Daniel-Kofi Kyereh’s return excites Bundesliga 2 club St Pauli

After going five games without a win, FC St. Pauli regained the lead in the second tier with a 3-2 victory against Jahn Regensburg. Daniel-Kofi Kyereh is the team’s only hope for advancement.

Everyone in brown and white was relieved to see him return. After participating in the Africa Cup of Nations and sustaining a muscle injury in the 57th minute, the 25-year-old Kyereh returned to the squad for the first time this year against Regensburg at the weekend – and just nine minutes after his admission, he scored the crucial 3-1.

“We have never made a secret of the fact that we cannot replace Kofi one-for-one,” coach Timo Schultz made clear of the importance of his attacking player. “With his goals and assists, his dribbling, his offensive solutions, but also his strength on the ball, he is an extremely important player for us.”

“We feel good, we’re in a good mood and we know what we’re capable of,” emphasized Kyereh, who despite the long break with six goals and ten assists, is one of the top scorers alongside Guido Burgstaller (16/6), who scored a penalty kick at Jahn counts in league two. Etienne Amenyido, who jumped into the breach for Kyereh, also scored and is now more than just an alternative on the offensive for Hamburg.

Coach Schultz hopes that despite all the worries about the defensive, he can at least rely on Kyereh as the driving force up front: “If Kofi is at 100 percent, he’ll be on the pitch from the start. I hope it can happen this week.”