Edward Opoku Yeboah Alexander (born 1 August 1997) is a Ghanaian professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who plays as a
winger. He previously appeared at the senior level with
AC Connecticut
AC Connecticut is an American amateur soccer team based in Newtown, Connecticut, playing in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid. The team colors are blue, black and white.
History
CFC Azul was founded as a USL PDL tea ...
,
Columbus Crew SC
The Columbus Crew are an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team began play in 1996 as one of the 10 charter clubs of the league. ...
,
Saint Louis FC
Saint Louis FC was an American professional soccer team based in St. Louis, Missouri. The team was founded in May 2014, and competed in the USL Championship. The team played their matches at West Community Stadium, a venue inside the World Wide ...
, and
Birmingham Legion.
Opoku came to the United States through the
Right to Dream Academy
Right to Dream is a youth association football academy system based in Ghana. It started in 1999 as a residential school and training center in Accra. It is owned by the Mansour Group.
It is now a multi-club multi-academy group with branches i ...
at the age of 15, attending the
Millbrook School and winning three state championships. He played collegiately for three seasons at Virginia, earning all-conference honors during each season, and spent time with AC Connecticut during the college offseason. Opoku signed a
Generation Adidas
Generation Adidas is a joint venture between Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer aimed at raising the level of young professional soccer talent in the United States. The program, sponsored by Adidas, offers professional-ready players in the U.S ...
contract with Major League Soccer ahead of the
2018 MLS SuperDraft
The 2018 MLS SuperDraft was the nineteenth SuperDraft conducted by Major League Soccer. As customary, the SuperDraft was held in conjunction with the annual United Soccer Coaches convention. The 2018 UCS was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania b ...
and was selected by Columbus Crew SC in the second round. He made his professional debut while on loan to Saint Louis FC and later spent time on loan at Birmingham Legion during his two years with the Crew. Opoku is eligible to play for the national teams of
Ghana
Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
and the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and is a citizen of both countries.
Early life
Born in
Konongo, Ghana
Konongo (also Konongo-Odumase) is a gold bar mining and manganese mining community located in Ashanti, Ghana. The town serves as the capital of the Asante Akim Central Municipal. As of 2012, Konongo has a settlement population of 41,238 peop ...
, Opoku began playing
street football Street football may refer to:
* Street football (association football)
* Street football (American)
* Street Football (TV series)
* ''Street Football'', an arcade video game published by Bally Sente
See also
*Medieval football
Medieval foo ...
at the age of five, barefoot and using rocks as goalposts. When he was seven years old, he left home to play for a club in a nearby town that helped to support his family.
At the age of 10, he took part in a tryout for the
Right to Dream Academy
Right to Dream is a youth association football academy system based in Ghana. It started in 1999 as a residential school and training center in Accra. It is owned by the Mansour Group.
It is now a multi-club multi-academy group with branches i ...
, eventually becoming the only child from Konongo to earn a spot in the program.
Opoku came to the United States through the academy at the age of 15, earning a
scholarship
A scholarship is a form of Student financial aid, financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, Multiculturalism, diversity and inclusion, athleti ...
to attend the
Millbrook School. He helped the Mustangs win three
NEPSAC
The New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) is an organization that serves as the governing body for sports in preparatory schools and leagues in New England. The organization has 169 full member schools as well as 24 associate ...
Class C state titles, was a Western New England Prep School All-Select honoree in all four years of high school, and was named as the co-
most valuable player
In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...
of the 2014 High School All-America Game. Opoku set school records with 85 goals and 115 total points in his four years at Millbrook.
Opoku was ranked as the ninth-best player in the high school class of 2015 by College Soccer News. He committed to play
college soccer
College soccer, called college football in some countries, is played by teams composed of soccer players who are enrolled in colleges and universities. While it is most widespread in the United States, it is also prominent in Japan, South Kore ...
at
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
, part of a
recruiting class that ranked second in the nation and also included
Derrick Etienne and
Jean-Christophe Koffi.
College and amateur
Opoku made his Virginia debut on 29 August 2015, coming off the bench in a victory over
Charlotte. He went on to appear in all 18 matches, one of just three Cavaliers to do so, and started 15 times, primarily playing as a
forward. His first collegiate goal came on 5 October, helping Virginia to a 3–2 victory against
Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
*Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon
*Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine
*Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel
Portland may also r ...
. Opoku was named Third Team All-
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the ACC's eighteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athlet ...
(ACC) and to the ACC All-Freshman Team after finishing the season with two goals and three
assists.
He was one of just two freshmen to be named to an all-ACC team, the other being
Jack Harrison. As a sophomore, Opoku netted six goals in 18 appearances for the Cavaliers. Five of those six goals were game-winners, a mark that ranked 13th nationally and second in the conference.
[ His only goal that was not a game-winner came on 5 September 2016 against ]James Madison
James Madison (June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison was popularly acclaimed as the ...
but was accompanied by an assist for the first multi-point game of his collegiate career. Opoku was named to the All-ACC Second Team at season's end.
As a junior, Opoku tallied multiple career-highs: eight goals and four assists in 20 appearances.[ He scored five times through the first six matches of the year, punctuating that stretch with two goals in a victory over ]Virginia Tech
The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly referred to as Virginia Tech (VT), is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States ...
on 15 September 2017. Opoku added a golden goal
The golden goal is a sports rule used in association football, Australian rules football, bandy, field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, and rugby league to decide the winner of a match (typically a knock-out match) in which scores are equal at the ...
in a victory over Portland on 2 October, the eighth game-winning goal of his career. He capped the season with his third consecutive all-conference honour, earning a spot on the All-ACC Second Team. Opoku departed Virginia following the year, ending his collegiate career with 16 goals in 56 appearances for the Cavaliers.[
]
AC Connecticut
Following his freshman season at Virginia, Opoku joined AC Connecticut
AC Connecticut is an American amateur soccer team based in Newtown, Connecticut, playing in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid. The team colors are blue, black and white.
History
CFC Azul was founded as a USL PDL tea ...
of the Premier Development League
USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States, forming part of the United States soccer league system. The league will featu ...
(PDL). He made his club debut three games into the campaign, entering as a substitute in a 2–2 draw against Westchester Flames
Westchester Flames is an American soccer team based in New Rochelle, New York, United States. Founded in 1999, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid.
The team plays its home games at City Park Stadium ...
on 28 May 2016. Opoku appeared in four matches during the year, tallying just a shot and a yellow card
Yellow card may refer to:
* Yellow card (sport), shown in many sports after a rules infraction or, by analogy, a serious warning in other areas
* Yellowcard, an American alternative rock band
* Yellow Card Scheme, a United Kingdom initiative co ...
in his time on the pitch.[
Opoku returned to AC Connecticut following his sophomore year of college, joining the club for the ]2017 PDL season
The 2017 USL Premier Development League season is the 23rd season of the PDL. The league consisted of 72 teams playing in 10 divisions. The Michigan Bucks entered the season as the defending champions, but their title defense campaign ended with ...
. He scored his first goal for the club on 21 May 2017, although Connecticut was defeated 2–1 by Seacoast United Phantoms. Opoku scored six in four total appearances on the year, and concluded his two seasons with the club having played eight times and scored six goals.[
]
Club career
Columbus Crew SC
2018: Loan to Saint Louis
Ahead of the 2018 MLS Combine, Opoku signed a Generation Adidas
Generation Adidas is a joint venture between Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer aimed at raising the level of young professional soccer talent in the United States. The program, sponsored by Adidas, offers professional-ready players in the U.S ...
contract with Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...
(MLS), making him the seventh member of the Generation Adidas class. He was selected by Columbus Crew SC
The Columbus Crew are an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team began play in 1996 as one of the 10 charter clubs of the league. ...
with the 32nd overall pick in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft
The 2018 MLS SuperDraft was the nineteenth SuperDraft conducted by Major League Soccer. As customary, the SuperDraft was held in conjunction with the annual United Soccer Coaches convention. The 2018 UCS was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania b ...
, the first Generation Adidas player drafted by Columbus since Dilly Duka in 2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
. In a bid to find playing time, Opoku was sent on loan to United Soccer League
The United Soccer League (USL) is an organizer of various professional and amateur soccer leagues in the United States league system. It currently organizes its Championship, League One, and League Two for men, its Super League and W Leag ...
(USL) club Saint Louis FC
Saint Louis FC was an American professional soccer team based in St. Louis, Missouri. The team was founded in May 2014, and competed in the USL Championship. The team played their matches at West Community Stadium, a venue inside the World Wide ...
on 27 April. He made his club and professional debut one day later, replacing Joey Calistri in the 78th minute of a 1–1 draw with Swope Park Rangers
Sporting Kansas City II is a MLS Next Pro club affiliated with Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer. For the 2022 season they will play their home games at Kansas Jayhawks, Rock Chalk Park at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, ...
. Opoku made just one more appearance for Saint Louis before being recalled by Columbus on 18 May. He went on to make his Crew debut on 6 June, replacing Niko Hansen in the second half of a 2018 U.S. Open Cup match against Chicago Fire. He converted his kick in the penalty shootout
The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...
as the Crew were eliminated on penalties. Opoku played his first MLS game on 21 July, beginning a stretch in which he appeared in four consecutive matches, and concluded the season with eight appearances in all competitions: six with Columbus and two with Saint Louis.
2019: Loan to Birmingham
On 22 March 2019, Opoku was loaned to USL Championship
The USL Championship (USLC) is a men's professional association football, soccer league in the second tier of the United States soccer league system#Men's leagues, United States league system. It is organized by the United Soccer League (USL) a ...
expansion club Birmingham Legion for the duration of the 2019 USL Championship season
The 2019 USL Championship season was the ninth season of the USL Championship and third under Division II sanctioning. This was the first season in which the league operated under the name "USL Championship," using the moniker "United Soccer Le ...
. He made his debut for the Legion against Louisville City on 31 March, helping the club earn its first-ever victory. Opoku replaced Prosper Kasim in the 69th minute of an eventual 3–2 win for Birmingham. Later in the season, Opoku tallied his first professional goal, doing so in the second round of the 2019 U.S. Open Cup
The 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was the 106th edition of the U.S. Open Cup, a knockout cup competition in American soccer. It is the oldest ongoing competition in the United States, and was contested by 84 teams from leagues in the U.S. sys ...
. Against West Chester United, he scored in the 89th minute, notched two assists, and drew a foul that led to a Legion penalty kick
A penalty shot or penalty kick is a play used in several sports whereby a goal is attempted during untimed play. Depending on the sport, when a player commits certain types of penalties, the opposition is awarded a penalty shot or kick attempt. ...
. He added a goal in league play against Tampa Bay Rowdies
The Tampa Bay Rowdies are an American professional soccer team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The club was founded in 2008 and first took the pitch in 2010. Since 2017, the Rowdies have been members of the USL Championship in the second tie ...
on 10 August, but then suffered a foot
The foot (: feet) is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is an organ at the terminal part of the leg made up o ...
injury one week later in a fixture against Memphis 901
Memphis 901 FC was an American professional association football, soccer team based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 2018, the team made its debut in the USL Championship in 2019.
On November 13, 2024, it was announced that the team would be ...
. Opoku missed the rest of the season due to the injury, finishing his year with two goals from 18 appearances in all competitions. Following the end of the season in Columbus, Opoku had his contract option declined by the Crew, ending his time with the club after two seasons.
Personal life
Opoku is the youngest of eight children to his mother, Regina Nkansah. His father was never involved in his life and refused to acknowledge Opoku as his son.[ Two of his siblings are deceased; one brother died at the age of 26 from a ]respiratory disease
Respiratory diseases, or lung diseases, are pathological conditions affecting the organs and tissues that make gas exchange difficult in air-breathing animals. They include conditions of the respiratory tract including the trachea, bronchi, ...
. Opoku grew up speaking Twi
Twi (; ) is the common name of the Akan literary language of Asante and Akuapem.
Effectively, it is a synonym for 'Akan' that is not used by the Fante people. It is not a linguistic grouping, but more of a common name used by inland Akans as ...
before learning English while at Right to Dream.[ When he turned professional in 2018, his mother had yet to see him play a match in person.]
In 2018, Opoku started the clothing brand BeHappy, inspired by and named after his lifelong motto. The goal behind the brand was "to highlight the happy moments in average days, as people around the world do the same in their varied situations." Profits from the company were donated to the Fifi Soccer Foundation, a program founded by fellow Ghanaian and former Crew SC player Fifi Baiden. Through BeHappy, Opoku has hosted an annual football tournament for children in Konongo and has organized donation drives for shoes, clothes, and soccer equipment.[
Opoku is friends with ]Mamadi Diakite
Mamadi Diakite (born January 21, 1997) is a Guinean professional basketball player for the Valley Suns of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Virginia Cavaliers, with whom he won an NCAA national championship in 2019. He also ...
, a native of Guinea
Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d'Ivoire to the southeast, and Sier ...
who played basketball at Virginia. The two met while living in the same dormitory
A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm), also known as a hall of residence, a residence hall (often abbreviated to halls), or a hostel, is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential qu ...
during their freshman year.[
]
Career statistics
Honors
Individual
* Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the ACC's eighteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athlet ...
All-Freshman Team: 2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
[
* Third Team All-ACC: 2015][
* ]NSCAA
The United Soccer Coaches (formerly known as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)) is an organization of American soccer coaches founded in 1941. It is the largest soccer coaches organization in the world, with more than ...
Second Team All-America: 2016[
* NSCAA First Team All-South Region: 2016][
* VaSID Award: 2016]
* Second Team All-ACC: 2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
,[ ]2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
[
* ]United Soccer Coaches
The United Soccer Coaches (formerly known as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)) is an organization of American soccer coaches founded in 1941. It is the largest soccer coaches organization in the world, with more than ...
Second Team All-South Region: 2017[
]
See also
* All-time Columbus Crew roster
* List of foreign MLS players
This is a list of foreign players in Major League Soccer. The following players:
#Have played at least one MLS regular season game. Players who were signed by MLS clubs, but only played in playoff games, U.S. Open Cup games, or did not play in ...
* List of foreign USL Championship players
References
External links
Virginia profile
*
*
Edward Opoku
at USL League Two
USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States, forming part of the United States soccer league system. The league will featu ...
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Opoku, Edward
1996 births
Living people
Ghanaian men's footballers
Footballers from Ashanti Region
Men's association football wingers
Right to Dream Academy players
University of Virginia alumni
Virginia Cavaliers men's soccer players
AC Connecticut players
Columbus Crew draft picks
Columbus Crew players
Saint Louis FC players
Birmingham Legion FC players
Major League Soccer players
USL Championship players
USL League Two players
Ghanaian expatriate men's footballers
Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States
Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in the United States
21st-century Ghanaian sportsmen