Alexander Opoku

{{Infobox football biography

|name= Alexander Opoku

|fullname= Nana Alexander Opoku

|birth_date= {{birth date and age|1974|08|31|df=y}}

|birth_place= Sunyani, Ghana

|height= 1.68 m{{cite web |title=Alexander Opoku |url=https://www.kicker.de/alexander-opoku/spieler |website=kicker |access-date=29 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220529171805/https://www.kicker.de/alexander-opoku/spieler |archive-date=29 May 2022 |language=de}}

|position= Midfielder

|years1= 1989–1992

|clubs1= Brong Ahafo United

|years2= 1992–1998

|clubs2= VfB Leipzig

|caps2= 64

|goals2= 4

|years3= 1998–1999

|clubs3= FC Remscheid

|caps3= 24

|goals3= 2

|years4= 1999–2001

|clubs4= FSV Frankfurt

|caps4= 48

|goals4= 5

|years5=

|clubs5= SV Rot-Weiß Bad Muskau

|nationalyears1= 1991

|nationalteam1= Ghana U17

|nationalcaps1=

|nationalgoals1=

|medaltemplates = {{Medal|Country|{{fb|Ghana}}}}

}}

Alexander Opoku (born 31 August 1974) is a Ghanaian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.

Club career

Opoku played in Ghana for Brong Ahafo United from age 15, before moving to Germany where he joined VfB Leipzig.{{cite news |title=»Gnadenlos ausgenommen« |url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/gnadenlos-ausgenommen-a-65b5cddc-0002-0001-0000-000013687321 |access-date=29 May 2022 |work=Der Spiegel |date=29 December 1991 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319191054/https://www.spiegel.de/politik/gnadenlos-ausgenommen-a-65b5cddc-0002-0001-0000-000013687321 |archive-date=19 March 2022 |language=de}} With Leipzig he played in the Bundesliga, making 10 appearances and scoring one goal. He made his debut in the 1993–94 season, coming off the bench in the 75th minute for Matthias Liebers against Eintracht Frankfurt on the eleventh matchday, as the match would finish in a 2–1 loss.{{cite web |title=Spielschema {{!}} Eintracht Frankfurt - VfB Leipzig 2:1 {{!}} 11. Spieltag {{!}} Bundesliga 1993/94 |url=https://www.kicker.de/frankfurt-gegen-lok-leipzig-1993-bundesliga-11015/schema |website=kicker |access-date=29 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127165034/https://www.kicker.de/frankfurt-gegen-lok-leipzig-1993-bundesliga-11015/schema |archive-date=27 January 2021 |language=de-DE |url-status=live}} Opoku's other appearances in the Bundesliga also remained winless, as Leipzig finished bottom of the table with only 17 points. After being relegated to the 2. Bundesliga, he made 54 appearances in the next four seasons and scored three goals.

Opoku left the club after the 1997–98 season, after Leipzig were once again relegated. He moved to FC Remscheid for one season, then to FSV Frankfurt in the Regionalliga Süd. Later he played for SV Rot-Weiß Bad Muskau.{{cite news |title=Fußball: "Alex" kickt jetzt am Neißeufer |url=https://www.lr-online.de/lausitz/weisswasser/fussball-_alex_-kickt-jetzt-am-neisseufer-34333356.html |access-date=29 May 2022 |work=Lausitzer Rundschau |date=29 July 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210219014324/https://www.lr-online.de/lausitz/weisswasser/fussball-_alex_-kickt-jetzt-am-neisseufer-34333356.html |archive-date=19 February 2021 |language=de}}

International career

Opoku was a member of the Ghana U17 that won the 1991 FIFA U-17 World Championship. He led the team, which was coached by Otto Pfister, as the captain.{{cite web |title=FIFA U-17 World Championship Italy 1991™ |url=https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/u17worldcup/italy1991/match-center |website=FIFA |access-date=29 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211030061426/https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/u17worldcup/italy1991/match-center |archive-date=30 October 2021 |url-status=live}}