Ghana international Frank Acheampong helped Dalian Yingbo FC win the Chinese Super League for the first time after a dramatic final day on Sunday, 8 November 2026.
Dalian overturned a 14-point deficit by winning their final five matches, including a 3-1 victory over Tianjin Jinmen Tigers in front of 60,000 supporters.
The Ganjingzi District-based club began the day three points behind leaders Chengdu Rongcheng but secured the championship after their rivals lost 3-2 away to Shandong Taishan.
Chengdu, managed by former Australia international John Aloisi, had led the standings from the opening day. They needed only one point from their final four matches to win their first title but lost all four.
Although Chengdu finished with a superior goal difference, the Chinese Super League uses head-to-head records as the deciding factor. Dalian had won both of the teams’ meetings during the season.
Acheampong celebrated the achievement on Instagram, writing: “After 9 years, you’re finally mine. CHAMPIONS OF CHINA!! Big thank you to my teammates and to the entire city of Dalian, You will forever have a place in my heart. #OnGod”
The title triumph came during a season that began with significant disciplinary action across the division. Nine of the 16 top-flight clubs started their campaigns with points deductions, although Dalian and Chengdu were not sanctioned.
In January, the Chinese Football Association, the Ministry of Public Security and the General Administration of Sport said the punishments formed part of a “special campaign to crack down on match-fixing, gambling and corruption in the football industry.”
Defending champions Shanghai Port were deducted five points, while runners-up Shanghai Shenhua started the season on -10. Beijing Guoan were also given a five-point penalty and finished third, three points behind the top two.
Wuhan Three Towns and Qingdao Hainiu were relegated to League One.
Acheampong joined Dalian Yingbo FC on a one-year contract, with an option for an extension, after finishing the 2024/2025 Chinese Super League season as Henan FC’s leading scorer. He scored 14 goals in 30 matches during that campaign.
The Ghanaian winger ended the 2025/26 season with 12 goals and four assists for Dalian Yingbo FC. His contribution to the title challenge included scoring all four goals in a 4-0 win over Qingdao West Coast.
Acheampong, an AFCON 2015 finalist, previously played for Henan Songshan Longmen from 2024 to 2025, making 52 league appearances and scoring 17 goals.
He also represented Tianjin Jinmen Tiger on loan between 2017 and 2020, recording 85 league appearances and 34 goals, and played for Anderlecht from 2013 to 2017, making 116 league appearances and scoring 13 times.
Across four clubs in the available data, he has 282 league appearances and 76 league goals.
