{{short description|Ghanaian footballer}} {{update|part=career information|date=April 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Yaw Preko | fullname = <!-- if different --> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1974|09|08}} | birth_place = Ghana | height = {{convert|1.80|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | position = Forward | currentclub = Ghana U20 (Manager) | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = | years1 = 1991–1992 | years2 = 1992–1997 | years3 = 1997–1999 | years4 = 1999–2000 | years5 = 2000–2002 | years6 = 2002–2004 | years7 = 2004–2005 | years8 = 2005–2007 | years9 = 2007 | clubs1 = Hearts of Oak | clubs2 = Anderlecht | clubs3 = Gaziantepspor | clubs4 = Fenerbahçe | clubs5 = Yimpaş Yozgatspor | clubs6 = Gaziantepspor | clubs7 = Halmstad | clubs8 = Al-Ettifaq | clubs9 = Hoang Anh Gia Lai | caps1 = 31 | caps2 = 92 | caps3 = 58 | caps4 = 22 | caps5 = 55 | caps6 = 4 | caps7 = 49 | caps8 = 2 | caps9 = 2 | goals1 = 9 | goals2 = 27 | goals3 = 16 | goals4 = 7 | goals5 = 21 | goals6 = 3 | goals7 = 11 | goals8 = 1 | goals9 = 0 | nationalyears1 = 1992–2001 | nationalteam1 = Ghana | nationalcaps1 = 26 | nationalgoals1 = 7 | manageryears1 = 2012–2013 | managerclubs1 = Ghana U20 (assistant) | manageryears2 = 2015–2016 | managerclubs2 = Hearts of Oak (assistant) | manageryears3 = 2016 | managerclubs3 = Hearts of Oak (caretaker) | manageryears4 = 2016 | managerclubs4 = Ifeanyi Ubah (assistant) | manageryears5 = 2016–2017 | managerclubs5 = Ifeanyi Ubah | manageryears6 = 2018–2019 | managerclubs6 = Ghana U17 (assistant) | manageryears7 = 2019 | managerclubs7 = Kings Palace FC (assistant) | manageryears8 = 2019– | managerclubs8 = Ghana U20 }} {{MedalTableTop|name=no|medals= {{MedalSport | Men's association football }} {{MedalCountry | {{GHA}} }} {{MedalCompetition | Olympic Games }} {{MedalBronze | 1992 Barcelona | Team competition }} }}
'''Yaw Preko''' (born 8 September 1974 in Accra) is a former football striker from Ghana. He is currently the manager of Ghana U20.
== Career == His career started in Powerlines, a small Ghanaian club, and his first European club was R.S.C. Anderlecht where he became Belgian champion three times. He played in Turkey from 1997 to 2004 before joining Halmstads BK in the Allsvenskan. He then left Halmstads BK in 2005 as the club did not renew his contract, he signed for Saudi Arabian team Al-Ettifaq<ref>[http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/SportsArchive/artikel.php?ID=96944 TRANSFERS: Window Closed!]</ref> and stayed with them for almost 2 years and then signed for HAGL in the Vietnamese V-League, which he left after one season. A free agent, Preko subsequently announced his interest of returning home to the Ghanaian league.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.modernghana.com/news/176530/1/yaw-preko-hints-at-returning-to-local-league.html |title=Yaw Preko hints at returning to local league |date=31 July 2008 |access-date=2008-10-21 |publisher=Modernghana.com}}</ref>
== International == He has played 68 international matches for the Ghana national team, and was a member of the team that won the bronze medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.
==Coaching career== From December 2012 to July 2013, Preko was the assistant manager of Ghana's U20 national team.<ref>[https://tv.ghanasoccernet.com/former-ghana-u20-assistant-coach-yaw-preko-owed-us-7000-by-ghana-fa Former Ghana U20 assistant coach Yaw Preko owed US$ 7,000 by Ghana FA], ghanasoccernet.com, 9 January 2014</ref> In October 2015, he became assistant manager under Kenichi Yatsuhashi.<ref>[https://www.modernghana.com/sports/652794/kenichis-diary-three-reasons-why-hearts-new-man-could-be.html Kenichi's Diary: Three reasons why Hearts' new man could be a hit], modernghana.com, 30 October 2015</ref> On 30 October 2016, he was appointed caretaker manager replacing Sergio Traguil.<ref>[https://www.modernghana.com/news/716243/hearts-interim-coach-yaw-preko-takes-charge-of-first-trainin.html Hearts interim coach Yaw Preko takes charge of first training session], modernghana.com, 31 August 2016</ref> However, the club decided to appoint a new manager at the end of October 2018 and two weeks later, he was reunited with Kenichi Yatsuhashi at Nigerian club Ifeanyi Ubah still as assistant manager. Yatsuhashi was sacked already sacked on 12 December 2016 and once again, Preko took over as a caretaker manager and later permanent manager.<ref>[http://kessbenfm.com/kenichi-yatsuhashi-sacked-coach-ifeanyi-ubah/ Kenichi Yatsuhashi sacked as coach of Ifeanyi Ubah], kessbenfm.com, 12 December 2016</ref> In January 2018, he was appointed assistant manager for Ghana's U17 national team.<ref>[https://ghanasportsonline.com/2018/01/former-hearts-assistant-yaw-preko-re-assigned-ghana-u17-deputy-coach/ Former Hearts Assistant Yaw Preko Re-Assigned As Ghana U17 Deputy Coach]{{Dead link|date=January 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}, ghanasportsonline.com, 30 January 2018</ref>
In April 2019, he was appointed assistant manager of Ghanaian club Kings Palace FC, again under Kenichi Yatsuhashi.<ref>[http://sportsfileghana.com/2019/04/13/kenichi-yatsuhashi-former-hearts-coach-takes-over-kings-palace-fc/ Kenichi Yatsuhashi: Former Hearts coach takes over Kings Palace FC]{{Dead link|date=January 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}, sportsfileghana.com, 13 April 2019</ref> In June 2019, he was appointed manager of Ghana's U20 national team.<ref>[https://ghanasoccernet.com/yaw-preko-appointed-ghana-u20-coach-george-lamptey-as-assistant-reports Yaw Preko appointed Ghana U20 coach; George Lamptey as assistant- reports], ghanasoccernet.com, 4 June 2019</ref>
==Career statistics== ===International=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by national team and year<ref name="nft">{{NFT player|11348|access-date=22 October 2024}}</ref> |- !National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="10"|Ghana |1991||1||0 |- |1993||1||0 |- |1994||2||3 |- |1995||4||0 |- |1996||3||0 |- |1997||3||0 |- |1998||1||0 |- |1999||3||3 |- |2000||5||1 |- |2001||3||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !26!!7 |}
:''Scores and results list Ghana's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Preko goal.''
{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ List of international goals scored by Yaw Preko |- !scope="col"|No. !scope="col"|Date !scope="col"|Venue !scope="col"|Opponent !scope="col"|Score !scope="col"|Result !scope="col"|Competition !scope="col" class="unsortable"|{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |- |style="text-align:center"|1 |rowspan="3"|{{dts|16 October 1994}} |rowspan="3"|Stade Général Seyni Kountché, Niamey, Niger |rowspan="3"|{{fb|Niger}} |style="text-align:center"|1–0 |rowspan="3" style="text-align:center"|5–1 |rowspan="3"|1996 African Cup of Nations qualification |rowspan="3"|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Niger vs. Ghana|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/28104/Niger_Ghana.html|website=National Football Team|access-date=22 October 2024}}</ref> |- |style="text-align:center"|2 |style="text-align:center"|2–1 |- |style="text-align:center"|3 |style="text-align:center"|5–1 |- |style="text-align:center"|4 |rowspan="3"|{{dts|28 February 1999}} |rowspan="3"|Accra Sports Stadium, Accra, Ghana |rowspan="3"|{{fb|Eritrea}} |style="text-align:center"|2–0 |rowspan="3" style="text-align:center"|5–0 |rowspan="3"|2000 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |rowspan="3"|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ghana vs. Eritrea|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/23751/Ghana_Eritrea.html|website=National Football Team|access-date=22 October 2024}}</ref> |- |style="text-align:center"|5 |style="text-align:center"|3–0 |- |style="text-align:center"|6 |style="text-align:center"|5–0 |- |style="text-align:center"|7 |{{dts|9 July 2000}} |Accra Sports Stadium, Accra, Ghana |{{fb|Sierra Leone}} |style="text-align:center"|4–0 |style="text-align:center"|5–0 |2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ghana vs. Sierra Leone|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/22677/Ghana_Sierra_Leone.html|website=National Football Team|access-date=22 October 2024}}</ref> |} ==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{NFT player|pid=11348}} * [http://www.svenskfotboll.se/t3allpl.aspx?p=287489&playerid=3815 Yaw Preko swedish FA profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071016135136/http://svenskfotboll.se/t3allpl.aspx?playerid=3815&p=287489 |date=16 October 2007 }} * [http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/soccer/artikel.php?ID=120019 Yaw Preko to play in Vietnam] * [http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/soccer/pop-up.php?ID=21 Yaw Preko profile] * {{Olympedia}} * {{Olympics.com profile|yaw-preko}}
{{Ghana Squad 1992 Africa Cup of Nations}} {{Ghana Squad 1992 Summer Olympics}} {{Ghana Squad 1996 Africa Cup of Nations}} {{Ghana Squad 2000 Africa Cup of Nations}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Preko, Yaw}} Category:1974 births Category:Living people Category:Ghanaian men's footballers Category:Ghana men's international footballers Category:Ghanaian expatriate men's footballers Category:Olympic footballers for Ghana Category:Allsvenskan players Category:RSC Anderlecht players Category:Fenerbahçe S.K. footballers Category:Gaziantepspor footballers Category:Yozgatspor footballers Category:Halmstads BK players Category:Accra Hearts of Oak S.C. players Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Ghana Category:Footballers at the 1992 Summer Olympics Category:Footballers from Accra Category:Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in Belgium Category:Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in Vietnam Category:Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in Sweden Category:Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in Turkey Category:Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in Saudi Arabia Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Turkey Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Sweden Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Vietnam Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium Category:Süper Lig players Category:Belgian Pro League players Category:1992 African Cup of Nations players Category:1996 African Cup of Nations players Category:2000 African Cup of Nations players Category:Olympic medalists in football Category:Al-Ettifaq Club players Category:Hoang Anh Gia Lai FC players Category:V.League 1 players Category:Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics Category:Men's association football forwards Category:Saudi Pro League players Category:Accra Great Olympics F.C. managers Category:Ghana Premier League managers