Ex-FIU soccer player’s rise to Inter Miami draftee is an incredible story

Growing up poor in Ghana, Michael Appiah and the other boys in his neighborhood used to play soccer with a fruit – an orange, in fact – because they didn’t have a ball.

Lacking the proper cleats, Appiah played barefoot, and, instead of a soccer park, the kids played on the street, wary of cars as they approached.

Despite those obstacles, Appiah couldn’t get enough of soccer. Even as a six- or-seven-year-old, he would keep playing soccer so late that he often missed dinner.

“When I got home, my mom would beat me with a cane or her hand,” Appiah said with a laugh. “But when I play soccer, I don’t get hungry.

“Soccer is my food.”

Appiah’s passion for the game helps explain why he was drafted by Inter Miami on Dec. 20. He was a third-round selection, pick No. 82, after just one true season at FIU.

At 5-7 and 150 pounds, Appiah relies on speed and quickness.

“My joke with Mikey is that he is the fastest man alive, but it’s not much of a joke,” FIU assistant coach Lucas Champenois said of Appiah, who is a winger-type forward. “He’s unbelievably fast.

“Mikey is a threat because of his pace, and he also has the skill to beat people off the dribble. He was a weapon for us.”

So, how did Appiah go from a poor African village to getting drafted by the Major League Soccer franchise that is fronted by one of the world’s biggest stars, Lionel Messi?

Let’s start from the beginning, which is the city of Sekondi-Takoradi in Ghana.

Sadly, Appiah never met his father, who disappeared from his life before his birth.

Appiah was raised by his mother, Doris Darkoa Oppey, who made a living by selling clothes on the side of the street.

Their family home had just one room, which meant Appiah slept in the same bed as his mother and older sister.

However, when Appiah was 10, he came home from school only to find that his mother had died of a sudden illness.

She was just 45.

“I never got to say good-bye,” Appiah said. “When I got home, there were family members in my house, crying.

“It didn’t hit me until the next day when I woke up and my mom wasn’t next to me.”

Now essentially orphaned, Appiah went to live with his uncle.

Mostly, though, Appiah lived on the soccer pitch.

When he was 10, Appiah started playing in 14-and-under and 17-and-under leagues.

“I was popular,” Appiah said. “We played in small tournaments, and I was always winning for my team.”

Over the years, scouts were blown away by Appiah – including one from Czech Republic and another from England – but nothing materialized until his highlights were sent to Arizona Western College.

Arizona Western coach Kenny Dale was also impressed, but the hard part was getting a visa for Appiah, who was denied on his first three attempts.

“They don’t give you a reason why you are rejected,” Appiah said. “I was sad, but I kept praying.”

Finally, in September of 2019, Appiah got the visa that allowed him to play in the U.S.

“I cried,” Appiah said. “It was the best gift I ever got … at least until I got drafted.”

Appiah was 18 when he arrived at Arizona Western, and his first season lasted just four games due to COVID.

In 2021, Appiah earned junior-college All-America status at Arizona Western, producing nine goals and 11 assists.

From there, Appiah went to the NAIA level as he earned All-America honors again, providing 17 goals and seven assists in 18 games for Multnomah University in Portland.

That summer, FIU assistant coach Dannie Merida saw Appiah play an exhibition game. That ultimately led to coach Kyle Russell making Appiah his final recruit for the 2023 season.

“Coach Merida was there to watch (FIU recruit Fumiya Shiraishi),” Appiah said, “and that’s when they spotted me.

“(Initially), FIU didn’t have enough scholarship money for me to afford to come. But when one player backed out, it opened it up for me.”

However, in the fall of 2023, Appiah tore a groin muscle and missed almost the entire season.

In 2024, Appiah was second on FIU’s team with four goals, but he could’ve done better had it not been for a hamstring injury suffered in the ninth game of the season against Central Arkansas.

Appiah admitted that he got hurt celebrating after he scored a goal in the game’s first minute.

“I love to dance,” Appiah said with a laugh.

Appiah showed toughness by not missing any games last season, but the hamstring injury slowed him down.

“I realize now,” Appiah said, “that I need to eat better and pay more attention to my body.”

FIU’s season ended on Nov. 17. Then, on Dec. 20, Appiah was shocked to discover he had been selected in the MLS SuperDraft.

“I was in contact with nobody,” Appiah said. “I had no idea.

“But my phone started vibrating. I checked my phone, and everybody was congratulating me.

“It was raining and cold, but I was feeling warm inside.”

Appiah will be missed at FIU because of his talent but also his work ethic and vibrant personality.

He is seemingly tireless, which is why few if any of his teammates want to go on training runs with him.

As for his personality, Appiah had a different handshake ritual with each of his 27 teammates and also with coach Champenois.

“Mikey is always smiling,” Champenois said. “He’s a team guy.

“He trains every day like it’s the World Cup. In his mind, there’s nothing he can’t accomplish.”