Ghana defender Jonathan Mensah has been named Columbus Crew captain, becoming the first African-born player to be handed the armband. 

The 29-year-old captained the team on Sunday as they made a winning start in the Major League Soccer by beating New York City FC 1-0. 

Proud to have captained #Crew96 for our first game of the season. Felt even better that we got all three points. Thank you to our amazing fans (crew family) for the support. Together, let's make it a great season. #ShineForChrist #Crew96 🙏🏽🖤💛💪🏽🙌🏽 pic.twitter.com/p3jgfuanu6

— Jonathan Mensah (@Jomens25) March 2, 2020

And on Monday, the American club confirmed him as substantive captain, replacing Wil Trapp who has been traded to Inter Miami and was Crew’s captain for the past three seasons.

Mensah is also the first non-American to have the captaincy since Federico Higuain in 2013.

In his fourth season, Mensah has been a leader for the team during his time with the club and is a bridge between eras and a well-respected player in the locker room.

He started his reign with a win as Columbus Crew beat New York City FC 1-0 at home on Sunday, 1 March 2020.