Long rumored to be on the verge of a move abroad, Ghana national team and Hearts of Oak forward Daniel Afriyie’s transfer was confirmed on Tuesday after FC Zürich announced that the 21-year-old will be joining the Swiss Super League club. Afriyie signed a three-year contract that will run until 2026 with Hearts of Oak receiving a transfer fee that is reported to be over $200,000 and could be as high as $500,000 after the Kumasi native signed an extension to his expiring contract to ensure Hearts financially benefited from the move. FC Zürich are the defending champions in Swiss football this season but have experienced a downturn in fortunes and Afriyie will be counted on to help the team out of their current position of last place in the ten-team league.
The speedy forward has made three appearances for the Ghana senior national team and was and unused member of the Black Stars squad at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar after starring for the Ghana domestic-based national team that qualified for the 2022 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Algeria. He also recently led the Ghana under-23 national side to the Third Round of qualifying for the 2024 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations and was a major contributor to Ghana’s winning run at the 2021 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations in Mauritania, scoring both goals in a 2-0 victory over Uganda in the final.
Afriyie, who also spent time at Rahimo in the top division of neighboring Burkina Faso, ends his time at Hearts with 13 goals and 3 assists in 62 Ghana Premier League appearances and is the first player to leave for a transfer fee from the Accra club to Europe since forward Mahatma Otoo’s move to Norwegian club Sogndal for €300,000 in August 2013.
