Latif Blessing

Ghanaian footballer

Latif BlessingPersonal information

Full name|  Latif Atta Blessing
Date of birth|  (1996-12-30) 30 December 1996 (age 27)
Place of birth|  Accra, Ghana
Height|  5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[1]
Position(s)|  Midfielder, forward
Team information

Current team

|  Houston Dynamo
Number|  15
Youth career
2013–2014|  Liberty Professionals
Senior career*
Years|  Team|  Apps|  (Gls)
2014–2016|  Liberty Professionals|  21|  (17)
2017|  Sporting Kansas City|  25|  (3)
2017|  → Swope Park Rangers (loan)|  1|  (1)
2018–2022|  Los Angeles FC|  145|  (14)
2023|  New England Revolution|  15|  (0)
2023–2024|  Toronto FC|  5|  (0)
2023|  → Toronto FC II (loan)|  1|  (0)
2024–|  Houston Dynamo|  27|  (5)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22 October 2024

Latif Atta Blessing (born 30 December 1996) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or forward for Major League Soccer club Houston Dynamo FC.

## Early life

[edit]

Blessing was born in Nankese, a small village in the Suhum-Kraboa-Coaltar District of southeast Ghana.

## Club career

[edit]

### Ghana

[edit]

In 2013, Latif Blessing joined the Liberty Professionals youth team in Accra.[2] He was soon promoted to the senior club for the Ghana Premier League but mainly appeared on the bench for the side.[2] Blessing received particularly good reviews for his performance during a Premier League match against Asante Kotoko on 21 June 2015. In that match, he scored in the 21st minute to equalize before providing two assists, leading Liberty Professionals to a 3–1 victory.[3]

During the 2016 season, Blessing scored six goals in his first eight games.[2] After his hat-trick on the final day of the season against Bechem United, Blessing would go on to finish the season as the top scorer in the league with 17 goals.[4] His performance during the season was recognized in December 2016 when Blessing won the best player of the league award by the Ghana Football Association.[5]

### Major League Soccer

[edit]

In January 2017, Blessing signed with Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer.[6][7] He made his MLS debut on 11 March 2017 against FC Dallas.[8] On 24 March 2017, Blessing was loaned to Swope Park Rangers, scoring in their match against OKC Energy FC.[9][10] Blessing's first MLS goals came in a brace on 13 May 2017 in a 2–2 draw in Orlando versus Orlando City SC.[11] On 20 September 2017, Blessing scored in the 2017 U.S. Open Cup Final, as Sporting Kansas City won the 2017 U.S. Open Cup.[12]

In December 2017, Blessing was selected by Los Angeles FC with the second selection of the 2017 MLS Expansion Draft. He made his debut for the club as a starter in their first MLS match, a 1–0 victory at Seattle Sounders FC.

On January 3, 2023, Blessing was acquired by New England Revolution in exchange for $400,000 in GAM for Los Angeles FC.[13]

In July 2023, he was traded to Toronto FC in exchange for Mark-Anthony Kaye.[14]

In March 2024, he was traded to Houston Dynamo FC in exchange for $75,000 in 2025 GAM and up to $200,000 in conditional 2025 GAM.[15]

## International career

[edit]

Blessing was included in the provisional squad for Ghana before the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, but failed to make the final cut.[16]

## Personal life

[edit]

In 2017, Blessing obtained a U.S. green card allowing him to qualify as a domestic player for MLS roster purposes.[17] However, in 2023, as part of the process to bring his family over via a visa, he had to give up his green card and reapply under a visa status, returning him to counting as an international player.[18][19]

Blessing's brother, Ibrahim Fuseini, currently plays for Lori FC in the Armenian Premier League.[20] He has a twin sister, Latifa.[21]

## Career statistics

[edit]

As of match played 21 October 2023[22]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition  Club  | Season  | League  | National cup  | Playoffs  | Continental  | Other  | Total

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals
Liberty Professionals | 2016 | Ghanaian Premier League | 21 | 17 | — | — | — | — | 21 | 17
Sporting Kansas City | 2017 | Major League Soccer | 25 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 31 | 6
Swope Park Rangers (loan)  | 2017 | USL | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1
Los Angeles FC | 2018 | Major League Soccer  | 30 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 7
2019 | 34 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 39 | 6
2020 | 21 | 1 | — | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 29 | 3
2021 | 30 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 30 | 2
2022 | 30 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 0
Total  | 145 | 14 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 166 | 18
New England Revolution | 2023 | Major League Soccer  | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 16 | 0
Toronto FC | 2023 | Major League Soccer  | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0
Toronto FC II (loan)  | 2023 | MLS Next Pro | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0
Career total  | 212 | 35 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 242 | 42

## Honours

[edit]

Sporting Kansas City

* U.S. Open Cup: 2017

Los Angeles FC

* MLS Cup: 2022
* Supporters' Shield: 2019, 2022

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Latif Blessing". Los Angeles FC. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
2. ^ a b c "A Shamo Quaye of our time". pulse.com. Pulse. 21 April 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
3. ^ "Liberty fight back to defeat Kotoko in Dansoman". modernghana.com. Modern Ghana. 21 June 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
4. ^ "Latif Blessing wins Ghana Premier League goal king". ghanaweb.com. Ghana Web. 19 September 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
5. ^ Abayateye, Michael (18 December 2016). "Latif Blessing wins Best Player of the Year at GFA/PLB Awards". primenewsghana.com. Prime News Ghana. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
6. ^ Kovzan, Sam (9 January 2017). "Sporting KC acquires 20-year-old winger Latif Blessing in transfer from Ghana". Sporting Kansas City. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
7. ^ "Sporting KC: preso Rwatubyaye, lavoro di scout all'italiana" [Sporting KC: Rwatubyaye, Italian Scout Job]. mlssocceritalia.com (in Italian). MLS Soccer Italia. 7 February 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
8. ^ "Recap: Sporting KC held to 0–0 draw with FC Dallas in 2017 home opener | Sporting Kansas City".
9. ^ "Swope Park Rangers adds five players on loan from Sporting Kansas City | Sporting Kansas City".
10. ^ "Recap: Rangers open 2017 season with 3–1 comeback win | Sporting Kansas City".
11. ^ "Recap: Latif Blessing's brace steers Sporting KC to 2–2 draw at Orlando City SC | Sporting Kansas City".
12. ^ "Recap: Sporting KC crowned Open Cup champions with 2–1 win over New York Red Bulls | Sporting Kansas City".
13. ^ "LAFC Acquires $400,000 In General Allocation Money From New England In Exchange For Latif Blessing". Los Angeles FC. 3 January 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
14. ^ "Toronto FC acquire Latif Blessing and an international slot in exchange for Mark-Anthony Kaye". Toronto FC. 13 July 2023.
15. ^ "Toronto FC trade Latif Blessing to Houston Dynamo FC for GAM". Toronto FC. 14 March 2024.
16. ^ "Ghana Premier League best player Latif Blessing dropped from Africa Cup of Nations squad". Ghana Soccer Net. 2 January 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
17. ^ "Forward Latif Blessing obtains green card, no longer occupies international spot on Sporting KC roster". SportingKC.com. 28 November 2017. Archived from the original on 1 August 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
18. ^ Vazquez, Randy (13 June 2023). "He came from Ghana to play soccer, but left his family behind. With help from the Revolution, they were finally reunited". Boston Globe.
19. ^ Pongratz, Caleb [@CalebPongratz10] (10 July 2023). "Revolution midfielder Latif Blessing no longer occupies a green card and occupies an international roster slot" (Tweet) - via Twitter.
20. ^ "Ghanaian youngster Ibrahim Fuseini joins Armenian side Lori FC". kickgh.com. Kick GH. 28 January 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
21. ^ "Latif Blessing | Los Angeles Football Club".
22. ^ Latif Blessing at Soccerway

## External links

[edit]

* Latif Blessing at Major League Soccer
* Latif Blessing at Soccerway

* v
* t
* e

Houston Dynamo FC - current squad

* 2 Escobar
* 4 Bartlow
* 6 Artur
* 7 Quiñones
* 8 Bassi
* 10 Ponce
* 11 Ferreira
* 17 Segal
* 18 Aliyu
* 19 Gyamfi
* 20 Carrasquilla
* 23 Sargeant
* 25 Dorsey
* 28 Sviatchenko
* 29 Arzú
* 30 Valverde
* 31 Micael
* 32 Kowalczyk
* 35 Raines
* 37 Ennali

* Head Coach: Olsen
* Assistant Coach: Collin
* Assistant Coach: Guerra
* Assistant Coach: Osmanbašić
* Goalkeeping Coach: Hanley
* Fitness Coach: Caffrey

* v
* t
* e

Ghana Premier League top scorers

* 1973: Peter Lamptey
* 1974: Dan Owusu
* 1975: Dan Owusu
* 1976: Dan Owusu
* 1977: George Alhassan
* 1978: Muhammed Choo
* 1979: Opoku Afriyie
* 1980: Emmanuel Quarshie
* 1981: Opoku Afriyie
* 1982: Muhammed Choo
* 1983: Anane Kobo
* 1984: Anane Kobo
* 1985: George Alhassan
* 1986: Tony Yeboah
* 1987: Tony Yeboah
* 1989: Henry Acquah
* 1990: Muhammed Tijani
* 1991: Thomas Boakye
* 1992: Abdul Mumuni
* 1993: Augustine Ahinful
* 1994: Oscar Laud
* 1995: Charles Amoah
* 1996: Kofi Deblah
* 1997: Kofi Deblah
* 1998: Joe Fameyeh
* 1999: Ishmael Addo
* 2000: Ishmael Addo
* 2001: Ishmael Addo
* 2002: Bernard Dong Bortey & Charles Asampong Taylor
* 2003: Shaibu Yakubu
* 2004: Samuel Yeboah
* 2005: Prince Tagoe
* 2007: Emmanuel Clottey
* 2008: Eric Bekoe
* 2009: Alex Asamoah
* 2010: Samuel Afum
* 2011: Nana Poku
* 2012: Emmanuel Baffour
* 2013: Mahatma Otoo
* 2014: Augustine Okrah
* 2015: Kofi Owusu
* 2016: Latif Blessing
* 2017: Hans Kwofie
* 2021: Diawisie Taylor
* 2022: Yaw Annor

*[Apps]: League appearances
*[Gls]: League goals
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template