Lawrence Ati-Zigi has been crowned the Switzerland Super League’s best player for the first round of the season as a result of his exceptional performance for FC ST Gallen.
The professional keeper who was in post for the Black Stars at the just-ended FIFA World Cup put in an outstanding performance during the year and garnered the support of the Swiss soccer fans who voted for him to win this significant honour.
With a good 58 stops in the preliminary round, the Black Stars goalkeeper prevailed over stiffer competition from David Douline (Servette FC), Valon Fazlu (FC Aarau), Cedric Itten (FC Young Boys), and Koro Kone (Yverdon FC).
Meanwhile, the Swiss league will return on January 23, 2022. Ati-Zigi has competed for Ghana in under-17 and under-20 competitions. He took part in the 2019 and 2021 editions of the African Cup of Nations, however, he did not play.
In a friendly match against Iceland in June 2018, he made his debut for the Ghanaian national team. During Ghana’s 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign, he started in goal.
On 14 November 2022, Ati-Zigi was named to the 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Following injuries to Ghana’s first and second-choice goalkeepers, Joe Wollocatt and Richard Ofori, with both missing out on the competition, he was set to be the first-choice goalkeeper for the Black Stars.
On 17 November, he manned the post for the Black Stars and kept a clean sheet in their 2–0 pre-world cup friendly match against Switzerland. The start was his first start in over a year.
