Gershon Koffie was named the Budweiser Man of the Match on Saturday after scoring a first-half wonder goal in a 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake.
The goal was Koffie's first of the season, and fittingly, it came on a night he started his 100th MLS regular season match. That makes the Ghanaian the first player to start 100 regular season matches in a Whitecaps FC uniform.
“First of all, I’m proud of the club, the organization, the people, the fans, and the city and to even be here at all,” Koffie told whitecapsfc.com. “For me to start 100 games, it’s because of them. Without them, I couldn’t do it. I’m very appreciative for what they’re doing.”
Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that Koffie is only 23 years old.
The Ghanaian midfielder is one of the longest-serving members of Vancouver Whitecaps FC. He’s been with the club since day one of the MLS era – and even before that.
He’s already the club's all-time leader in MLS appearances.
Reaching 100 starts is quite the accomplishment for a player of Koffie’s age – even more so considering where he came from.
Five years ago, the wide-eyed 18-year-old couldn’t even point to Vancouver on a map. At the time, he was paying his dues in Ghana’s relatively unknown third-tier Division Two League.
Then, former Whitecaps FC director of soccer operations Tom Soehn spotted Koffie at a tournament and introduced the idea of coming to Vancouver.
Koffie’s response: “Yeah, but I don’t know Vancouver.”
Oh, how times have changed.
After Soehn showed him a DVD of the city, the club, and what the future might hold, Koffie joined the MLS-bound ‘Caps on trial in 2010 and never looked back.
Some might not know that Koffie actually played, and scored, for the USSF D-2 ‘Caps before signing with the MLS side ahead of their inaugural season.
Koffie, who has now appeared in 115 MLS regular season appearances with Whitecaps FC, said the club has come a long way since that point.
“The team is still making progress,” Koffie said. “We’re still growing, but looking back at our first year it’s not like now where we go on the road and are disappointed when we draw. It’s great.”
It hasn’t always been easy, though.
In 2011, the ‘Caps won just six games and finished last in MLS. And when Koffie first came to Vancouver, he didn’t know anyone. After every practice, he’d just go back home.
“It was me and me,” he said.
But after meeting a few Ghanaians, Koffie started to get more and more comfortable in Vancouver. Nowadays, he calls it “a second home.”
“It feels like home, just without my family, but every single member of the organization has been my family since I’ve been here,” said Koffie, who made a point to single out senior manager of professional teams Joe Jesseau for helping him settle in.
Don’t be fooled: Koffie is proud of his roots. He says he’s “blessed to be Ghanaian.” His parents and three sisters are still back in Ghana – as are a number of his friends.
He’s also involved in a friend’s organization to help give back to the less fortunate people in the country. Every year, he brings back stuff like cleats, jerseys, and clothes he doesn’t wear.
But when Koffie calls Vancouver a second home, he really means it. Back in 2013, he became a permanent resident of Canada and is close to getting his citizenship.
“I can’t say Vancouver is my second home and not be a citizen,” he said. “That doesn’t make sense to me. That’s the reason why I want to get it. So I can be proud to call this home.”
And if citizenship results in a call-up to the Canadian national team, Koffie said he’d be “good to go.”
Like all young players, Koffie dreams of playing at the top level. Should that happen, it might not be the last you see of him.
“I always tell Bob [Lenarduzzi], and he thinks it’s a joke, that I want to end my career here,” Koffie said. “Of course, it’s my dream to play at the top level, but I want to come back to the Whitecaps.”