| nationalteam3 = Hong Kong

| nationalcaps3 = 13

| nationalgoals3 = 1

| pcupdate = 12 July 2022

| nationalteam-update = 1 September 2016

}}

Christian Kwesi Annan ({{zh|t=安基斯}}; born 3 May 1978) is a former Ghanaian-born Hong Kong professional footballer who played as a striker or left winger. He is renowned in Hong Kong for his high pace and dribbling skill.

Club career

=Eastern=

File:Annan FungKaKi.jpg of Mutual in a league game|thumb]]

Annan arrived in Hong Kong to continue his football career in 2005. He arrived at a time when most clubs in the First Division had already finished their foreign player signings, and so he joined Eastern, a Second Division club instead.

With 14 goals in 11 matches, including a hat trick against Tai Po, Annan gained the attention of his then opponent. When Tai Po obtained their promotion status after the 2005–06 season, they signed Annan immediately.

=Tai Po=

Although he did not have the same impact in front of goal when compared to his time in the Second Division, Annan bagged 6 goals in 21 matches and became Tai Po's top scorer (along with defender Joel), helping the team avoid relegation. His performances were also thrown into the limelight with his selection into the Hong Kong League XI for the Lunar New Year Cup 2007. With only a brief appearance in the first match against Jamaica, Annan started the next match against Australia U-23, was fouled in the box, gaining a penalty for his team which ultimately tied the match (penalty scored by Keith Gumbs) in injury time.

His contribution on Tai Po has been further rewarded: he was selected into the 2006–07 Squad of the Year in the Hong Kong Footballer Awards.

In season 2007–2008, Annan kept performing and being selected into the first squad of Hong Kong League XI for the Lunar New Year Cup 2008. He only dropped out of the final selection due to the overload of attacking players. He scored 7 goals in the season, being named the second top league scorer of the team along with striking partner Betine, behind Dega.

In the 2011–12 season, on 18 September 2011, Annan appeared as a second-half substitute and scored twice against Kitchee, but Tai Po still lost the game, 4–2.

=Kitchee=

On 9 June 2013, Annan joined Kitchee on a free transfer along with his former Tai Po strike partner Alex. On 3 September 2013, Annan made his debut for Kitchee in a 6–2 victory against Sun Hei. On 19 October 2013, Annan scored his first goal for Kitchee by netting the winner in a 1–0 victory against Yokohama FC Hong Kong.

On 12 July 2017, Annan was recalled from loan after he spent the 2016–17 season at Pegasus.{{cite web|title=傑志望延續本地佳績誓以認真態度挑戰亞冠盃舞台|url=http://kitchee.com/news.php?id=560|website=Kitchee|accessdate=12 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170722161146/http://kitchee.com/news.php?id=560|archive-date=22 July 2017|url-status = dead}}

=Hong Kong League XI=

On 18 July 2010, Annan was selected into Hong Kong League Selection against Birmingham City in the Hong Kong Stadium. He scored a goal in the match and was the MVP of the match. After the match, it was rumoured that the manager of Birmingham City Alex McLeish was interested in signing Annan.[http://www.singpao.com/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=104330&Lang=tc McLeish interested in signing Hong Kong League XI player Christian (in Chinese)] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100809145425/http://www.singpao.com/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=104330&Lang=tc |date=9 August 2010 }} {{in lang|zh-hk}}

=Hoi King=

On 20 August 2018, Annan was sent on loan to fellow HKPL side Hoi King.{{cite web |title=港超升班馬凱景組青春班助教黃耀富：協助小將下季獲大球會招手 |url=https://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20180820/s00006/1534763435721 |website=Ming Pao |accessdate=20 August 2018}} {{in lang|zh-hk}}

=Rangers=

On 28 August 2019, Annan joined Rangers.{{cite web |title=年齡只是數字！安基斯簽約標準流浪 |url=https://hk.on.cc/hk/bkn/cnt/sport/20190828/bkn-20190828122834948-0828_00882_001.html |website=on.cc |accessdate=28 August 2019}} {{in lang|zh-hk}}

He played 17 matches for Rangers during the 2019–20 season including league and cup games, before the HKPL was suspended from mid of March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

=Tai Po=

In August 2021, Annan returned to Tai Po.

International career

On 12 February 2014, after residing in Hong Kong for more than 7 years, Annan was granted the HKSAR passport, making him eligible for the Hong Kong national football team. He made his international debut for Hong Kong in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers against Vietnam on 5 March 2014. He scored his first international goal for Hong Kong against Bhutan on 11 June 2015 in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier.

Honours

=Club=

;Tai Po

;Kitchee

=Individual=

Hong Kong Top Footballers: 2006–07

Career statistics

=Club=

:As of 12 July 2017

colspan=3 \| Club performance ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| Cup ! colspan=2 \| League Cup ! colspan=2 \| Continental ! colspan=2 \| Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Season	Club	League ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals
colspan=3 \| Hong Kong ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| FA Cup & Shield ! colspan=2 \| LC & Play-offs ! colspan=2 \| Asia ! colspan=2 \| Total
2005–06 \|Eastern \|Second Division \|8	14	3	0	colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|11	14
2006–07 \|rowspan="7" \|Tai Po \|rowspan="7" \|First Division \|15	5	2	0	4	1	colspan="2"
\|21	6
2007–08 \|18	7	4	0	4	0	colspan="2"
\|26	7
2008–09 \|23	9	4	2	2	1	colspan="2"
\|29	12
2009–10 \|18	3	4	1	colspan="2"
\|6	1	28	5
2010–11 \|18	4	6	4	1	0	colspan="2"
\|25	8
2011–12 \|15	7	5	4	1	0	colspan="2"
\|21	11
2012–13 \|17	7	11	7	1	0	colspan="2"
\|29	14
2013–14 \|rowspan="3" \|Kitchee \|First Division \|18	6	5	0	0	0	0	0	23	6
2014–15 \|rowspan="1" \|Premier League \|9	1	4	1	2	1	7	0	22	3
2015–16 \|rowspan="1" \|Premier League \|5	0	0	0	4	2	9	0	18	0
2016–17 \|rowspan="1" \|Pegasus \|Premier League \|19	2	3	0	colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|22	2
2017–18 \|rowspan="1" \|Kitchee \|rowspan="1" \|Premier League \|0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
rowspan=5 \| Total ! colspan=2 \| Eastern !8\|\|14\|\|3\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|11\|\|14
colspan=2 \| Tai Po !124\|\|42\|\|36\|\|18\|\|13\|\|2\|\|6\|\|1\|\|179\|\|63
colspan=2 \| Kitchee !32\|\|7\|\|9\|\|1\|\|6\|\|3\|\|16\|\|0\|\|63\|\|11
colspan=2 \| Pegasus !19\|\|2\|\|3\|\|0\|\|colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|22	2
colspan=2 \| Career total !183\|\|65\|\|51\|\|19\|\|19\|\|5\|\|22\|\|1\|\|275\|\|90

=International=

National team	Year	Apps
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
rowspan="3"\|Hong Kong \|2014	8	0
2015	4	1
2016	1	0
colspan=2\|Total	13	1

:As of 5 March 2014

class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%; text-align: left;"

bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center"

!Date

!Venue

!Opponent

!Result

!Scored

!Competition

|5 March 2014

|Mỹ Đình National Stadium, Hanoi, Vietnam

|{{fb|VIE}}

|align=center|1–3

|align=center|0

|2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification

=International goals=

:Scores and results list Hong Kong's goal tally first.{{cite web|url=http://www.national-football-teams.com/player/54810/Christian_Annan.html|title=Annan, Christian|publisher=National Football Teams|accessdate=3 May 2017}}

class="wikitable" style="font-size:85%;"

! No !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition

11 June 2015

Mong Kok Stadium, Mong Kok, Hong Kong

align=center | 2–0

align=center | 7–0

2018 FIFA World Cup qualification

Personal life

Annan's wife, Irene, is a Hong Konger. The couple have a daughter named PreciousWofoo Tai Po – Football can fulfill dreams (和富大埔—足可圓夢), Wofoo Social Enterprises, 2007，30–37 {{ISBN|978-988-99851-1-0}}〈[http://appledaily.atnext.com/template/apple/art_main.cfm?iss_id=20080920&sec_id=25391&subsec_id=25392&art_id=11622547 安基斯喜得異地情] {{webarchive |url=https://archive.today/20080921225337/http://appledaily.atnext.com/template/apple/art_main.cfm?iss_id=20080920&sec_id=25391&subsec_id=25392&art_id=11622547 |date=21 September 2008 }}〉,蘋果日報 , 20 September 2008〈[http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2c913216495213d5df646910cba0a0a0/?vgnextoid=4156ce13337dc110VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=teaser&s=Life African soccer players flee war and poverty in search of a better life in Hong Kong]〉, South China Morning Post, 8 October 2008