EVERYONE wanted a piece of Kofi Danning yesterday, but with only so much to go around Sydney FC successfully lobbied to pull him out of this week's Australian Youth Olympics as they look to mount an unlikely late charge for the finals.
The media swarmed to Bondi Beach for yesterday's recovery session to see and talk to the 17-year-old winger, whose sublime strike at the SFS a night earlier earned the Sky Blues a morale-boosting win over Wellington Phoenix. Danning, confident and charismatic in front of the cameras despite his age, duly obliged as the ramifications of the moment that could change his life sank in.
"The goal makes a huge difference, everything changes, I guess," he said. "It's such a big thing … when the ball went in the net I couldn't believe it. It was the best thing in the world, the best thing that's ever happened to me. The crowd went nuts. My family was there, everyone I love was there. To score in my second game, I didn't think it would be that early. It's amazing."
So amazing that Sydney coach John Kosmina wanted to keep hold of Danning and fellow teenager Rhyan Grant for Saturday night's crucial trip to Brisbane to play Queensland Roar rather than release them for the Australian under-18 team, to be coached by former Socceroos skipper Paul Okon in the non-FIFA-sanctioned Youth Olympics, which kick off with a match against China at Valentine Park on Thursday night.
Football Federation Australia - which had previously agreed not to pick exciting Roar winger Tommy Oar once he broke into Farina's first team last month - ruled on the matter last night, granting both Sydney FC players a release from international duty. For Danning, who is again likely to be on the bench in Brisbane, another outing in the A-League means his meteoric rise will continue.
"The attention is good, obviously I'm getting a lot of it now, but I don't want too much attention because it might disturb my game, and I don't want my game to be disturbed," he said. "If the attention stays or goes, I don't care. The goal was fantastic, but it hasn't changed me as a player. I want to keep working hard, I want to keep my feet on the ground. We'll see what happens with the next few chances I get, but definitely I want to play better, and hopefully I can get some more goals."
Sydney's frustrated fans also hope for more of the same, judging by their enthusiastic reaction to Danning's introduction from the bench with 20 minutes remaining. The feeling of warmth is reciprocated.
"They [fans] seem to have liked me from day one. They've backed me up and been loyal to me, and hopefully that continues," Danning said.
The Ghanaian-born winger, who arrived in Australia 10 years ago, has already signed a contract that will keep him at the club for the next two years, and following his recent move to Sydney after three months of commuting from his home town of Canberra, he hopes to use the final two games of the season to launch a bid for a regular first team spot next season. "There's been a lot of sacrifice to get here, but this makes it all worthwhile," he said.
Meanwhile, Kosmina seems unlikely to recall marquee star John Aloisi for Saturday night's crunch match at Suncorp Stadium, but wide midfielder Adam Casey could be ready to return after a lengthy spell on the sidelines, while young defender Matthew Jurman is likely to return to the squad after serving a one-match suspension.
In other news, former Perth Glory midfielder Hiroyuki Ishida has been linked with a move to Newcastle Jets after three years back in Japan.
The 29-year-old winger has had spells with Ventforet Kofu and Sagan Tosu in the Japanese second division since leaving Australia, where he was a cult hero in the old NSL with Perth and Sydney Olympic.