The story of when Portia Boakye suddenly became midfielder in Djurgården says a lot about her.Of course, so does the journey from poverty in Ghana to her second home in Stockholm.I'm so happy to be on this team. Everyone here, from coaches to players, loves me and does everything for me, says Boakye.
Djurgården's versatile players were recruited as attacking power just before the series premiere in 2018 but never became a goal scorer but were moved down.
This year, Portia Boakye started the pre-season as an inner midfielder and has since played as a left-back, left-back and center-back.
It was as a sudden midfielder that the 31-year-old was a great success at the end of the summer. That she ended up there is not as simple as that the coaches decided it, or that she was asked.
Portia Boakye says that she took matters into her own hands when she saw her teammate run in a different way during the last training before the match. Rachel Bloznalis wanted to brave the pain and play against FC Rosengård, but Boakye said stop. She asked team captain Olivia Schough to talk to the coach about letting the Ghanaian take her place in the midfield instead.
When Pierre Fondin called, Boakye said that she had played at the position in her old club in Ghana and that there would be no problems at all.
- So the coaches put me there and I won "women of the match", and the second match I won "women of the match" and the third match I won "women of the match". I'm proud of that. I try to give my best to the team in every match and I think I did okay. It's not so easy to become the best player of the match three times in a row?
Djurgården played 0-0 against Rosengård and won 1-0 against Kristianstad and Piteå respectively - three really strong results for the club.
You obviously take some responsibility for the team?
- Yes, I do not like losses. If I see that a player is not feeling well or injured and still wants to push himself to play, then I say no. I need to talk to the coaches.
You are in need of a striker. You did not intend to talk to the coaches about it?
- Haha, they know my strengths. I'm ready for whatever position they give me.
Broke with the club in Hungary
Portia Boakye grew up in Ghana where she still has her mother, father and three siblings. It has only been a handful of years since the 31-year-old left his domestic club team, Fabulous ladies, to test his luck abroad. First stop 2016: Östersund in the elite where she scored nine goals in 22 matches.
- They wanted to extend my contract when it expired but I said no. I'm the one taking care of my family and the money was not enough, says Boakye.
The stays in Turkey and Hungary were basically the same, and in the Hungarian Ferencváros TC she chose to break her contract after six months. She simply could not stand it.
- The coaches did not know how to treat African players. Sometimes I just cried on the pitch. They did not like me and showed it, and then they did not play me even though I was better than some players there. I talked to my agent and said I could not tolerate the situation.
Shortly afterwards, the chance appeared in Djurgården and there the situation is completely different for Boakye, who played for Ghana's national team for over a decade.
- I'm so happy to be on this team. Everyone here, from coaches to players, loves me and does everything for me. They see me laughing and joking all the time and sometimes when I am quiet they come and ask: "Portia what is wrong, do you need anything?". I say no but maybe my mother is sick or it's something else and they talk to me. They are like a second family to me. I say it wherever I go; I've never been in this kind of friendship before.
Dropped out of school
Her apartment is five minutes away from training at Kristineberg's IP and when she is not playing football with the team, she prefers to be there and rest, watch movies and listen to music.
She misses her family a lot during the seasons, but has also learned to be away from them. In his teens, Boakye moved away from home in Ghana to go to school and play football at the same time. She describes being away from the family as the toughest time growing up.
It's not easy to grow up in Africa ... I decided to drop out of school when I was 15–16 to support my family, and had to fight for my own money. Fabilous ladies paid no money but it was just the national team. It was very difficult.
Everything from food on the table to okay equipment on the pitch became a challenge for both her and her teammates and when she looks back she thinks about how far she has come.
When she looks ahead, she is happy to see that she will remain in Sweden for a longer period of time in the future.
- I want to play in Sweden for maybe ... 5-6 years before I leave. I like this country so much that I might end my football career here!
Source: Sport bladet