Kwadwo_Opoku
Kwadwo Opoku
Ghanaian footballer (born 2001)
Kwadwo Opoku (born 13 July 2001), commonly known as Mahala, is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Major League Soccer club CF Montréal.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (2001-07-13) 13 July 2001 (age 22) | ||
| Place of birth | Accra, Ghana | ||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | CF Montréal | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Attram De Visser | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Attram De Visser | 64 | (29) | |
| 2020–2023 | Los Angeles FC | 60 | (9) |
| 2021 | → Las Vegas Lights (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2023– | CF Montréal | 12 | (4) |
| International career | |||
| Ghana U17 | |||
| Ghana U20 | |||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10:20, 10 February 2024 (UTC) | |||
He began his career with Attram De Visser, scoring 29 goals in 64 matches.[1][2]
In October 2020, Opoku signed with Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC.[3] He made his debut on 12 October against Seattle Sounders FC.[4] He scored his first goal for the club on 16 December 2020, to give his side a 2-1 victory over Mexican club Cruz Azul in the CONCACAF Champions League quarter-finals.[5][6] On 12 May 2021, he was loaned to the Las Vegas Lights in the USL Championship for a match against Sacramento Republic FC.[7] He scored his first MLS goal on 12 March 2022 against Inter Miami CF.[8] In 2022, he won the MLS double of the MLS Supporters Shield and MLS Cup with the club.[9][10]
In July 2023, Opoku was traded to CF Montréal, in exchange for $1.75 million in General Allocation Money.[11][12] He made his debut on 13 July against the Chicago Fire.[13][14] On 16 July, he scored his first goal for Montreal against Charlotte FC.[15][16] On 24 July 2023, the club extended his contract through the 2026 season, with an option for 2027.[17]
Mahala represented Ghana U17 at the 2017 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations and also represented the Ghana U20.[18][19]
In June 2023, he was named to the provisional squad for Ghana U23 for the 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations.[20][21] However, his club team Los Angeles FC, chose to not release him for the tournament.[22][23]
- As of match played 22 July 2023[24]
| Club | Season | League | Playoffs | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Los Angeles FC | 2020 | Major League Soccer | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 6 | 1 | ||
| 2021 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | ||||||
| 2022 | 34 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 40 | 8 | ||||
| 2023 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 4 | ||
| Total | 60 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 78 | 13 | ||
| Las Vegas Lights (loan) | 2021 | USL Championship | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| CF Montréal | 2023 | Major League Soccer | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 3 | 1 | |
| Career total | 63 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 82 | 14 | ||
- Appearance(s) in Leagues Cup
Los Angeles FC
- Agyemang, Nana (6 July 2023). "Ghanaian youngster Kwadwo Opoku 'Mahala' 'ready to get started' at new club CF Montreal". Sports World Ghana.
- Suburu Lucio, Kanyiri (6 October 2020). "Attram De Visser Soccer Academy Forward Kwadwo 'Mahala' Opoku Joins Los Angeles Football Club". Ghana Football News.
- Oludare, Shina (7 October 2020). "Los Angeles FC sign Kwadwo Opoku from Attram De Visser Academy". Goal. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022.
- "Kwadwo Opoku marks MLS debut as Los Angeles stroll past Seattle Sounders". Ghana SoccerNet. 12 October 2020.
- Delrand, Nii (17 December 2020). "Watch Brilliant strike from Kwadwo Opoku for LAFC against Cruz Azul". Sports World Ghana.
- Boehm, Charles (17 December 2020). "Kwadwo Opoku's shining moment goes beyond Concacaf Champions League heroics". Major League Soccer.
- "Ghanaian prodigy Kwadwo Opoku opens goal scoring account for LAFC in MLS". Ghana SoccerNet. 13 March 2022.
- Tong, Vinyl (7 November 2022). "Ghanaian duo, Kwadwo Opoku and Latif Blessing win 2022 MLS with LAFC". Sahara Football.
- "Exclusive: VfB Stuttgart interested in LAFC winger Kwadwo Opoku". Football Ghana. 9 June 2023.
- "CF Montréal acquires forward Kwadwo Opoku". CF Montréal. 5 July 2023.
- Bogert, Tom (5 July 2023). "CF Montréal acquires Kwadwo Opoku from LAFC for $1.75 million GAM: Where trade ranks in MLS history". The Athletic.
- Delrand, Nii (13 July 2023). "Ghanaian forward Kwadwo Opoku's Montreal debut ends in a defeat at Chicago". Sports World Ghana.
- Grigoriadis, Elias (11 July 2023). "Opoku 'feels at home' as CF Montreal looks to rediscover form against Chicago Fire". Times Colonist.
- "Kwadwo Opoku thrilled to score debut goal for CF Montreal win win over Charlotte FC". Football Ghana. 16 July 2023.
- Delrand, Nii (16 July 2023). "Ghanaian forward Kwadwo Opoku scores first goal for Montreal Impact against Charlotte in MLS". Sports World Ghana.
- "LAFC Signs 19-Year-Old Forward Kwadwo "Mahala" Opoku". Los Angeles FC. 6 October 2020.
- Mumuni, Lukman (6 July 2023). "MLS Champion Kwadwo 'Mahala' Opoku Joins CF Montreal From LAFC".
- "Los Angeles FC's Kwadwo Opoku included in Black Meteors squad for 2023 U23 AFCON". Football Ghana. 8 June 2023.
- Agyemang, Nana (8 June 2023). "USA-based Kwadwo Poku named in Black Meteors' provisional squad for U-23 AFCON". Sports World Ghana.
- "U23 AFCON: Los Angeles block Kwadwo Poku from joining Ghana camp". Ghana SoccerNet. 22 June 2023.
- "Kwadwo Opoku Mahala to miss U-23 AFCON after LAFC refuse to release him". Sports World Ghana. 22 June 2023.
- Kwadwo Opoku at Soccerway
- Kwadwo Opoku at Soccerway