Born in Abidjan, Yapi Yapo started his career at ASEC Mimosas and then moved to Europe with Beveren. He joined Nantes on a loan contract in January 2004, and on 17 May, he signed a three-year contract, because his contract with Beveren was due to expire in the summer. At this stage of his career, he played as an attacking midfielder. He was on the fringe at Nantes in the 2005–06 season, prompting a loan move to Young Boys. He then joined Young Boys on a permanent basis, where he played as a defensive midfielder and playmaker. Yapi Yapo then moved to FC Basel in the summer of 2010 on a free transfer, penning a three-year contract. He played his club debut on 20 July 2010, in a 3–2 home win against FC Zürich. He scored his first goal for the club on 1 August 2010, in a 3–0 home win against FC St. Gallen. With Basel, Yapi Yapo won the Swiss Championship at the end of the 2010–11 season. During just the second game of the 2011–12 Swiss Super League season, Yapi Yapo suffered a rupture of the cruciate ligament, and did not play again until the away draw in the Stade de Suisse against Young Boys on 16 February 2012. At the end of the 2011–12 season, Yapi Yapo won the double, the League Championship title and the Swiss Cup with Basel. At the end of the 2012–13 Swiss Super League season, he won the Championship title, and was Swiss Cup runner up with Basel. In the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League, Basel advanced as far as the semi-finals, there being matched against the reigning UEFA Champions League holders Chelsea, but were knocked out being beaten 2–5 on aggregate. On 9 November 2014, Aarau player and former Basel teammate Sandro Wieser committed a knee-high challenge on Yapi Yapo in a league match, leaving the latter's career in serious doubt. He suffered torn anterior and cruciate ligaments, a torn meniscus, a torn kneecap tendon, serious cartilage damage and deep bruising to his thigh. Wieser was shown a straight red card for the tackle, and was later suspended for six matches by the Swiss league. With Yapi Yapo highly unlikely to ever play again, Zürich president Ancillo Canepa launched legal proceedings against Wieser. Yapi Yapo did eventually return to action as a first-half substitute, in a 3–3 draw against FC Thun at the Letzigrund on 13 September 2015, scoring the third Zürich goal in the process.
