Meet Zion Suzuki; the Japanese goalkeeper of Ghanaian descent

It is rare to notice an Asian footballer with Ghanaian roots or generally African descent. Therefore, Zion Suzuki might appear as the first Asian footballer of Ghanaian descent.

Place of birth

Suzuki was born to a Ghanaian father and a Japanese mother. He was born on August 19, 2002, in Little Rock, Arkansas in the United State of America.

Youth career

Zion Suzuki started his goalkeeping career in 2013 at the Japanese side, Urawa Red Diamonds.

He gained promotion to the first team in 2021, playing 6 matches in the Japanese J1 league.

Japanese National team

Suzuki made his Japanese youth debut in 2016 for the Japan U15 team. He has since played for the U16, U17, U18 and now the U21.

He is part of the U21 squad named for the ongoing 2022 AFC U23 Asian Cup. He has played four matches in the tournament, keeping two clean sheets.

They missed out on the final after a 3-0 defeat to Uzbekistan in the semi-final. The Japan U23 will face Australia in a battle for third place on Saturday, June 18, 2022.