POSITION: Defender
BIRTHDATE: 8/20/1996
HOMETOWN: Accra, Ghana
HEIGHT: 6’0″
WEIGHT: 185
PREVIOUS TEAM: Union Omaha (USL League One)
PRONUNCIATION: Ill-ALL O-soo-mah-noo
BIO
Illal Osumanu is in his fourth season with Riverhounds SC in 2026.
The Ghanaian defender has appeared in 64 matches during his time with the Hounds, being equally adept at coming off the bench to close a match out — as he did in three of the Hounds’ four playoff matches on the way to the 2025 title — or serving as an everyday starter, which he did in 2024 when he started 29 league matches and was second on the team in minutes played
In his first season with the team in 2023, Osumanu was limited to nine matches with six starts, but he scored a memorable first goal for the club — a 90th-minute header to claim a 2-1 win over the San Diego Loyal.
Prior to Pittsburgh, Osumanu played for Union Omaha in USL League One. With the Owls, he made a total of 32 appearances between regular season and postseason, and he played every minute of Omaha’s 2021 playoff run to the League One title.
Before joining the pro ranks in Omaha, Osumanu played college soccer in West Virginia, first for the University of Charleston in 2016 before transferring to Marshall University, where he played three seasons. His time at Charleston finished with a trip to the NCAA Division II National Championship game, while with the Thundering Herd, he played in 59 matches and helped the team to its first Conference USA title and first NCAA Tournament appearance.
