Dreams Football Club is a

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

ian

professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who work (human activity), works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the partic ...

football club In association football, a football club (or association football club, alternatively soccer club) is a sports club that acts as an entity through which association football teams organise their sporting activities. The club can exist either as ...

founded in 2009 and based in Dawu in the country's

Eastern Region Eastern Region or East Region may refer to: * Eastern Region (Abu Dhabi): Al Ain *Eastern Region, Ghana *Eastern Region (Iceland) *Eastern Region, Malta *Eastern Region, Nepal *Eastern Region, Nigeria * Eastern Region, Serbia *Eastern Region, Ugand ...

that competes in the

Ghana Premier League The Ghana Premier League is the top professional association football league in Ghana organized by the Ghana Football Association and formed in 1958 to replace a previous league incarnation, the Gold Coast Club Competition which ran from 1933 ...

. On 18 June 2023, they won the

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...

to gain entry into the

CAF Confederation Cup The CAF Confederation Cup, known as the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup for sponsorship purposes, is an annual association football football team, club competition established in 2004 and organized by Confederation of African Football, CAF ...

for the first time in their history.

History

Dreams Football Club was founded in 2009 in Kweiman by the current president of the

Ghana Football Association The Ghana Football Association (GFA) is the sports governing body, governing body of association football in Ghana, based in the capital city, Accra. Founded in 1957 to replace the Gold Coast (British colony), Gold Coast Football Association whi ...

Kurt Okraku Kurt Edwin Simon Okraku (born June 1, 1971) is a Ghanaian football administrator who has served as the President of the Ghana Football Association since October 2019. He is a former sports journalist and past Executive Chairman of Dreams. He also ...

, and changed base locations twice;

Madina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...

and currently at Dawu. On 6 January 2017, former Bechem United coach Manuel Zacharias was appointed technical director of the club

Abdul-Karim Zito Abdul-Karim Zito is a Ghanaian professional sports, professional manager (association football), football manager and a former football player, player who is currently the manager of Ghana Premier League club Dreams F.C. and the Ghana national unde ...

has been club's manager since the 2022–23 season, serving for the second time having previously managed them from 2018 to 2020. He also previously managed rival league club

Asante Kotoko Asante Kotoko Sporting Club, simply known as Asante Kotoko, is a professional sports, professional association football, football club founded on 31 August 1935 and based in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Nicknamed the ''African crested ...

and the Ghana U-20 team, the latter with which he won the

2021 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations The 2021 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations was the 16th edition (23rd edition if editions of the tournament without hosts are included), the biennial international youth football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for p ...

. Having been below the Ghanaian top-flight since formation, including two seasons in the Division One League, Dreams FC were promoted to the Ghana Premier League for the first time in their history for the 2016 season. However, the Ghana Football Association demoted the club back to Division One in late 2016 after its the Disciplinary Committee found an anomaly with the registration of a player. On 18 June 2023, they beat King Faisal won the

Ghanaian FA Cup The Ghana FA Cup, currently known as the MTN FA Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the annual knockout competition in Ghanaian football created in 1958, a year after the independence of Ghana. Open to all Ghanaian football clubs, the competiti ...

to gain entry into the

for the first time in their history.

Debut continental campaign

Having gained entry to the CAF Confederation Cup with their FA Cup win, executives within the club expressed worries and personal frustrations about financial constraints heading into and throughout their inaugural African campaign which have been publicized. Nevertheless, Dreams F.C. were drawn to play Guinean club

Milo FC Milo Football Club, also known as Milo FC, is a Guinean professional football club based in Kankan, Guinea. The club's manager is head coach Mamadouba Sylla Gaucher. In August 2023, Milo FC hosted Dreams FC of Ghana in the first leg of the 2023� ...

in the first preliminary round and the winners of AS Douanes of Niger and

Kallon FC Football Club Kallon, commonly known as FC Kallon, is a Association football, football club based in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Founded as Sierra Fisheries, the club is one of the top clubs in the Sierra Leone National Premier League and play their h ...

of Sierra Leone in the second preliminary round for a place in the group stages on 25 July 2023. Dreams beat Milo FC 3–2 on aggregate (1–1 draw at the

General Lansana Conté Stadium A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED Online. Mar ...

Conakry Conakry ( , ; ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guinea. A port city, it serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea. Its population as of the 2014 Guinea census was 1,660,973. The current population of C ...

and 2–1 at the

Baba Yara Stadium Baba Yara Sports Stadium (also Kumasi Sports Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium in Kumasi, Ashanti. It is Ghana's largest stadium, with a seating capacity of 40,528. The Kumasi Stadium is used mostly for football matches, although it is also u ...

Kumasi Kumasi is a city and the capital of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and the Ashanti Region of Ghana. It is the second largest city in the country, with a population of 443,981 as of the 2021 census. Kumasi is located in a rain forest region ...

, where their CAF campaign would be based). They secured a 3–2 win on aggregate against Kallon, whose first qualifying round opponents AS Douanes withdrew due to the Niger conflict, 2–1 at home and a 1–1 draw away at the

Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex The Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Stadium (frequently abbreviated SKD Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium which is part of the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Paynesville, Liberia, a suburb of the country's capital, Monrovia. Built in 1986, it i ...

stadium in

Paynesville, Liberia Paynesville (sometimes Paynesward) is a suburb east of Monrovia, Liberia. It is geographically larger than the city of Monrovia. It is expanding eastward along the Robertsfield Highway and northeastward beyond Red Light Market, one of the largest ...

to confirm their place in the group stages. In the knockout stages, Dreams FC were drawn with Malian side

Stade Malien Stade Malien is a Malian professional Association football, football and sports club based in Bamako. One of the two dominant clubs of Malian football, their eastern Bamako training grounds host other sports as well, including a successful bask ...

and the winner of Egyptian teams

Zamalek SC Zamalek Sporting Club (), commonly referred to as Zamalek, is an List of football clubs in Egypt, Egyptian Club based in Cairo, Egypt. The club is best known for its professional men's Association football, football team, which plays in the Egy ...

and

Modern Future FC Modern Sport Football Club (), formerly known as Modern Future FC, Future FC and Coca-Cola FC, is an Egyptian professional football club based in Cairo, Egypt. The club plays in the Egyptian Premier League, the highest league in the Egyptian foot ...

for a place in the final. The defeated Stade Malien 3–2 on aggregate (2–1 away at the

Stade du 26 Mars Stade du 26 Mars is located in the southern neighborhoods of Bamako, Mali. It serves as a home ground for domestic football club Stade Malien and is the national stadium. It has a capacity of 50,000 as an all-seater stadium. Built in 2001, it i ...

and 1–1 at home) to secure their semi-final spot and receive $750,000. Their journey would however come to an end with Zamalek eliminating them and Modern Future on aggregate; in the case of Dreams a 3–0 away win in Kumasi despite Dreams holding them to a goaless first-leg draw in the first-leg. Overall, their cash flow from their participation amounted to $1.2 million (GHS21 million) and their participant points acumulation coupled with

Medeama SC Medeama Sporting Club is a Ghanaian association football club based in Tarkwa, Western Region. It was formerly known as Kessben F.C. before changing its name to Medeama Sporting Club in January 2011. History Medeama Football Club was establishe ...

's qualification for the group stage of the

CAF Champions League The CAF Champions League, known for sponsorship purposes as the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and formerly the African Cup of Champions Clubs, is an annual football club (association football), club football competition organized by the Conf ...

raised Ghana's CAF club ranking from 27th to 14th, just 2 places shy of 12th, where the country could have entered two teams in those CAF club competitions. Their run as defending champions in the FA Cup was brought to an end by

Bofoakwa Tano Bofoakwa Tano is a Ghanaian association football club based in Sunyani in the Bono Region. The club is a member of the Ghana Premier League and play at Coronation Park. History Bofoakwa were first promoted to the top division in 1967. Despite f ...

as they defeated them 2–1 at the semi-finals.

Kit sponsor

On 7 October 2016, Dreams FC signed a 3-year kit sponsored deal with

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...

ahead of the

2016 Ghanaian Premier League The 2016 Ghanaian Premier League was the 60th season of top professional association football in Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

season. Since the 2020–21 season, the team is sported with jerseys and kits manufactured by Mayniak Sports Wear.

Roster

First team

Coaching staff

Managerial history

Management

Youth team players

The youth team section of Dreams F.C. has produced players such as: * John Antwi, currently a first-team regular at Dreams FC. * Baba Rahman of Chelsea and

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...

on loan in England, now playing for

PAOK PAOK (, Πανθεσσαλονίκειος Αθλητικός Όμιλος Κωνσταντινοπολιτών, ''Panthessalonikeios Athlitikós Ómilos Constantinopoliton'', ''Pan-Thessalonian Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans''), commonly ...

of Greece * Benjamin Tetteh, previously of

Sparta Prague Athletic Club Sparta Praha (), commonly known as Sparta Prague and Sparta Praha, is a professional football club based in Prague. It is the most successful club in the Czech Republic and one of the most successful in central Europe, winning t ...

in the

Czech First League The Czech First League () also known as the Chance Liga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in the Czech Republic and the highest level of the Czech Republic football league system. Seasons typically run from A ...

, now at French club

Metz Metz ( , , , then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle (river), Moselle and the Seille (Moselle), Seille rivers. Metz is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Moselle (department), Moselle Departments ...

. *

Leonard Owusu Leonard Owusu (born June 3, 1997) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Norwegian side Fredrikstad, on loan from Serbian club Partizan. Career Dreams Owusu played and captained for Dreams in the 2015 Division One ...

Vancouver Whitecaps Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Vancouver. The Whitecaps compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. The MLS iteration of the club was established on March 18, ...

in the

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...

. * Montari Kamaheni of

Ashdod Ashdod (, ; , , or ; Philistine language, Philistine: , romanized: *''ʾašdūd'') is the List of Israeli cities, sixth-largest city in Israel. Located in the country's Southern District (Israel), Southern District, it lies on the Mediterranean ...

in the

Israeli Premier League The Israeli Premier League (, Ligat HaAl, ) is a professional association football league in Israel and the highest level of the Israeli football league system. The league is contested by 14 clubs, and operates on a system of promotion and rele ...

. *

Emmanuel Lomotey Emmanuel Addoquaye Lomotey (born 19 December 1997) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ethnikos Achna. Club career Dreams FC Lomotey was born in Accra, Ghana. He finished his formation with Dreams FC. He made ...

, formerly of Villarreal B and on loan at defunct club

Extremadura Extremadura ( ; ; ; ; Fala language, Fala: ''Extremaúra'') is a landlocked autonomous communities in Spain, autonomous community of Spain. Its capital city is Mérida, Spain, Mérida, and its largest city is Badajoz. Located in the central- ...

of Spain, now at Malmo FF in Sweden, playing on loan at

Ethnikos Achna Ethnikos Achna Football Club (), commonly known as Ethnikos Achna, or simply Ethnikos, is a Cyprus, Cypriot professional Association football, football club based in the village of Dasaki Achnas. Founded in 1968, the club currently plays in the ...

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

* Lawson Bekui, previously played for

AC Kajaani AC Kajaani was a association football, football club from Kajaani, Finland. The club was formed in 2006 after the merger of FC Tarmo and Kajaanin Palloilijat (KaPa). Their home ground was Kajaanin Liikuntapuisto. The men's football first team la ...

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

, now at

Al-Entesar Club Al-Intisar Club is a Saudi Arabian football (soccer), football team in Rabigh City playing at the Saudi Second Division. Current squad ''As of Saudi Second Division:'' Notable players *A ...

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

. * Samuel Alabi, previously of

in the

, now at

Luzern Lucerne ( ) or Luzern ()Other languages: ; ; ; . is a city in central Switzerland, in the Languages of Switzerland, German-speaking portion of the country. Lucerne is the capital of the canton of Lucerne and part of the Lucerne (district), di ...

, playing on loan at

Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in southern Germany. In earlier times it was considered to be on both sides of the Upper Rhine, but since the Napoleonic Wars, it has been considered only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Ba ...

in the

Swiss Super League The Super League (also known as the Credit Suisse Super League for sponsorship reasons) is a professional association football league in Switzerland and the highest level of the Swiss football league system. It has been played in its current fo ...

* Emmanuel Sowah Adjei, previously played at

Anderlecht Anderlecht (; ) is one of the List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the south-western part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, Forest, B ...

in the

Belgian Pro League The Belgian Pro League (; ; ), officially the Jupiler Pro League () for sponsor Jupiler, is a professional association football league in Belgium and the highest level of the Belgian football league system. Contested by 16 clubs from the 2023 ...

. *

Abdul Aziz Issah Abdul Aziz Issah (born 20 November 2005) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club Barcelona Atlètic on loan from Ghana Premier League side Dreams FC, and the Ghana national team. Issah began his career w ...

, currently on loan at

FC Barcelona Atlètic Futbol Club Barcelona Atlètic, commonly referred to as Barça Atlètic or Barça B, is a football team based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that will compete in Segunda Federación, the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system onward ...

, the feeder or second team of

FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly known as FC Barcelona and colloquially as Barça (), is a professional Football club (association football), football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of ...

History

Debut continental campaign

Kit sponsor

Roster

First team

Coaching staff

Managerial history

Management

Youth team players

References

External links