Emmanuel Agyenim "Ema" Boateng (born 17 January 1994) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Major League Soccer club San Diego FC.
Early life and education Boateng was born and raised in Ghana in a home that lacked running water and electricity. As a preteen, he was selected to join the Right to Dream Academy where he combined academic studies with football training.
In 2009 at the age of 15, Boateng moved to the United States on a scholarship to attend Cate School in Carpinteria, California. In addition to playing for the Cate School team, he also appeared for other local youth sides in Santa Barbara Soccer Club and South Coast Strikers. Boateng received the 2012 Gatorade Player of the Year award, presented to him by former winner Alexi Lalas, and became the first recipient in Cate School's 100+ year history across all sports. He skipped his final year of high school to enroll early at the University of California, Santa Barbara, despite interest from Manchester City F.C. to sign him on professional terms.
While at UCSB, Boateng played college soccer for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men's soccer team. In his first year in 2012, he appeared in 18 games, scoring 4 goals and adding 4 assists.
Club career
