Yankuba Minteh was born on the 22nd of July, 2024, in Bakoteh, The Gambia. Yankuba started his footballing career in Gambia at the neighborhood academy Bakoteh United.
A football fanatic to the core, he was very dedicated to playing and watching football. He disliked going to school, preferring to dedicate all of his time to the beautiful game, but his coach at the time was firm in his decision that all the players had to go to school. He earned himself a move to Gambian second-division side Steve Biko FC, allowing him to drop out of school and focus fully on football.
His eye-catching performances during his time at Steve Biko FC helped him secure a trial at Danish club Odense Boldklub (OB) in 2021, facilitated by his agent Bakary Bojang. The teenage sensation failed to impress at the first trial match but luckily, he was given another opportunity and he put on an entertaining show on that occasion. Subsequently, Yankuba Minteh was rewarded with a two-year contract, and he linked up with the club’s U19 academy team in 2022.
His stellar performances with the U19 team earned him a rapid advancement through the ranks, and he was called up to the senior team after a two-month period. Head coach Andreas Alm couldn’t wait to draft the youngster into the senior team. Yankuba Minteh made his Danish Superliga debut for the senior side on the 10th of September, 2022.
It was a dream debut for Yankuba Minteh as he grabbed a debut goal in an eventual 2-1 victory over Copenhagen FC, scoring within three minutes of his introduction to help the side to a win. The unknown youngster with no name on his shirt immediately bagged the plaudits in a foreign country.
He finished the season with four goals and four assists in seventeen league appearances, doing more than enough to earn himself a reported €7 million move to Newcastle United in July 2023. Yankuba was courted by a number of European clubs, but they ultimately emerged victorious in the battle for his signature.
Following the conclusion of transfer procedures from the Danish side to the English side, he was loaned immediately to Feyenoord FC. He made his debut for the Dutch club on the 4th of August, 2023, in the Johan Cruyff Shield match, which they ultimately lost 1-0 to PSV Eindhoven. He got off the mark for his new club in a 5-1 league win over FC Utrecht on the 3rd of September, 2023.
Yankuba made his UEFA Champions League and Europa League debut with Feyenoord, grabbing his first Champions League goal against Celtic on the 13th of December, 2023. An equaliser to help Feyenoord level the tie late on, becoming the second Gambian to score in the UCL after Ebrima Colley on that same day. Unfortunately, the match ended in a loss for the Dutch club.
Unarguably, his finest moment for the club came in a 6-0 demolition of Ajax in their De Klassieker fixture, as he netted two goals and provided an assist. He was rightly awarded the Man of the Match award for his heroics. An extraordinary display on the big stage!
It was a memorable debut season for the winger as he finished the season with eleven goals and five assists in thirty-seven appearances across all competitions. He starred for them as Feyenoord finished as runner-ups in the league and won the KNVB Cup after defeating NEC Nijmegen in the final.
Upon the conclusion of his season-long loan spell at Feyenoord, the Gambian winger returned to Newcastle United, ready to make his mark in the English Premier League. An urgent need to comply with financial fair play rules and avoid sanctions by the Premier League forced Newcastle to list him on the market. As The Magpies indicated his availability on the market, several clubs started vying for his signature. He rejected Olympique Lyonnais’ offer, indicating his desire to remain in the English league. A failed agreement between Everton and Newcastle United allowed Brighton FC to swoop in and secure his signature for a reported £33 million fee in June 2024.
They had been tracking Minteh since his days at OB and they finally have their man. He departed Tyneside without making an appearance for Newcastle United.
A full-fledged Gambian international, Yankuba Minteh made his debut for The Gambian national team on the 20th of November, 2022, in a friendly match against Guinea-Bissau. He got off the mark in his second match against DR Congo, helping his team secure a 2-2 draw. His goal was vital as it sparked their comeback when they were two-nil down, and the draw helped them secure their spot at AFCON 2023.
Subsequently, he played a part in The Gambia’s short AFCON 2023 journey. He was named in their AFCON 2023 squad, and he made three appearances as they crashed out in the group stage. His international goal tally stands at three currently in just seven appearances, having grabbed lone goals in FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifier matches against Seychelles and Gabon to add to his previous tally.
Yankuba is a Lionel Messi fanboy, and he has supported FC Barcelona since his childhood days. He is a left-footed winger and is capable of playing on the left or right flank, although he has an understandable preference for the right wing. He is blessed with blistering pace and never hesitates to run at opposition players to create goal-scoring chances for himself or his teammates.
His dribbling skills are excellent, and he excels greatly at taking on opposition players. He has close ball control and evades markers with ease. A little drop of the shoulder, a feint, and he leaves the defender dead in his wake. He is often found cutting in from the right onto his left foot and finishing emphatically.
Standing at 5 ft 11, he is aerially dominant. He presses relentlessly from the forward line, never hesitating to pressure opposition defences into making mistakes or relinquishing their control of the ball. He never shies away from making tackles on opposing players either.
Yankuba ticks almost all the boxes as an attacker. He is a coach’s dream winger! He is a team player and never abandons his defensive duties. He is always willing to learn and improve his game. His decision-making and end product have been increasing gradually.
Yankuba Minteh can become the player that decides games with time. It’s unadvisable to fall in love with an on-loan player, but Feyenoord fans simply could not help it as he was just too mesmerising. The youngster has a high ceiling, and it remains to be seen if he’ll live up to his potential.
