Boakye pens new Ajax deal

03 April: Emmanuel Boakye (21) will officially be part of Ajax's first squad for the new season. The Ghanaian defender signed a new contract at the Amsterdam ArenA today, committing to Ajax until 30 June 2008. He penned his first professional deal last summer. It would have expired at season's end.

Emmanuel Boakye (pronounced 'Bo-ah-chee') was born in Ejura, Ghana, on 25 March 1985. He moved to The Netherlands in 1993 and played for amateur side Zuidvogels as a child, as well as for the FC Utrecht youth as a teenager. Ajax scouts discovered him in 2000. The defender, who can play as a right fullback but also in the centre, joined the Ajax B1 youth team in 2000.

He started the current season with Young Ajax, but was added to Danny Blind's first squad in the fall of 2005, as many Ajax defenders were injured or suspended at the time.

Boakye made his first team d?but on 24 September 2005 in the Eredivisie home game against Roda JC. Three more Eredivisie appearances for Ajax-1 followed. He will start the 2006-2007 season with the first squad.