Daniel-Kofi Kyereh makes long-awaited return after more than 3 years out

• Daniel-Kofi Kyereh has returned to competitive football after more than 1,300 days out.

• The Ghana international played 24 minutes for VfL Osnabrück in their 1-0 win over Bochum.

• Kyereh last featured for Freiburg in February 2023 before a serious ACL injury halted his career.

Ghana international Daniel-Kofi Kyereh has returned to competitive senior football after more than three years on the sidelines, making his comeback for VfL Osnabrück in their 1-0 away win over VfL Bochum in the 2. Bundesliga on Friday, August 28.

READ ALSO: I almost retired from football - Daniel-Kofi Kyereh reveals after recovering from ACL injury

Kyereh came off the bench in the 66th minute and played about 24 minutes as Osnabrück secured their first win of the new league campaign. His appearance was his first in senior competitive football since February 2023.

The 30-year-old last featured for SC Freiburg against VfB Stuttgart on February 11, 2023, before suffering a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury in training later that month. The injury and subsequent setbacks kept him out for an extended period.

READ ALSO: Daniel-Kofi Kyereh returns to training at SC Freiburg after nearly 3-year injury layoff

Kyereh had already begun rebuilding his fitness earlier in 2026. He returned to competitive action with their second team, coming on in the 77th minute against Eintracht Trier. 

He provided an assist in the 4-1 victory and later finished his spell with Freiburg II with two goals and two assists in seven Regionalliga appearances.

He left Freiburg at the end of the 2025/26 season and joined Osnabrück as a free agent in August. Kyereh has also previously spoken openly about the difficulties of his long rehabilitation. 

READ ALSO: Kofi Kyereh leaves Freiburg pre-season camp after aggravating knee injury

In an interview with Joy Sports, the Ghanaian admitted that thoughts of retirement crossed his mind during some of the most difficult moments of his recovery.

His return is also significant for Ghana. He  has 18 senior caps for the Black Stars and was part of Ghana's squad at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He scored against South Korea in Ghana's 3-2 group-stage victory.