Nicholas Opoku

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Nicholas Opoku

| image =

| caption =

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|8|11|df=y}}{{cite web|title=Nicholas Opoku|url=http://www.national-football-teams.com/player/68496/Nicholas_Opoku.html|publisher=National-Football-Teams|accessdate=7 November 2017}}

| birth_place = Kumasi, Ghana

| position = Defender

| height = 1.90 m

| currentclub = Kasımpaşa

| clubnumber = 20

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 =

| clubs1 = Kumasi Corner Babies

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 2016–2017

| clubs2 = Berekum Chelsea

| caps2 = 19

| goals2 = 1

| years3 = 2017–2018

| clubs3 = Club Africain

| caps3 = 18

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2018–2021

| clubs4 = Udinese

| caps4 = 19

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2020–2021

| clubs5 = → Amiens (loan)

| caps5 = 34

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2021–2024

| clubs6 = Amiens

| caps6 = 65

| goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2024–

| clubs7 = Kasımpaşa

| caps7 = 12

| goals7 = 0

| nationalyears1 =

| nationalteam1 = Ghana U17

| nationalcaps1 =

| nationalgoals1 =

| nationalyears2 =

| nationalteam2 = Ghana U20

| nationalcaps2 =

| nationalgoals2 =

| nationalyears3 = 2017–

| nationalteam3 = Ghana

| nationalcaps3 = 4

| nationalgoals3 = 0

| club-update = 19:12, 13 December 2024 (UTC).

| nationalteam-update = 14 July 2018

}}

Nicholas Opoku (born 11 August 1997) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Turkish club Kasımpaşa.{{Soccerway|436104}} He has also been capped at the international level.

Club career

Opoku started his career with Kumasi Corner Babies, before moving to top-tier club Berekum Chelsea. On 11 August 2017, he signed a three-year deal with Tunisian club Club Africain.{{cite web|title=Nicholas Opoku seals 3-year deal with Club Africain|url=https://ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Nicholas-Opoku-seals-3-year-deal-with-Club-Africain-568647|publisher=Ghana Web|accessdate=7 November 2017|date=11 August 2017}}

On 13 July 2018, Opoku signed with Serie A side Udinese until 30 June 2022.{{cite web|url=http://www.udinese.it/news/societa/benvenuto-nicholas|title=Benvenuto Nicholas!|trans-title=Welcome, Nicholas!|date=13 July 2018|language=Italian}}

On 28 January 2020, Opoku joined Ligue 1 club Amiens on loan with an option to buy until 30 June 2020.{{cite web|url=https://m.tuttomercatoweb.com/serie-a/ufficiale-udinese-opoku-saluta-vola-in-francia-e-dell-amiens-1342850|access-date=29 January 2020|title=UFFICIALE: Udinese, Opoku saluta vola in Francia. È dell'Amiens}}

In April 2021, The Court of Arbitration for Sport asked Tunisian side Club Africain to pay him US$279,500 after repeated failure to be pay his salary, which lead termination of his contract wihh the club in June 2018.{{Cite web|title=Club Africain handed transfer ban for not paying Nicholas Opoku – MyJoyOnline.com|url=https://www.myjoyonline.com/club-africain-handed-transfer-ban-for-not-paying-nicholas-opoku/|access-date=2021-05-21|website=myjoyonline.com|date=21 May 2021 |language=en-US}}

International career

Opoku was a part of the Ghana under 17 squad that competed in 2013 African U-17 Championship.{{cite web|title=What you need to know about new Ghana defender Nicholas Opoku of Berekum Chelsea|url=https://www.modernghana.com/amp/sports/777786/what-you-need-to-know-about-new-ghana-defender-nicholas-opok.html|publisher=Modern Ghana|accessdate=7 November 2017|date=25 May 2017}} He has also represented the Ghana under-20 team.{{cite web|title=EXCLUSIVE: Berekum Chelsea star Nicholas Opoku pens three-year deal with Tunisian giants Club Africain|url=http://mobile.ghanasoccernet.com/exclusive-berekum-chelsea-star-nicholas-opoku-pens-three-year-deal-with-tunisian-giants-club-africain?amp=1|publisher=Ghana Soccernet|accessdate=7 November 2017}}

In July 2017, Opoku made his senior international debut in a 2–1 defeat against United States. He came as a 38th minute substitute for Rashid Sumaila following his knee injury.{{cite web|title=Berekum Chelsea's Nicholas Opoku 'sparkles' on Ghana debut|url=http://ghananewsonline.com.gh/berekum-chelseas-nicholas-opoku-sparkles-ghana-debut/|publisher=Ghana News Online|accessdate=7 November 2017|date=2 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180824185129/http://ghananewsonline.com.gh/berekum-chelseas-nicholas-opoku-sparkles-ghana-debut/|archive-date=24 August 2018|url-status=dead}}