Place of birth Accra, Ghana Role Soccer player Position Forward, Midfielder Name Emmanuel Boateng Current team Helsingborgs IF | Number 20 Weight 70 kg Playing position Height 1.65 m | |
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Full name Emmanuel Agyenim Boateng Date of birth (1994-01-17) January 17, 1994 (age 21) 2012 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos Profiles | ||
Emmanuel Agyenim "Ema" Boateng (born 17 January 1994) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who currently plays as a forward for Major League Soccer team LA Galaxy.
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Early life and education
Boateng was born and raised in Ghana in a home that lacked running water and electricity. As a preteen, he was selected to join the Right to Dream Academy where he combined academic studies with football training.
In 2009 at the age of 15, Boateng moved to the United States on a scholarship to attend Cate School in Carpinteria, California. In addition to playing for the Cate School team, he also appeared for other local youth sides in Santa Barbara Soccer Club and South Coast Strikers. Boateng received the 2012 Gatorade Player of the Year award, presented to him by former winner Alexi Lalas, and became the first recipient in Cate School's 100+ year history across all sports. He skipped his final year of high school to enroll early at the University of California, Santa Barbara, despite professional interest from Manchester City F.C. to sign him on professional terms.
While at UCSB, Boateng played college soccer for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men's soccer team. In his first year in 2012, he appeared in 18 games, scoring 4 goals and adding 4 assists.
Early career
During the summer of 2013, he played with USL Premier Development League side Ventura County Fusion while still enrolled in college. He appeared in 5 games for the Fusion, scoring once.
After receiving an invitation to train with Swedish Allsvenskan side Helsingborgs IF later that summer, Boateng paid for his own airplane ticket across the Atlantic Ocean to be able to visit the club. He made a big impression and soon thereafter they signed him to a three-and-a-half-year contract in July 2013. He would appear in 37 Allsvenskan matches over his three seasons with the club, scoring 4 times.
LA Galaxy
Boateng was transferred to LA Galaxy of Major League Soccer in January 2016. He made his debut against the Colorado Rapids on 12 March 2016, where he replaced Mike Magee, but was unable to save the Galaxy from a 1–0 loss. He scored his first goal for the club on 23 April 2016 against Real Salt Lake, helping the Galaxy to a 5–2 victory, while also notching two assists. This performance earned him Player of the Week honors. Boateng scored his second goal of the season on 7 September, the first goal of a 3–3 draw at RSL.
During the 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs, in LA's knockout round match against Real Salt Lake, Boateng fouled Javier Morales, conceding a penalty which was successfully taken by Joao Plata to tie the game at 1. However, Boateng atoned for his mistake by scoring two goals within eight minutes, leading Galaxy to a 3–1 win. After the game, teammate Landon Donovan compared Boateng's first goal to Lionel Messi, saying that "he has that in him", while manager Bruce Arena described his performance as an "excellent, break out game".
Personal
It was reported that Boateng received his U.S. citizenship in 2016.
Career statistics
As of 23 October 2016Personal life
His story was featured in The Beautiful Game, a 2012 documentary about football in Africa, and on CNN's report on the Right to Dream Academy.
Outside of football, Boateng's ambition is to become a doctor. He speaks three languages.