Willie Evans (footballer, born 1939)

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Willie Evans

|image =

|caption =

|full_name =

|birth_date = 21 November 1939

|birth_place =

|death_date = c. {{death year and age|2014|1939}}

|death_place =

|height =

|position = Defender

|youthyears1 =

|youthclubs1 = Auroras Park

|years1 =

|clubs1 = Real Republicans

|caps1 =

|goals1 =

|years2 =

|clubs2 = Hearts of Oak

|caps2 =

|goals2 =

|years3 = 1967–1968

|clubs3 = Atlanta Chiefs

|caps3 = 24

|goals3 = 0

|years4 = 1969–1971

|clubs4 = Washington Darts

|caps4 = 48

|goals4 = 0

|years5 = 1972–1973

|clubs5 = Miami Toros

|caps5 = 23

|goals5 = 1

|totalcaps = 95

|totalgoals = 1

|nationalyears1 =

|nationalteam1 = Ghana

|nationalcaps1 =

|nationalgoals1 =

}}

Willie Evans (21 November 1939 – c. 2014){{cite web|url=http://www.peacefmonline.com/pages/sports/soccer/201405/201752.php|title=Names of 71 Ex Black Star Players To Benefit From Gov't GHc1.7m Package|date=30 May 2014|accessdate=16 June 2018|quote=The departed from that squad are: Addoi Odametey, Sam Acquah, Willie Evans, Kwame Nti, Paa Nii Lutterodt, Oman Mensah and Joe Addision}} was a Ghanaian footballer who played at both professional and international levels as a defender.

Career

Evans start playing with Auroras Park before playing with Real Republicans,{{cite news |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tables/65a.html |title=African Nations Cup 1965 |language=en |work=RSSSF |publisher=Barrie Courtney, Mark Cruickshank, Mikael Jönsson, Ken Knight, François Mazet, Neil Morrison and Karel Stokkermans |date=6 July 2016 }} and with Hearts of Oak.{{cite news |url=https://www.pulse.com.gh/ece-frontpage/down-memory-lane-meet-the-surviving-heroes-of-ghanas-1965-afcon-winning-team/2252z8b |title=Meet the surviving heroes of Ghana’s 1965 AFCON winning team |language=en |work=pulse.com.gh |publisher=Thomas Freeman Yeboah |date=21 November 2016 }}

He later played professional soccer in the United States, competing in the NPSL, NASL and ASL for the Atlanta Chiefs, the Washington Darts, and the Miami Toros.{{cite web|url=http://www.nasljerseys.com/Players/E/Evans.Willie.htm|title=Profile|publisher=NASL Jerseys}} He was named to the 1969 ASL All-Star Team.{{cite web|url=http://homepages.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1969.html|title=The Year in American Soccer - 1969|publisher=American Soccer History Archives}}

Evans played international football for Ghana,{{cite web |url=http://www.national-football-teams.com/player/31229.html |title=Willie Evans |website=National-Football-Teams.com |accessdate=}} and started on the team that won the 1965 African Cup of Nations in Tunisia.Courtney, Barrie; Cruickshank, Mark; Jönsson, Mikael; Knight, Ken; Mazet, François; Morrison, Neil; Stokkermans, Karel. [https://www.rsssf.org/tables/65a.html "African Nations Cup 1965"]. RSSSF, 15 August 2013. Retrieved on 18 August 2013.