Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | (1991-10-30) October 30, 1991 (age 33) | ||
Place of birth | Accra, Ghana | ||
Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
Position(s) | Defensive Midfielder | ||
College career | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2010–2013 | New Mexico Lobos | 82 | (3) |
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2012 | Austin Aztex | 2 | (0) |
2014 | Charleston Battery | 0 | (0) |
2014 | Sporting Kansas City | 0 | (0) |
2016–2017 | Puerto Rico FC | 32 | (0) |
2018–2019 | Motala | ||
2019 | ASC San Diego | 3 | (0) |
2019 | New York Cosmos | 6 | (0) |
2020 | Detroit City | 8 | (1) |
2021 | New Amsterdam | 7 | (0) |
2021 | Chicago House | 14 | (0) |
2022 | AC Syracuse Pulse | 19 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 November 2023 |
Michael Kafari (born October 30, 1991) is a Ghanaian footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder.
Career
College and amateur
Kafari played college soccer at the University of New Mexico between 2010 and 2013.
While at college, Kafari appeared for Premier Development League side Austin Aztex in 2012.
Professional
Vancouver Whitecaps FC selected Kafari in the third round (No. 51 overall) of the 2014 MLS SuperDraft. However, he wasn't signed by the club, instead joining USL Pro side Charleston Battery.
Kafari left Charleston without making a league appearance, but was later signed by Major League Soccer side Sporting Kansas City.
After two years away from the professional game, Kafari signed with North American Soccer League side Puerto Rico FC in July 2016. He was released at the end of the 2017 season.
On 22 April 2018, Kafari joined Swedish fourth-tier club Motala.
On 27 August 2019, he joined New York Cosmos.
In April 2021, Kafari joined National Independent Soccer Association side New Amsterdam FC ahead of the spring 2021 season. He went on to play in all three of New Amsterdam's matches during the NISA Legends Cup and appeared in seven of the team's eight regular season games.
References
- "Michael Kafari". MLS. Archived from the original on August 1, 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
- "Michael Kafari". The University of New Mexico. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
- "Michael Kafari". Retrieved November 18, 2017.
- "Vancouver Whitecaps FC select three players in final two rounds of 2014 MLS SuperDraft". MLS. January 21, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
- "Kafari signs with Sporting Kansas City | Charleston Battery". Archived from the original on 2016-05-31. Retrieved 2016-07-25.
- "Sporting KC signs midfielder Michael Kafari". MLS. July 8, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
- "Michael Kafari". Puerto Rico FC. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
- "Puerto Rico FC announces first off season roster moves". November 7, 2017. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
- "Amerikan på gång till Maif" [American on the way to Maif] (in Swedish). 22 April 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- "New York Cosmos Sign Midfielder Michael Kafari". 27 August 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
- "Legends Cup 2021 Program" (PDF). National Independent Soccer Association. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
External links
- Michael Kafari at Major League Soccer
- NISA player profile (note: some matches listed as "regular season" are actually not part of the standard league season)
- 1991 births
- Living people
- Ghanaian men's footballers
- Ghanaian expatriate men's footballers
- Footballers from Accra
- New Mexico Lobos men's soccer players
- Austin Aztex players
- Charleston Battery players
- Sporting Kansas City players
- Puerto Rico FC players
- Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States
- USL League Two players
- North American Soccer League (2011–2017) players
- National Independent Soccer Association players
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC draft picks
- Soccer players from Idaho
- Expatriate men's footballers in Sweden
- Men's association football midfielders
- Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in the United States
- Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in Sweden
- Expatriate men's footballers in Puerto Rico
- 21st-century Ghanaian sportsmen