Osman Bukari

Osman Bukari

Bukari with Red Star Belgrade in 2022
Personal information
Full name	Osman Bukari [1]
Date of birth	(1998-12-13) 13 December 1998 (age 25)
Place of birth	Accra, Ghana
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) [2]
Position(s)	Right winger
Team information
Current team	Austin FC
Number	7
Youth career
2017–2018	Accra Lions
2018	→ Anderlecht (loan)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2018–2020	AS Trenčín	51	(12)
2020–2022	Gent	25	(4)
2021–2022	→ Nantes (loan)	24	(2)
2022–2024	Red Star Belgrade	56	(19)
2024–	Austin FC	0	(0)
International career‡
2019	Ghana U23	3	(3)
2021–	Ghana	17	(3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 2 May 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 February 2024

Osman Bukari (born 13 December 1998) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a right winger for Major League Soccer club Austin FC and the Ghana national team.

Club career

AS Trenčín

The first European club in Osman Bukari's professional career was Slovakian side AS Trenčin. ^[3] Bukari joined them in July 2018 from Accra Lions in his homeland. In his two years in Slovakian football, Bukari was one of the best players in his team, playing 66 matches and recording 16 goals and 25 assists. In the 2019–20 season, he was officially Trenčin's best player and was inducted in the league's best XI. ^[4] He was also on the three-name shortlist for the best player of the season.

Gent

After his eye-catching performances in Slovakia, Belgian side KAA Gent signed Bukari ^[5] on 4 September 2020. After signing a three-year contract with Gent, Bukari quickly established himself as one of the first-team regulars. He played in the UEFA Europa League as Gent faced Hoffenheim, ^{[6] [7]} Red Star Belgrade ^{[8] [9]} and Slovan Liberec ^{[10] [11]} in the group stage. He scored four goals and made six assists in 35 appearances for Gent.

Loan to Nantes

On 12 August 2021, French Ligue 1 outfit FC Nantes signed Bukari ^[12] on a season-long loan. The Ghanaian was a part of the team that won Coupe de France, the fourth in club's history, and secured European qualification after a 21-year-long wait.

Red Star Belgrade

Serbian champions Red Star Belgrade signed Bukari ^{[13] [14]} on 21 June 2022 in a deal worth €3 million. He made his club debut against Radnički Niš ^[15] and got on the scoresheet in the same match. He was man of the match with three goals in an assist in Red Star Belgrade's UEFA Champions League qualifying match against Pyunik, ^[16] in which the Serbian team won 5–0. Bukari scored one of the best goals seen in Eternal derby when he scored with a fine left-footed volley in Red Star Belgrade's 1–1 draw at rivals Partizan. ^[17]

In their first match at the 2023–24 UEFA Champions League against Manchester City, he scored club's only goal in their 3–1 defeat. ^[18]

Austin FC

On 30 May 2024, Bukari was signed by Austin FC for a reported $7 million. Bukari will occupy a senior roster, international, and designated player slot for Austin. ^[19]

International career

Bukari made his Ghana bow on 25 March 2021 against South Africa ^[20] in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match. Good performances on the club level for FC Nantes and Red Star Belgrade earned him a Black Stars recall and he's been a regular for the national team since March 2022. He scored his first goal for his country on 1 June 2022 in an AFCON qualifier against Madagascar. ^[21] Bukari has been called up by national coach Otto Addo to represent the Black Stars in the 2022 World Cup. ^[22] In his World Cup debut, Bukari scored in the 90th minute in a 3–2 loss to Portugal, and performed the renowned celebration of their captain Cristiano Ronaldo. ^[23]

Personal Life

He was granted Serbian citizenship by the Serbian government in June 2023. ^[24]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 13 March 2024

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup		Europe		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
AS Trenčín	2018–19 [25] [26]	Slovak Super Liga	22	1	4	2	4 [lower-alpha 1]	0	2 [lower-alpha 2]	0	32	1
	2019–20 [25] [26]		25	10	4	1	–		1 [lower-alpha 2]	0	30	11
	2020–21 [25] [26]		4	2	0	0	–		–		4	2
	Total		51	13	8	3	4	0	3	0	66	16
Gent	2020–21 [25]	Belgian First Division A	25	4	2	0	7 [lower-alpha 3]	0	1 [lower-alpha 4]	0	35	4
Nantes (loan)	2021–22 [25]	Ligue 1	24	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	26	2
Red Star Belgrade	2022–23 [25]	Serbian SuperLiga	30	12	0	0	9 [lower-alpha 5]	3	0	0	39	15
	2023-24 [25]		22	7	0	0	4 [lower-alpha 6]	1	0	0	26	8
	Total		52	19	0	0	13	4	0	0	65	23
Austin FC	2024 [25]	MLS	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Career total		152	38	12	3	24	4	4	0	192	45

1. Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
2. Appearance(s) in play-offs
3. Six appearances in UEFA Europa League, one appearance in UEFA Champions League
4. Appearance in Belgian First Division A play-offs
5. Five appearances in UEFA Europa League, four appearances and three goals in UEFA Champions League
6. Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League

International

As of match played 7 September 2023

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Ghana	2021	2	0
	2022	7	2
	2023	4	1
Total		13	3

International goals

As of match played 27 March 2023.Scores and results list Ghana's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Bukari goal.

List of international goals scored by Osman Bukari

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	1 June 2022	Cape Coast Sports Stadium, Cape Coast, Ghana	5	Madagascar	3–0	3–0	2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
2	24 November 2022	Stadium 974, Doha, Qatar	8	Portugal	2–3	2–3	2022 FIFA World Cup
3	27 March 2023	Estádio 11 de Novembro, Talatona, Angola	9	Angola	1–1	1–1	2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

Honours

Nantes

• Coupe de France: 2021–22 ^[27]

Red Star Belgrade

• Serbian SuperLiga: 2022–23, 2023–24
• Serbian Cup: 2022–23, 2023–24

Individual

• Slovak Super Liga Team of the Season: 2019–20 ^[28]

• Serbian SuperLiga Player of the Month: April 2023 ^[29]

• Serbian SuperLiga Player of the Week: 2022–23 (Round 22, ^[30] Round 31 ^[31] )

References

1. "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – Squad list: Ghana (GHA)" (PDF). FIFA. 15 November 2022. p. 14. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
2. "Osman Bukari profile". Red Star Belgrade. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
3. "Bukari joins Trenčin". Ghana soccer. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
4. "Best XI of Slovak league". Fortunaliga. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
5. "Bukari joins Gent". KAA Gent. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
6. "UEFA Europa League vs. Hoffenheim". UEFA Europa League. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
7. "UEFA Europa League vs. Hoffenheim". UEFA Europa League. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
8. "UEFA Europa League vs. Red Star". UEFA Europa League. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
9. "UEFA Europa League vs. Red Star". UEFA Europa League. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
10. "UEFA Europa League vs. Liberec". UEFA Europa League. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
11. "UEFA Europa League vs. Liberec". UEFA Europa League. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
12. "FC OSMAN BUKARI PRÊTÉ AU FC NANTES!". autor. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
13. "Bukari joins Red Star". Red Star Belgrade. 21 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
14. "Bukari joins Red Star". GOAL. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
15. "Bukari makes his Red Star debut". Serbian SuperLiga. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
16. "Hat-trick against Pyunik". UEFA Champions League. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
17. "Goal vs. Partizan". Arena sport. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
18. "Man City:3-Crvena zvezda:1". uefa.com. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
19. Sigal, Jonathan (30 May 2024). "Austin FC acquire Osman Bukari from Red Star Belgrade" . Retrieved 30 May 2024.
20. "Bukari makes his Ghana debut". CAF. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
21. "First goal for Ghana". CAF. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
22. "Ghana World Cup 2022 squad". Football Association of Ghana. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
23. "World Cup 2022: Bukari on copying Cristiano Ronaldo goal celebration". BBC Sport. 25 November 2022.
24. "Ghanaian international Osman Bukari granted Serbian citizenship". GhanaWeb. 12 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
25. "Osman Bukari » Club matches". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
26. Osman Bukari at Soccerway
27. "COUPE DE FRANCE 2021 – 2022 – FINALE". fff.fr. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
28. "V Jedenástke sezóny až sedem futbalistov majstra. Najlepším hráčom Greif". fortunaliga.sk (in Slovak). 12 July 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
29. "April u znaku Osmana Bukarija: Napadač Zvezde najbolji igrač meseca". mozzartsport.com. 9 May 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
30. "Najbolji igrač 22. kola Mozzart Bet Super lige Srbije – Osman Bukari". superliga.rs (in Serbian). Serbian SuperLiga. 20 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
31. "Najbolji igrač 31. kola Mozzart Bet Super lige Srbije – Osman Bukari". www.superliga.rs. Retrieved 25 April 2023.

External links

• Osman Bukari – UEFA competition record ( archive )
• Osman Bukari at Soccerway
• Osman Bukari at Soccerbase
• Osman Bukari at FootballDatabase.eu
• Futbalnet profile
• Osman Bukari at Fortunaliga.sk (in Slovak)
• Osman Bukari at National-Football-Teams.com