Lawrence Ati-Zigi
Lawrence Ati-Zigi | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 29, 1996 Ghana |
| Occupation | Professional footballer |
| Years active | 2015– |
| Known for | Goalkeeper for FC St. Gallen and the Ghana national team |
Lawrence Ati-Zigi (born 29 November 1996) is a professional footballer from Ghana who occupies the position of goalkeeper for the Swiss Super League team St. Gallen as well as the Ghana national team.
Ati-Zigi has represented Ghana at both under-17 and under-20 international levels. Although selected for the African Cup of Nations squads in 2019 and 2021, he did not appear in any matches during those tournaments. He earned his first cap for the senior Ghana team in a friendly match against Iceland in June 2018 and was the starting goalkeeper throughout Ghana's 2022 FIFA World Cup participation.
Liefering
In January 2015, Ati-Zigi transferred from Ghanaian feeder club Red Bull Ghana to Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg. Immediately after joining, he was loaned out to their reserve squad, FC Liefering, which competes in Austria’s second tier. At Liefering, he joined fellow Ghanaians David Atanga and Raphael Dwamena. Ati-Zigi’s league debut came on 17 April 2015 during a 4–1 victory over TSV Hartberg. He featured in six consecutive matches that season, finishing with six league appearances as Liefering secured second place in the 2014–15 Austrian Football First League.
The following season saw Ati-Zigi participate in 16 of the 36 league games, with Liefering ending fourth in the standings. During this period, he was also named twice in Red Bull Salzburg’s matchday squads and received a winner’s medal when Salzburg clinched the 2015–16 Austrian Football Bundesliga. In his last campaign with Liefering, Ati-Zigi appeared in 11 matches, aiding the club to another runner-up finish in the 2016–17 Austrian Football First League. Over two seasons, he accumulated 33 appearances before making a move to Sochaux.
Sochaux
Ati-Zigi signed a three-year deal with French club FC Sochaux-Montbéliard in July 2017, reuniting with coach Peter Zeidler, under whom he had previously played at Liefering and Red Bull Salzburg. His debut came on 8 August 2017 in a Coupe de la Ligue fixture against Valenciennes, which ended in a 3–1 defeat.
Throughout the season, Ati-Zigi served primarily as the backup goalkeeper behind Maxence Prévot, being named on the bench for 24 consecutive matches. He made his league debut on 9 February 2019 as a substitute during a Ligue 2 match versus Stade de Reims, conceding twice in a 3–0 loss. Subsequently, he started five league games and recorded one clean sheet. By the conclusion of that season, Ati-Zigi had totaled twelve appearances across all competitions, including four matches in the Coupe de France, where he was the preferred goalkeeper. His performances helped Sochaux reach the round of 16; notably, he saved a penalty in a shootout victory over FC Saint-Louis Neuweg and kept a clean sheet during a comprehensive 6–0 win against Ligue 1 side Amiens. The club’s cup run ended with a 4–1 defeat to defending champions PSG.
During the 2018–19 campaign, Ati-Zigi continued as second-choice goalkeeper behind Prévot. He made his first league start on 22 December 2018, securing a clean sheet in a 1–0 triumph over Lorient.
St. Gallen
Ati-Zigi signed with the Swiss outfit FC St. Gallen on 16 January 2020, agreeing to a contract lasting two and a half years, which was scheduled to conclude in June 2023. He made his first appearance on 26 January against FC Lugano, helping secure a 3–1 win.
During a league encounter versus Lugano on 26 October 2020, Ati-Zigi was subjected to racist chanting. The opposing team issued a public apology and pledged to identify those responsible for the incident.
On 14 September 2022, St. Gallen confirmed an extension of Ati-Zigi's contract by an additional two years, ensuring his presence at the club until 2025. He reached his 100th Swiss Super League match on 25 October 2022 in a 1–1 draw with Servette FC. Prior to that, he had already achieved 100 appearances across all competitions by 10 September in a fixture against Sion.
International career
Ati-Zigi represented the Ghana national under-17 team during the 2013 African U-17 Championship. Progressing to the Ghana under-20 squad in 2015, he was selected for the final roster of the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup, starting every one of Ghana’s four matches before their exit in the round of 16.
His inaugural call-up to the Ghana senior national team came on 23 August 2017 for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Congo. Ati-Zigi made his senior debut on 7 June 2018, playing the entire match in a friendly that ended in a 2–2 draw with Iceland.
Ati-Zigi participated in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, where Ghana was eliminated during the group phase. On 14 November 2022, he was named among Ghana’s 26 players selected for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. After injuries sidelined first-choice goalkeepers Joe Wollacott and Richard Ofori, Ati-Zigi assumed the role of primary goalkeeper for the competition.
He kept a clean sheet during a pre-tournament friendly against Switzerland on 17 November 2022, marking his first start in over twelve months. Ati-Zigi made his World Cup debut on 24 November in Ghana’s opening group stage match against Portugal, which finished in a narrow 3–2 defeat. In the subsequent game versus South Korea, he played the full duration and delivered vital saves that contributed to Ghana’s first victory at this World Cup with a final score of 3–2. His performances received widespread praise from supporters and analysts worldwide.
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Red Bull Salzburg | 2015–16 | Austrian Bundesliga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| FC Liefering (loan) | 2014–15 | Austrian Football First League | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 0 | ||||
| 2015–16 | 16 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 16 | 0 | ||||||
| 2016–17 | 11 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 11 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 33 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 33 | 0 | ||||||
| Sochaux | 2017–18 | Ligue 2 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 0 | ||||
| 2019–20 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 23 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 0 | ||||
| St. Gallen | 2019–20 | Swiss Super League | 18 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 18 | 0 | ||||
| 2020–21 | 35 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 39 | 0 | ||||||||
| 2021–22 | 36 | 0 | 36 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 2022–23 | 33 | 0 | 33 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 2023–24 | 37 | 0 | 37 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 2024–25 | 38 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 52 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 197 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 215 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 253 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 281 | 0 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Appearances | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghana | 2017 | 1 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 8 | 0 | |
| Total | 27 | 0 | |
Honours
Red Bull Salzburg
- Austrian Bundesliga Champion: 2015–16
St. Gallen
Individual Achievements
- Swiss Super League Player of the Month – November 2022
- Swiss Super League Best Player for the First Half of the Season: 2022–23
- Included in Swiss Super League Team of the Season: 2022–23