FIFA Club World Cup: Yaw Yeboah Becomes First Ghanaian to Play at New Tournament vs Chelsea

• Black Stars attacker Yaw Yeboah etched his name in history at the revamped FIFA Club World Cup
• The Los Angeles FC player made history when he came on late in their opening match against Chelsea
• The revised Club World Cup features 32 teams, which have been grouped into eight pools of four apiece

Yaw Yeboah has made history as the first player from Ghana to feature in the new-look FIFA Club World Cup.

The 28-year-old received game time for Los Angeles FC in their opening match and set a noteworthy milestone.

Yeboah features at FIFA Club World Cup

He made his appearance in the group-stage clash between Chelsea and the Major League Soccer (MLS) side at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Coming on in the 87th minute for Mark Delgado, Yeboah had little time to make an impact, as the match had already swung heavily in the Blues' favour.

By the time the Ghanaian LAFC footballer had stepped onto the pitch, the Blues were already two goals ahead, as LAFC shared in a post on X.

https://x.com/

Portuguese winger Pedro Neto and Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernández had both found the net for the Premier League giants, leaving little room for a comeback from the MLS franchise.

In his brief time on the field, Yeboah made four touches and completed all his passes, demonstrating tidy footwork and composure, according to Sofascore. However, he had no shots on target.

The defeat means Los Angeles FC starts their campaign at the bottom of Group D. They will now look to bounce back against Tunisian side Esperance de Tunis on June 20, per FIFA's official site.

Five days later, they round off the group stage with a showdown against Brazilian giants Flamengo, reigning champions of the Copa Libertadores, before the knockout stage commences.

Ghana’s relationship with the Club World Cup

This year’s edition of the FIFA Club World Cup has taken on a new format, featuring 32 clubs from around the world battling it out on American soil.

Since the tournament’s inception in 2000, only a dozen clubs have lifted the trophy, with Spanish giants Real Madrid leading the pack.

Over the years, only a handful of players with Ghanaian roots have had the honour of winning the tournament.

According to Ghanasoccernet, Sulley Muntari has won, while wearing the Black Stars’ badge, with the Inter Milan squad that defeated TP Mazembe in the 2010 final.

Several others with Ghanaian heritage have also tasted Club World Cup glory, albeit while representing European nations at the tournament.

Callum Hudson-Odoi lifted the trophy with Chelsea in 2022, followed by Jeremy Doku, as part of Manchester City’s historic campaign in 2023.

In 2021, Jerome Boateng won with Bayern Munich, while Danny Welbeck was the first player of Ghanaian descent to win the title back in 2008.

There are two more matches in the group, so there is still time for Yeboah to make a lasting impact on this historic stage.

3 Ghanaians to watch at Club World Cup

YEN.com.gh also recently reported on three Ghanaian players, Yaw Yeboah, Samuel Obeng, and Edmund Baidoo, who are tipped to make their mark at this year’s Club World Cup.

Although no Ghanaian club qualified for the tournament due to underwhelming CAF Champions League performances, these players are set to represent the nation on this stage.

Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh