Emanuel Bentil

Emanuel Bentil (born December 3, 1978 in Tema) is a Ghanaian footballer who last played for Hollywood United Hitmen in the USL Premier Development League.

Emanuel Bentil
Personal information
Full name Emanuel Bentil
Date of birth (1978-12-03) December 3, 1978
Place of birth Tema, Ghana
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Hollywood United Hitmen
Number 17
Youth career
1995–1997 Bayern Munich
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1994–1995 Okwawu United
1997–1998 Bayern Munich 0 (0)
1997–2000 Bayern Munich (A) 40 (9)
2000–2003 Kalamata 6 (0)
2003 Alania Vladikavkaz 0 (0)
2003–2004 Cherno More 9 (0)
2006–2007 Isidro Metapán 33 (1)
2007 Khatoco Khánh Hoà 16 (7)
2008–2009 Hapoel Nazareth Illit 8 (0)
2010–2012 Hollywood United Hitmen 12 (2)
National team‡
1995 Ghana U-17 6 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of August 7, 2010
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of July 20, 2009

Career

Professional

Bentil began his playing career with Okwawu United, making his debut for the team aged 16, before scouts spotted him as he captained Ghana U-17 to victory at the 1995 FIFA U-17 World Championship, scoring the decisive goal against Brazil in the final. He subsequently signed for famed German side Bayern Munich, but never made a first team appearance for the side in his three years there, playing instead for the reserve team, before being released in 2000.

Bentil spent the next few years bouncing around in Europe, playing for Kalamata in Greece, Alania Vladikavkaz in Russia, and Cherno More in Bulgaria, before heading to North America in 2006. He played with Los Angeles Galaxy's reserve team, before signing for Isidro Metapán in the Primera División de Fútbol de El Salvador, playing 33 matches before leaving at the end of the 2007 season.

Bentil tackled his fourth continent in 2007 when he signed for Vietnamese side Khatoco Khánh Hoà.[1] He moved again in 2008 to play for Hapoel Nazareth Illit in Israel, and played the entire 2008–09 season for the team, before again leaving at the end of the year.

He returned to North America in 2010 and having been unable to secure a professional contract elsewhere, signed with the Hollywood United Hitmen of the USL Premier Development League for the 2010 PDL season. He scored a goal on his Hitmen debut on May 22, 2010, in a 3–3 tie with Fresno Fuego.[2]

International

Bentil was a member of various Ghanaian youth teams as a teenager. Playing alongside current senior international Stephen Appiah he captained the Ghana team that won the 1995 FIFA U-17 World Championship,[3] scoring what turned out to be the winning goal in the 3–2 victory over Brazil in the final.

References
  1. "Khanh Hoa sign ex-Ghanaian U17 captain". vietnamnet.vn. Archived from the original on April 2, 2008.
  2. "Fresno Fuego at OC Blues Strikers FC 3:3". pdl.uslsoccer.com. May 22, 2010. Archived from the original on February 29, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  3. Emanuel Bentil – FIFA competition record
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