Kaya FC-Iloilo Signs Forward Patrick Asare The 26 year-old Ghanaian took a winding road to get here, but has now found a home and an opportunity to prove himself on the pitch.

Showcasing an intention to produce more goals, Kaya FC-Iloilo are adding center-forward Patrick Asare to the 2021 roster. A talented striker born in Accra, Ghana, his career to this point has been an array of unexpected twists and turns. He displayed excellent pace and finishing during his stints in Malaysia and Myanmar, which will be useful for a team that scored more than once in only two matches last year.

Asare began playing football at four years old. He actually started out as goalkeeper, until he eventually grew tired of losing and requested to play striker instead. As the story goes, he began scoring goals and never looked back.

Throughout his time in Ghana’s juvenile league, Patrick impressed his coaches enough to be put in matches for higher age groups. At age eight he was playing in the U-12 team, and by age nine he made the U-14 roster. He was eventually picked up by a Ghanaian Division 1 club at the tender age of 13 years-old.

Fast forward to 2014, the then 19 year-old wound up moving to Malaysia following a lucrative offer to join a prestigious club. Sadly, it turned out to all be a scam crafted by a fake agent. This was when Asare’s story altered course. He was left stranded in a foreign country with no club and without knowing a lick of Malay.

Fortunately, he was taken in by members of a local church. They helped him apply for a Student Visa and continue his education. His ill-fated move turned into a scholastic journey instead, culminating with him taking up Sports Management with a focus on Football Studies. He even earned the opportunity to finish his degree in the United Kingdom back in 2016.

That same year, Patrick impressed in a tryout for Myanmar outfit Zwegabin United FC. His playing career began anew, eventually moving to Yadanarbon FC then Shan United FC. His time with the latter allowed him to experience the AFC Champions League Qualifying Round first-hand, facing fellow Filipino club Ceres Negros no less. That day, he scored the equalizer with a beautiful long ranged strike from outside the box, bringing the match to penalties.

In the midst of his tenure with these clubs, Asare never stopped his tuition. In the end, he decided to return to Malaysia and accept an offer to be sponsored to take his Masters in Psychology for Coaching. Despite having several doors open up for him on the management side of football, the 26-year old goal-scorer isn’t ready to hang up his boots just yet.

Patrick continued to train and play throughout his studies, but not at the level he felt he could play at. Now with his education complete, he wants to focus 100% on his one true passion—football. However, after graduating in 2020 and just as he was getting ready to get back to top flight competition, the worldwide pandemic halted football in its entirety.

His return to the pitch was delayed another year, though this may have been a blessing in disguise. The stage was set for Kaya FC to sign him, providing a boost to the squad’s attacking power. Now the Philippines, his third Southeast Asian destination, provides an opportunity to kickstart his career once again.

“I’m so excited to be back playing professionally, where I believe I belong. I’m so thankful to Kaya for the opportunity, and I can’t wait to show my ability, and to work to reach the best form of my career,” stated Asare.

Joining Masanari Omura, Carlyle Mitchell, Daizo Horikoshi, and recent acquisition Ryo Fujii, all of Kaya’s foreign roster spots are now filled. As a striker needing a team and Kaya needing a striker, these crossing paths couldn’t have come at a better time.