{{Short description|Ghanaian footballer (born 1994)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Freda Ayisi | image = Freda Ayisi Lewes FC Women (sq cropped).jpg | image_size = | caption = Ayisi playing for Lewes WFC | fullname = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1994|10|21}} | birth_place = Ghana | height = | position = | currentclub = Watford | clubnumber = 99 | collegeyears1 = | college1 = | years1 = 2013–2014 | clubs1 = Arsenal | caps1 = 16 | goals1 = 1 | years2 = 2014–2018 | clubs2 = Birmingham City WFC | caps2 = 40 | goals2 = 4 | years3 = 2018–2019 | clubs3 = Leicester City | caps3 = 15 | goals3 = 1 | years4 = 2019–2021 | clubs4 = London City Lionesses | caps4 = 19 | goals4 = 2 | years5 = 2021–2022 | clubs5 = Lewes | caps5 = 17 | goals5 = 1 | years6 = 2022–2024 | clubs6 = Charlton Athletic | caps6 = 39 | goals6 = 4 | years7 = 2024–2025 | clubs7 = Hashtag United | caps7 = 9 | goals7 = 5 | years8 = 2025– | clubs8 = Watford | caps8 = 0 | goals8 = 0 | nationalteam1 = Ghana | nationalcaps1 = 2 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalyears1 = 2024– }} '''Freda Ayisi''' (born 21 October 1994) is a Ghanaian footballer who currently plays for Watford. She has previously played for Lewes WFC, Birmingham WFC in the 2017 FA Women's Cup final and Arsenal when they won the 2014 FA Women's Cup Final.
==Life== Ayisi was born in Ghana in 1994.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tagoe |first=Godwin Nii Armah |date=2022-05-20 |title=England based Female Ghanaian Footballer Freda Ayisi Matches Pogba's 'Smoothie' Skill Challenge Effortlessly |url=https://sportsbrief.com/football/17122-england-based-female-ghanaian-footballer-freda-ayisi-effortlessly-matches-pogbas-smoothie-skill/ |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=SportsBrief – Sport news. |language=en |archive-date=28 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230828151904/https://sportsbrief.com/football/17122-england-based-female-ghanaian-footballer-freda-ayisi-effortlessly-matches-pogbas-smoothie-skill/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Ayisi began playing football at Arsenal where in her first season she scored against FC Kairat in the Champions league. She later said that this was the highlight of her time with "the gunners".<ref name=isling/> She was with Arsenal when they won the 2013–14 FA Cup but was mostly a sub in the match where they won 2–0 over Everton.<ref name=isling/>
In 2014 she moved for the first time to Birmingham City where over the next three years she played in 57 matches.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=WOMEN {{!}} Freda Ayisi becomes second summer signing {{!}} Charlton Athletic Football Club |url=https://www.charltonafc.com/news/women-freda-ayisi-becomes-second-summer-signing |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=www.charltonafc.com |language=en}}</ref> In March 2015, Manchester City goalkeeper Karen Bardsley was given a three-match ban for violent conduct in a goalless draw with Birmingham City, after she had a fight with Ayisi.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-04-01 |title=Ghana-born Freda Ayisi sees red in English Women League |url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/SportsArchive/Ghana-born-Freda-Ayisi-sees-red-in-English-Women-League-352764 |access-date=2023-08-30 |website=GhanaWeb |language=en}}</ref> Ayisi was expelled from the match immediately by the referee.<ref>{{cite news|title=England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley accepts FA violent conduct charge|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/mar/31/england-goalkeeper-karen-bardsley-violent-conduct-manchester-city|access-date=12 May 2015|newspaper=The Guardian|date=31 March 2015}}</ref> Bardsley later said, "Passions ran high against Birmingham. Viewing the footage again, I regret the incident with Freda Ayisi. Whilst I was provoked, it was out of character for me to react in that way."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eurosport.com/football/england-women-s-goalkeeper-faces-violent-conduct-charge_sto4660320/story.shtml|title=England women's goalkeeper faces violent conduct charge|date=31 March 2015|website=Eurosport|access-date=26 December 2019}}</ref>
In the same year Ayisi scored against Sunderland when Birmingham were facing relegation. However Sunderland scored an equaliser.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McVeigh |first=Niall |date=2015-08-23 |title=Women's Super League: Chelsea win at Arsenal to close in on double |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/aug/23/womens-super-league-roundup-chelsea-beat-arsenal |access-date=2023-08-28 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> In 2017 she was playing at Wembley Stadium in the 2017 FA Women's Cup final representing Birmingham against Manchester City.<ref name=isling>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-24 |title=Ayisi 'learned so much' from Arsenal legends |url=https://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/21225485.ayisi-learned-much-arsenal-legends/ |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=Islington Gazette |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Association |first=The Football |title=Birmingham 1–4 Man City |url=http://www.thefa.com/news/2017/may/13/sse-womens-fa-cup-final-130517 |access-date=2023-08-30 |website=www.thefa.com |language=en}}</ref>
In August 2018 she and Melissa Johnson joined Leicester City for the 2018–19 season.<ref name=ay>{{Cite web |date=2018-08-16 |title=Leicester City Women's new signings feature Freda Ayisi |url=https://shekicks.net/leicester-city-womens-new-signings-feature-freda-ayisi/ |access-date=2022-03-11 |website=SheKicks |language=en-GB}}</ref> before Ayisi joined the London City Lionesses.<ref name=":0" />
She played for Lewes from 2021.<ref name=lewes>{{Cite news |date=21 July 2021 |title=Former Arsenal and Leicester City midfielder joins Lewes Women |work=Sussex Express |url=https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/sport/football/former-gunners-and-foxes-midfielder-joins-lewes-3318795}}</ref> The Athletic compared Ayisi to Dimitar Berbatov based on her videos which include gaining control of a ball thrown from a fourth storey window. Ayisi liked that one as it was popular and gained an endorsement from pundit Ian Wright.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Frostick |first=Nancy |title=Freda Ayisi: the 'female Berbatov' on trick shots and having Ian Wright as a fan |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/3076464/2022/01/18/freda-ayisi-female-berbatov-trick-shots-having-ian-wright-fan/ |access-date=2023-08-30 |website=The Athletic |date=19 January 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=tiktok>{{Cite web |last=Goulding |first=Georgia |date=2023-03-12 |title=Ian Wright's support for Freda Ayisi's freestyle TikToks left her "gassed" |url=https://www.givemesport.com/ian-wright-freda-ayisi-support-tiktoks/ |access-date=2023-09-01 |website=GiveMeSport |language=en}}</ref>
Ayisi joined Charlton in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Freda Ayisi signs new one-year contract {{!}} Charlton Athletic Football Club |url=https://www.charltonafc.com/news/freda-ayisi-signs-new-one-year-contract |access-date=2023-08-30 |website=www.charltonafc.com |language=en}}</ref> In May 2023 she met Nora Häuptle who had recently taken the job of managing the Ghana women's national football team. Häuptle noted that Ayisi played well for the team scoring Charlton's only goal in a draw against Crystal Palace.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 May 2023 |title=Nora Hauptle watches Charlton Athletics Freda Ayisi |url=https://www.modernghana.com/sports/1228166/nora-hauptle-watches-charlton-athletics-freda-ayis.html |access-date=28 August 2023 |website=ModernGhana.com}}</ref>
Ayisi's TikTok videos have found her 560,000 followers. In 2023 she will be involved with Soccer Aid<ref name=tiktok/> and she was chosen as a "pro-baller" to join pundit Jermain Defoe, former footballer and content creator Moses Duckrell and DJ/footballer Monki to endorse marketing by Jameson Irish Whiskey to five-a-side players.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cripps |first=Amie |date=2023-06-02 |title=Everyone's a Baller: Jermain Defoe, Freda Ayisi, Monki and Moses Duckrell |url=https://versus.uk.com/2023/06/everyones-a-baller-jameson-defoe-freda-monki-moses/ |access-date=2023-09-01 |website=VERSUS |language=en-GB |archive-date=1 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230901121318/https://versus.uk.com/2023/06/everyones-a-baller-jameson-defoe-freda-monki-moses/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In February 2024 she played in her first international match for Ghana as they competed against Zambia.<ref>{{Cite news |date=26 Feb 2024 |title=Charlton midfielder Freda Ayisi reacts after making Black Queens debut |url=https://ghanasoccernet.com/charlton-midfielder-freda-ayisi-reacts-after-making-black-queens-debut |access-date=10 July 2024 |work=ghanasoccernet}}</ref> She was replaced by Gifty Assifuah in the next match which they lost.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024 |title=ASSIFUAH REPLACES AYISI AS NORA HÄUPTLE NAMES SQUAD FOR ZAMBIA CLASH |url=https://www.ghanafa.org/assifuah-replaces-ayisi-as-nora-hauptle-names-squad-for-zambia-clash}}</ref>
In the summer of 2024 Ayisi joined Hashtag United in the National League Southern Premier division.
On 21 July 2025, it was announced Ayisi had signed for Watford.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-07-21 |title=Women: Watford Swoop For Ayisi |url=https://www.watfordfc.com/news/2025/july/21/women-watford-swoop-for-ayisi/ |access-date=2025-10-23 |website=www.watfordfc.com}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{sports links}}
{{Watford F.C. Women squad}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ayisi, Freda}} Category:1994 births Category:Living people Category:Arsenal W.F.C. players Category:Birmingham City W.F.C. players Category:Charlton Athletic W.F.C. players Category:English women's footballers Category:Ghanaian women's footballers Category:Ghanaian emigrants to England Category:Leicester City W.F.C. players Category:Lewes F.C. Women players Category:London City Lionesses players Category:Watford F.C. Women players Category:21st-century English sportswomen Category:21st-century Ghanaian sportswomen Category:Women's association football players not categorized by position