4. AFRIFA BAGS GOAL & ASSIST vs. TULSA

Sporting Kansas City forward Stephen Afrifa took advantage of a rare starting opportunity on Tuesday night, scoring a goal and adding an assist in the club’s 4-0 victory over FC Tulsa in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 at Children’s Mercy Park.

Afrifa, who was Sporting’s first round selection in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft out of Florida International University, was making his first start of the 2024 campaign and enjoyed a memorable night, first scoring his first goal for the club with an opportunistic finish inside the area late in the first half before setting up Marinos Tzionis in the second half for his first-ever professional assist.

Afrifa now has two goals at the professional level, having scored once for Sporting KC II in a 7-1 MLS NEXT Pro win over Vancouver Whitecaps 2 on July 2, 2023. The 23-year-old has made seven MLS appearances so far in 2024 but is yet to start a match in league play. Tuesday marked his third start for the club, having also been included in the starting XI in the club’s 1-0 loss to Houston in last year’s Open Cup on May 10, 2023 and in the 2-1 loss to Austin FC in MLS play on July 15, 2023.