Updated March 9, 2026, 8:44 p.m. ET
Former Crew players Derrick Jones and Yaw Yeboah have received lifetime bans from MLS for betting on games, the league announced.
The players were placed on administrative leave by MLS for unspecified potential violations of league rules in October, and an investigation found that Jones and Yeboah had engaged in “extensive” betting on soccer in 2024 and 2025, including betting on their own teams.
According to the league, one instance included both players betting on Jones to receive a yellow card in the Crew’s game against the New York Red Bulls on Oct. 19, 2024. Jones was issued a yellow in the 34th minute for a foul against New York’s Daniel Edelman.
Additionally, the league determined that the players “likely” shared their intent to draw yellow cards with other bettors.
Yeboah played for the Crew from 2022 until 2024, when he became a free agent once his contract expired and signed with Los Angeles FC. During the 2023 MLS Cup final, Yeboah scored the game-securing goal in the 37th minute of the Crew’s 2-1 victory over LAFC.
Jones signed a two-year deal with Columbus in December 2024, which had an option for the 2026 season. Prior to Jones’ initial suspension, the Crew had planned to decline his option, as he only appeared in 23 regular-season games during his time with the club.
Neither Yeboah nor Jones is currently with an MLS club.
In a statement, a Crew spokesperson said, “The Columbus Crew are proud of the reputation we’ve established in MLS and global soccer that’s rooted in respect and integrity throughout our organization. We fully condemn all actions and notions that aren’t aligned with these critical values for our club and any individual’s activity contradicting the principles of fair competition that are pivotal to our team, league and sport.
“The Crew – who strictly adhere to all MLS policies on educating and enforcing sports gambling regulations with team personnel – fully cooperated with the league since first learning about the inquiry regarding the players in question. Given the nature of the investigation, the club defers all comment on its results and discipline to the league.”
bmackay@dispatch.com
Gambling involves risk. Please only gamble with funds that you can comfortably afford to lose. While we do our utmost to offer good advice and information we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of gambling. We do our best to make sure all the information that we provide on this site is correct. However, from time to time mistakes will be made and we will not be held liable. Please check any stats or information if you are unsure how accurate they are. No guarantees are made with regards to results or financial gain. All forms of betting carry financial risk and it is up to the individual to make bets with or without the assistance of information provided on this site and we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of following the betting tips provided on this site. Past performances do not guarantee success in the future and betting odds fluctuate from one minute to the next. The material contained on this site is intended to inform, entertain and educate the reader and in no way represents an inducement to gamble legally or illegally or any sort of professional advice.
Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside. It is your sole responsibility to act in accordance with your local laws.
