Willy Kumado
William "Willy" Kumado is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Major League Soccer club San Diego FC.
Club career
Nordsjælland
Kumado was born in Dansoman, Ghana, and was part of the Right to Dream Academy before joining FC Nordsjælland in February 2021 alongside teammate Lasso Coulibaly. During his time at Right to Dream, he played in multiple positions, initially as a midfielder before being moved to centre-back and eventually settling as a right-back. Speaking about his journey, Kumado said, "Since I was a little boy, I have had the dream of playing football. Where I come from, you have to become part of an academy to achieve something in football." He made 13 appearances and scored one goal for the club's under-19 team during the remainder of the season.On 17 October 2021, Kumado made his professional debut for Nordsjælland in the Danish Superliga against Midtjylland, coming on as a substitute for Oliver Villadsen in the 69th minute. He was initially included in the squad for the previous round against Silkeborg but was eventually left out for the final squad. Before being subbed in against Midtjylland, he recalled feeling a mix of excitement and nerves, saying, "When Flemming called me over and told me I was coming on, I got goosebumps. I thought, 'Is this really happening?'" Kumado also appeared in the following league match against Vejle Boldklub on 22 October.
On 13 October 2022, Kumado was promoted permanently to Nordsjælland's senior squad after playing a key role as captain for the club's U19 team.