Richard Ofori is facing the end of the season worries yet again at Orlando Pirates as he closes off what will now rank as his worst of the seven years that he has spent playing in South Africa.
Ofori has been kept in the ‘deep freezer’ in the DStv Premiership, Nedbank Cup, Carling Knockout and MTN8 this season.
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Without minutes in all domestic competitions, it has meant the best moments for Ofori have come on the occasions when he has sat on the bench.
This has happened 17 times.
The only game that he has had was in the qualifying rounds of the CAF Champions League, making three appearances spread over 181 minutes.
Despite all the struggles for minutes at Pirates, the 30-year-old was handed the armband by Ghana for the disastrous AFCON finals in Cote d’Ivoire, where he was shambolic.
The Black Stars disappointingly went out in the group stage after defeat to Cape Verde and draws against Egypt and Mozambique respectively.
For all his experience, Ofori was clumsy in doing his duties with his lack of game-time at club level evident as he made a melee of the two goals conceded against Cape Verde, before making a mess against Egypt.
Following that dreadful showing early this year, Ofori hasn’t played again for Pirates, who have Sipho Chaine, Melusi Buthelezi and Siyabonga Mpontshane in front of him.
The Black Stars keeper’s contract runs up at the end of June.
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While that contract has an option of another year, what he has given the club on the field this season has not been inspiring enough to warrant the exercising of the option.
Ofori was solid at Maritzburg United, and it was expected that he would solve the goalkeeping challenges at Pirates, but that hasn’t been the case after battling with injuries and being off-form.
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