{{short description|Ghanaian footballer (born 1991)}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Michael Kafari | image = | caption = | fullname = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1991|10|30}} | birth_place = Accra, Ghana | height = {{convert|1.86|m|abbr=on}} | position = Defensive Midfielder | currentclub = | clubnumber = | collegeyears1 = 2010–2013 | college1 = New Mexico Lobos | collegecaps1 = 82 | collegegoals1 = 3 | years1 = 2012 | clubs1 = Austin Aztex | caps1 = 2 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 2014 | clubs2 = Charleston Battery | caps2 = 0 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 2014 | clubs3 = Sporting Kansas City | caps3 = 0 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2016–2017 | clubs4 = Puerto Rico FC | caps4 = 32 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 2018–2019 | clubs5 = Motala | caps5 = | goals5 = | years6 = 2019 | clubs6 = ASC San Diego | caps6 = 3 | goals6 = 0 | years7 = 2019 | clubs7 = New York Cosmos | caps7 = 6 | goals7 = 0 | years8 = 2020 | clubs8 = Detroit City | caps8 = 8 | goals8 = 1 | years9 = 2021 | clubs9 = New Amsterdam | caps9 = 7 | goals9 = 0 | years10 = 2021 | clubs10 = Chicago House | caps10 = 14 | goals10 = 0 | years11 = 2022 | clubs11 = AC Syracuse Pulse | caps11 = 19 | goals11 = 0 | nationalyears1 = | nationalteam1 = | nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 = | medaltemplates = | club-update = 9 November 2023 | nationalteam-update = }}
'''Michael Kafari''' (born October 30, 1991) is a Ghanaian footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mlssoccer.com/players/michael-kafari|title=Michael Kafari|publisher=MLS|accessdate=November 18, 2017|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160801103753/http://www.mlssoccer.com/players/michael-kafari|archivedate=August 1, 2016}}</ref>
==Career== ===College and amateur=== Kafari played college soccer at the University of New Mexico between 2010 and 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.golobos.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=831|title=Michael Kafari|publisher=The University of New Mexico|accessdate=November 18, 2017}}</ref>
While at college, Kafari appeared for Premier Development League side Austin Aztex in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://soccerstats.us/bios/michael-kafari/|title=Michael Kafari|accessdate=November 18, 2017}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=November 2017}}
===Professional=== Vancouver Whitecaps FC selected Kafari in the third round (No. 51 overall) of the 2014 MLS SuperDraft.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whitecapsfc.com/post/2014/01/21/vancouver-whitecaps-fc-select-three-players-final-two-rounds-2014-mls-superdraft|title=Vancouver Whitecaps FC select three players in final two rounds of 2014 MLS SuperDraft|publisher=MLS|date=January 21, 2014|accessdate=November 18, 2017}}</ref> However, he wasn't signed by the club, instead joining USL Pro side Charleston Battery.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://charlestonbattery.com/news/kafari-signs-with-sporting-kansas-city/ |title=Kafari signs with Sporting Kansas City | Charleston Battery |accessdate=2016-07-25 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531211528/http://charlestonbattery.com/news/kafari-signs-with-sporting-kansas-city/ |archivedate=2016-05-31 }}</ref>
Kafari left Charleston without making a league appearance, but was later signed by Major League Soccer side Sporting Kansas City.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sportingkc.com/post/2014/07/08/sporting-kc-signs-midfielder-michael-kafari|title=Sporting KC signs midfielder Michael Kafari|publisher=MLS|date=July 8, 2014|accessdate=November 18, 2017}}</ref>
After two years away from the professional game, Kafari signed with North American Soccer League side Puerto Rico FC in July 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.puertoricofc.com/roster/michael-kafari|title=Michael Kafari|publisher=Puerto Rico FC|accessdate=November 18, 2017}}</ref> He was released at the end of the 2017 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.puertoricofc.com/news/2017/11/07/puerto-rico-fc-announces-firts-off-season-roster-moves|title=Puerto Rico FC announces first off season roster moves|date=November 7, 2017|accessdate=December 5, 2017}}</ref>
On 22 April 2018, Kafari joined Swedish fourth-tier club Motala.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mvt.se/sport/amerikan-pa-gang-till-maif-om5259477.aspx|title=Amerikan på gång till Maif|language=Swedish|trans-title=American on the way to Maif|date=22 April 2018|accessdate=22 June 2018}}</ref>
On 27 August 2019, he joined New York Cosmos.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nycosmos.com/news/2019/08/27/new-york-cosmos-sign-midfielder-michael-kafari|title=New York Cosmos Sign Midfielder Michael Kafari|date=27 August 2019|accessdate=4 September 2019}}</ref>
In April 2021, Kafari joined National Independent Soccer Association side New Amsterdam FC ahead of the spring 2021 season.<ref>{{cite web |title=Legends Cup 2021 Program |url=https://nisasoccer.com/themes/7/images/LC21-program-v5.pdf |website=National Independent Soccer Association |access-date=13 April 2021}}</ref> He went on to play in all three of New Amsterdam's matches during the NISA Legends Cup and appeared in seven of the team's eight regular season games.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{MLS player|michael-kafari}} * [https://www.nisaofficial.com/roster/michael-kafari NISA player profile] (note: some matches listed as "regular season" are actually not part of the standard league season)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kafari, Michael}} Category:1991 births Category:Living people Category:Ghanaian men's footballers Category:Ghanaian expatriate men's footballers Category:Footballers from Accra Category:New Mexico Lobos men's soccer players Category:Austin Aztex players Category:Charleston Battery players Category:Sporting Kansas City players Category:Puerto Rico FC players Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States Category:USL League Two players Category:North American Soccer League (2011–2017) players Category:National Independent Soccer Association players Category:Vancouver Whitecaps FC draft picks Category:Soccer players from Idaho Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Sweden Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in the United States Category:Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in Sweden Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Puerto Rico Category:21st-century Ghanaian sportsmen Category:Motala AIF players