Daniel-Kofi Kyereh came off the bench for Ghana's match against Portugal on Thursday, fulfilling his dream of playing in the World Cup.
The attacking midfielder was introduced in added time but had no impact on the game as the Black Stars were defeated 3-2 in Doha.
"It's a phenomenal story," said Andreas Bornemann, head of sport at FC St. Pauli, before Kyereh’s World Cup debut.
Two and a half years ago, Bornemann guided Kyereh from Wehen-Wiesbaden, who had been relegated to the German second division at the time, to the Kiezklub - also because he has a good connection to his advisor.
"For Kofi, participating in the World Cup has made a dream come true that he has been pursuing for a long time."
However, it did not appear to be a possibility for a long time. The German-Ghanaian has more than a picture book career behind him; perhaps that is what makes him so strong.
He had not been able to establish himself as a promising talent in the youth of VfL Wolfsburg and had to look for a new club after a cruciate ligament tear.
Kyereh ended up at regional division club TSV Havelse in the fourth division, where he drew the attention of several third division clubs before joining SSV Wehen Wiesbaden in 2018. A steep ascent appears to be different. St. Pauli knocked on the door after two seasons of second division promotion and relegation.
At the age of 24, his breakthrough came at St Pauli, where he was able to gradually develop his great talent. Kyereh found the ideal conditions for him, progressed to become an exceptional player in the second division, was selected for the Black Stars, and, two years later, fulfilled his dream of playing in the first division by moving to Freiburg. Kyereh now competes in the Bundesliga, European Cup, and World Cup.