Jonathan Mensah turns from Free State Stars defender to sports photographer in the United States

Former Free State Stars defender Jonathan Mensah has begun a new career behind the camera after bringing his professional football days to an end.

The Ghanaian spent several years playing at the highest level, representing clubs in Ghana, South Africa, Europe and Major League Soccer before moving into sports photography.

Mensah is now working under the name JM Photography and has already been documenting football in the United States. His work has included international matches, with the former defender recently photographing the friendly between Ecuador and Guatemala.

The change of direction sees Mensah apply his understanding of the game from a different perspective. Instead of trying to prevent goals and influence matches from the centre of defence, he is now focused on recording the key moments and scenes around them.

Mensah began his professional career in Ghana before moving to Free State Stars, where he established himself in South African football.

He later built a successful career in Major League Soccer and became an important member of the Ghana national team. Mensah won 70 caps for the Black Stars and represented his country at the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups.

His playing career took him across several football environments, including Ghana, South Africa, Europe and the United States. He is now using the experience gained during those years to document the sport he knows most closely.

The former centre-back’s photography work represents the latest stage of a career that began on the pitch and has now developed into a role focused on visual storytelling.