MLS has handed lifetime bans to midfielder Derrick Jones and winger Yaw Yeboah for betting on soccer, including matches involving their own teams .
In a statement, MLS said Jones and Yeboah engaged in “extensive gambling on soccer” during the 2024 and 2025 seasons. The banned players even bet on Jones getting a yellow card in a Columbus Crew match – and he did get one . This happened in a game against New York Red Bulls on October 19, 2024.
The league found the players likely shared inside info with other bettors about their plans to draw yellow cards . MLS stressed there’s no evidence these bets affected match outcomes, though.
Yeboah, 28, had just moved to China’s Qingdao Hainiu last month after LAFC terminated his contract in January. Jones, 29, was released by Columbus Crew last November.
Both players had notable careers:
– Yeboah, capped by Ghana, played for Manchester City (youth), Lille, Twente, Oviedo, Numancia, Wisła Krakow, Columbus Crew, and LAFC .
– Jones, Ghana-born but capped by USA at youth levels, played for Philadelphia Union, Nashville SC, Houston Dynamo, Charlotte FC, and Columbus Crew .
MLS determined the bans fit the violations. No further details on potential appeals were given .
