A Career Derailed by Cards: The Profiles of Derrick Jones and Yaw Yeboah

The world of professional football is often measured in goals, trophies, and the roar of the crowd. But for Ghanaian midfielders Derrick Jones and Yaw Yeboah, their recent prominence in the news is measured in sanctions, investigations, and a lifetime ban. The two players, once teammates at Columbus Crew, have been handed the harshest possible punishment by Major League Soccer (MLS) after an investigation found they engaged in gambling on matches, including bets placed on Jones receiving a yellow card during a specific game. This article profiles the journeys of these two athletes, tracing their paths from promising prospects to being at the center of a match-integrity scandal.

Derrick Jones: From Bantama to the MLS Ban

Derrick Jones's story begins in Bantama, a suburb in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. At the age of 14, his life took a decisive turn when his family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 2012. This relocation would set the stage for his entry into American soccer.

In his new home, Jones found his footing with Junior Lone Star FC, a club famously founded by West African immigrants in Philadelphia. It was there that his talent began to flourish, leading to a historic moment on December 3, 2015, when he signed with Bethlehem Steel FC, the Philadelphia Union’s USL affiliate, becoming the club's very first player signing. His rise continued, and by July 2016, he had inked a Homegrown Player contract with the Philadelphia Union, spending the rest of that season sharpening his skills with Bethlehem Steel and recording an impressive 5 goals and 3 assists in 26 appearances.

The subsequent years saw Jones traverse the MLS landscape. He joined expansion club Nashville SC in May 2019, and later moved to Houston Dynamo in January 2021. The next chapter of his career brought him to Columbus Crew, where he signed a two-year deal as a free agent in December 2023. It was here that he was reunited with Yaw Yeboah, and it was also during this period that the betting violations occurred, leading to his suspension and eventual lifetime ban.

International Crossroads
Jones's international career is as complex as his club path. He initially represented Ghana at the U15 level. However, he later accepted a call-up to the United States U-20 team in October 2016, a decision that allowed him to play at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup, where he made four appearances as the Americans reached the quarterfinals.

Yaw Yeboah: The Right to Dream Graduate

Yaw Yeboah's journey began at one of Ghana's most famed talent factories. He joined the Right to Dream Academy in 2008 and graduated in 2014, a stamp of quality that immediately led to a move to English giants Manchester City. Like many young prospects at top European clubs, his path was paved with loan spells, taking him to French side Lille, Dutch club Twente, and Spanish team Real Oviedo to gain valuable first-team experience.

Seeking a permanent home, Yeboah signed with Spanish Segunda División side CD Numancia. His next major move came on August 11, 2020, when he transferred to Polish Ekstraklasa club Wisła Kraków on a three-year deal, where he made 50 appearances across all competitions and scored 10 goals. His performances earned him a move to the United States, joining Columbus Crew in 2022. In the MLS, he made 42 appearances, contributing 5 goals and 5 assists. After a brief stint with Los Angeles FC in early 2025, he embarked on a new adventure, signing with Chinese Super League club Qingdao Hainiu in February 2026—a move that now occurs under the cloud of a worldwide ban from MLS-affiliated activities.

Black Star Dream
On the international stage, Yeboah was a standout for the Black Satellites, Ghana's U-20 team. He was instrumental in their campaigns, scoring twice at the 2015 African U-20 Championship and adding two more goals at the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup. His promise was rewarded with his first senior national team call-up in August 2016 for a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Rwanda. He eventually made his senior debut for the Black Stars in a friendly loss to Namibia on June 9, 2019.

The Fall: A Shared Fate

The bright lights of their careers now stand in stark contrast to the shadow cast by the MLS investigation. The league's statement detailed that both players were found to have placed bets on matches between the 2024 and 2025 seasons. The most damning evidence centered on a specific incident: bets placed on Jones receiving a yellow card during a Columbus Crew match against the New York Red Bulls on October 19, 2024. The fact that both players were teammates at Columbus Crew during the 2024 season adds a layer of complexity to the investigation. For Yeboah, who had already moved on to LAFC and then to China, the ban follows him, tarnishing a career that once held so much promise.

Their story serves as a stark cautionary tale in an era where sports betting is more accessible than ever, reminding everyone that the integrity of the game is a non-negotiable price of entry.