Caleb Kporha
{{short description|English association football player (born 2006)}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name = Caleb Kporha
|fullname = Caleb Billy Mawuko Kporha{{cite web|url=https://www.premierleague.com/news/4243590|title=2024/25 Updated Premier League squad lists|date=7 February 2025|access-date=25 March 2025|website=Premier League}}
|birth_place = Medway, England
| height =
|image =
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|2006|07|15|df=y}}
|position = Right-back/right wing-back
|currentclub = Crystal Palace
|clubnumber = 58
|youthyears1 = 2018–2021
|youthclubs1 = Welling United
|youthyears2 = 2021–2024
|youthclubs2 = Crystal Palace
|years1 = 2024–
|clubs1 = Crystal Palace
|caps1 = 2
|goals1 = 0
|years2 =
|clubs2 =
|caps2 =
|goals2 =
|nationalyears1 = 2023
|nationalteam1 = England U17
|nationalcaps1 = 2
|nationalgoals1 = 0
|nationalyears2 = 2025–
|nationalteam2 = England U19
|nationalcaps2 = 6
|nationalgoals2 = 0
| club-update = 21 December 2024 (UTC)
| nationalteam-update = 09:10, 21 June 2025 (UTC)
}}
Caleb Billy Mawuko Kporha (born 15 July 2006) is an English professional footballer who plays for {{English football updater|CrystalP}} club Crystal Palace as a right-back or right wing-back. He is an England youth international.{{cite web|title=Caleb Kporha|accessdate=17 July 2023|website=Soccerway|url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/caleb-kporha/858912/}}
Club career
Kporha spent three years at Welling United prior to joining Crystal Palace in December 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/ex-welling-prospect-caleb-kporha-signed-palace-pro-deal-4463646 |title= Ex-Welling prospect Caleb Kporha signed Palace pro deal |accessdate=17 December 2023|date=15 July 2023|website=Tribal Football|first=Paul|last=Vegas}}{{cite web|title=CALEB KPORHA SIGNS SCHOLARSHIP AT CRYSTAL PALACE FC|date=20 December 2021|url=https://www.wellingunitedacademy.co.uk/news/caleb-kporha-signs-scholarship-at-crystal-palace-fc|website=wellimgjnitedacademy|accessdate=5 October 2024}} He signed his first professional contract with the club in July 2023.{{cite web|url=https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/exciting-crystal-palace-youngster-pens-first-professional-deal/|title= Exciting Crystal Palace youngster pens first professional deal|first=
Edmund |last=Brack|date=17 July 2023|accessdate=17 July 2023|website=Londonnewsonline}}{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/live-blogs/lionel-messi-miami-introduction/mIDAJLx7dW8S/AP5EXuLrOcfW/|url-access=subscription|title=Kporha signs professional contract with Crystal Palace|first=Matt|last=Woosnam|website=The Athletic|date=15 July 2023|accessdate=5 October 2024}}
Kporha travelled with the Crystal Palace first team squad on their pre season tour in the summer of 2024.{{cite web|url=https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/sport/six-highly-rated-crystal-palace-youngsters-set-to-head-off-on-first-team-pre-season-tour/|website=londonnewsonline|title= Six highly-rated Crystal Palace youngsters set to head off on first-team pre-season tour|date=27 July 2024|first=Edmund |last=Brack|access-date=12 August 2024}} He played for the Crystal Palace under 21 team in the EFL Trophy in September 2024.{{cite web|url= https://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/sport/gillingham-manager-hopes-his-young-players-learn-from-trophy-313430/|website=Kent Online|accessdate=5 October 2024|title= Gillingham manager Mark Bonner hopes his young players can learn after seeing how good Crystal Palace under-21s were at Priestfield in the EFL Trophy|first=Luke|last=Cawdell|date=26 September 2024}} He made the first team substitute bench for the first time on 5 October 2024, for Palace's home Premier League match against Liverpool.{{cite web|url= https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/sport/crystal-palace-v-liverpool-team-line-ups-glasner-makes-attacking-changes-and-exciting-youngster-makes-senior-squad-for-first-time/|website=Londonnewsonline|accessdate=5 October 2024|title=Crystal Palace v Liverpool team line-ups: Glasner makes attacking changes and exciting youngster makes senior squad for first time|date=5 October 2024|first=Edmund|last=Brack}}
Kporha made his Premier League debut on 9 November 2024, appearing as a second-half substitute at home against Fulham.{{cite web|website=Soccerway|accessdate=9 November 2024|url= https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2024/11/09/england/premier-league/crystal-palace-fc/fulham-football-club/4366821/|title=CRYSTAL PALACE VS. FULHAM|date=9 November 2024}}{{cite news |last1=Mokbel|first1=Sami|last2=Howell|first2=Alex|title=Palace close to agreeing new deal with Kporha|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cvgw22xrl3wo|accessdate=21 June 2025|work=BBC Sport|date=27 March 2025}} The following month he made his first start for the club in an EFL Cup quarter-final against Arsenal.
International career
In January 2023 Kporha represented England U17 against Germany.{{cite web|website=Soccerway|accessdate=21 June 2025|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2023/01/11/world/under-17-friendlies/germany-u17/england-u17/4017746/lineups/|title=England U17 0-3 Germany U17|date=11 January 2023}}
Kporha made his debut for England U19 in a goalless qualifier with Turkey. He was a member of their squad at the 2025 UEFA European Under-19 Championship and featured in all three of their games at the tournament against Norway, Germany and Netherlands as England were eliminated at the group stage.{{cite news |url=https://www.englandfootball.com/articles/2025/May/19/england-mens-under-19s-squad-named-for-UEFA-U19-EURO-Finals-20251905|title=England MU19s squad named for UEFA U19 EURO Finals|first=Nicholas|last=Veevers|website=EnglandFootball.com|date=19 May 2025|access-date=21 June 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cx2e21yxy21t#Report|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=21 June 2025|title=England knocked out of European U19 Championship after Netherlands defeat|date=20 June 2025|first=Emlyn|last=Begley}}
Career statistics
{{Updated|match played 10 February 2025}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|FA Cup !colspan="2"|EFL Cup !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Crystal Palace
|2024–25{{soccerbase season|174450|2024|access-date=21 June 2025}} |2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| colspan="3"|Career total
!2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
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References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kporha, Caleb}}
Category:Black British sportsmen
Category:21st-century Black British people
Category:Crystal Palace F.C. players
Category:English men's footballers
Category:England men's youth international footballers
Category:English people of Ghanaian descent
Category:Footballers from Kent
Category:Men's association football defenders