Ghanaian Players Derrick Jones, Yaw Yeboah Get MLS Lifetime Ban
MLS Betting Scandal: Derrick Jones and Yaw Yeboah Sanctioned
The Derrick Jones MLS ban and the involvement of Yaw Yeboah have drawn widespread attention after Major League Soccer imposed lifetime suspensions on both Ghanaian footballers for gambling violations. The league confirmed that the players breached betting rules during the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
In a statement, MLS said its investigation found that Derrick Jones and Yaw Yeboah participated in wagering activities related to league matches. The probe revealed that the two players placed bets predicting that Jones would receive a yellow card during a Columbus Crew match against the New York Red Bulls on October 19, 2024. Jones was eventually booked during the match, which became a key detail in the league’s findings. At the time, both players were teammates at Columbus Crew during the 2024 MLS season.
The sanctions have placed both careers under intense scrutiny, particularly given their established paths through international football and professional leagues in Europe and North America.
Derrick Jones was born in Bantama in Ghana’s Ashanti Region before relocating to the United States as a teenager. His family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 2012 when he was 14 years old. Shortly after arriving, he joined Junior Lone Star FC, a club created by West African immigrants that has produced several professional players.
His professional breakthrough came on December 3, 2015, when he signed with Bethlehem Steel FC, the United Soccer League affiliate of the Philadelphia Union. The move made him the first player ever signed by the club. Jones later secured a Homegrown Player contract with the Philadelphia Union in July 2016 while continuing to feature for Bethlehem Steel, where he scored five goals and provided three assists in 26 appearances during the 2016 season.
His MLS journey continued when he joined expansion side Nashville SC on May 9, 2019. After a brief period there, Jones moved to Houston Dynamo in January 2021. He later signed a two-year contract with Columbus Crew in December 2023 as a free agent. However, the betting investigation eventually led to disciplinary action that ended his MLS career.
Derrick Jones Yellow Card Bet Leads to MLS Lifetime Ban
At the international level, Jones initially represented Ghana at the under-15 level before switching allegiance to the United States youth setup. In October 2016, he received a call-up to the US U-20 national team and later participated in the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup, where he made four appearances as the team reached the quarterfinal stage.
Yaw Yeboah followed a different development pathway but also built a career across multiple leagues. He joined the Right to Dream Academy in 2008 and completed his development there in 2014. That same year he signed with Manchester City, although he did not make a senior appearance for the English club.
Instead, he spent time on loan across several European teams, including Lille in France, Twente in the Netherlands, and Real Oviedo in Spain. He later moved permanently to Spanish Segunda División side CD Numancia before continuing his career in other European leagues.
On August 11, 2020, Yeboah signed a three-year deal with Polish top-flight club Wisła Kraków in the Ekstraklasa. During his time in Poland, he made 50 appearances in all competitions and scored 10 goals.
In 2022, he moved to Major League Soccer, joining Columbus Crew where he played 42 matches, scoring five goals and contributing five assists. His MLS career continued when he signed for Los Angeles FC in January 2025 on a two-year contract. More recently, he transferred to Chinese Super League club Qingdao Hainiu in February 2026.
Yeboah’s international career began with Ghana’s youth teams. He played for the Black Satellites at the 2015 African U-20 Championship, scoring twice during the tournament. He also scored two goals at the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup, helping Ghana maintain a strong attacking presence during the competition.
His performances earned him a call-up to the senior national team in August 2016 for a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Rwanda and a friendly match against Russia. Yeboah later made his senior debut on June 9, 2019, in a friendly match against Namibia that ended in a 1–0 defeat for Ghana.
The MLS lifetime bans now represent one of the most severe disciplinary actions in the league’s history regarding gambling violations. League officials say the decision reinforces strict policies aimed at protecting the integrity of the competition as professional sports increasingly confront issues surrounding betting and match-related wagering.
