Bernard Tekpetey
Ghanaian footballer
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Bernard Tekpetey (born 3 September 1997) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Bulgarian First League club Ludogorets Razgrad.
|
Tekpetey in 2017 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 3 September 1997 | ||
| Place of birth | Accra, Ghana | ||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Ludogorets Razgrad | ||
| Number | 37 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2012–2016 | UniStar Soccer Academy | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016 | Schalke 04 II | 16 | (4) |
| 2016–2018 | Schalke 04 | 2 | (0) |
| 2017 | → SCR Altach (loan) | 10 | (1) |
| 2018–2019 | SC Paderborn | 32 | (10) |
| 2019–2021 | Schalke 04 | 0 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | → Fortuna Düsseldorf (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2020–2021 | → Ludogorets Razgrad (loan) | 25 | (2) |
| 2021– | Ludogorets Razgrad | 117 | (34) |
| 2025– | Ludogorets Razgrad II | 3 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2017 | Ghana | 2 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 25 August 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 15 May 2024 | |||
Club career
Having successfully undergone a trial period, Schalke 04 signed Tekpetey was signed from Ghanaian second-tier side Unistar Soccer Academy in February 2016. He made his debut for the club on 24 November, starting in a 2–0 win over OGC Nice. He won a penalty, which was converted by Dennis Aogo for Schalke's second goal, before being sent off in the second-half after committing two bookable offences.[1]
After a season-long loan to Ludogorets Razgrad, Tekpetey permanently joined the team on 29 June 2021.[2] He established himself as an undisputed starter for the team, becoming a key player and a reliable goalscorer.[3] In May 2024, Tekpetey was handed a four-match ban following a red card received in an ill-tempered match against CSKA Sofia, which saw him miss the remaining matches of the season.[4] In August 2024, he suffered a broken foot in the first leg of the Champions League qualifying match against Azerbaijani team Qarabagh and after undergoing a successful operation in Austria, was expected to be sidelined until the end of 2024.[5] Reportedly, at the time the player was close to finalizing a transfer to Parma, which fell through due to the incident.[6] On 2 April 2025, Tekpetey returned to action after his recovery from injury, coming on as substitute during the second half of the Ludogorets reserve side's 2–0 win over Nesebar.[7] On 3 February 2026, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 win over Levski Sofia in the Bulgarian Supercup.[8]
International career
Tekpetey was called up to the Ghana national team for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.[9] He made his debut for Ghana in a 1–0 loss to Egypt on 25 January 2017.[10]
In June 2022, Tekpetey got Bulgarian pasport.[11] In June 2025 he hinted, that since he lived for 5 years in Bulgaria and having a passport, he is available and would consider to play for Bulgaria national team due to FIFA rules changes in 2021, which allows players with less than 3 matches for national team to switch.[12]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played on 25 August 2026[13]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Schalke 04 II | 2015–16 | Regionalliga West | 16 | 4 | — | — | 16 | 4 | ||
| Schalke 04 | 2016–17 | Bundesliga | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2017–18 | Bundesliga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| SCR Altach (loan) | 2017–18 | Austrian Bundesliga | 10 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | 12 | 3 | |
| SC Paderborn | 2018–19 | 2. Bundesliga | 32 | 10 | 4 | 1 | — | 36 | 11 | |
| Fortuna Düsseldorf (loan) | 2019–20 | Bundesliga | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | |
| Ludogorets Razgrad (loan) | 2020–21 | Bulgarian First League | 25 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 9[b] | 0 | 37 | 4 |
| Ludogorets Razgrad | 2021–22 | Bulgarian First League | 24 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 9[c] | 0 | 37 | 10 |
| 2022–23 | Bulgarian First League | 27 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 15[d] | 1 | 48 | 10 | |
| 2023–24 | Bulgarian First League | 30 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 15[e] | 4 | 49 | 15 | |
| 2024–25 | Bulgarian First League | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5[f] | 2 | 7 | 3 | |
| 2025–26 | Bulgarian First League | 29 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 14[g] | 1 | 47 | 5 | |
| 2026–27 | Bulgarian First League | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2[h] | 1 | 7 | 3 | |
| Ludogorets Total | 142 | 36 | 21 | 5 | 69 | 9 | 232 | 50 | ||
| Career total | 211 | 51 | 28 | 8 | 70 | 9 | 309 | 68 | ||
- Appearances in UEFA Europa League
- Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, seven appearances in UEFA Europa League
- Five appearances in UEFA Champions League, four appearances in UEFA Europa League
- Five appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League, eight appearances in UEFA Europa League, two appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
- Three appearances and two goals in UEFA Champions League, four appearances and two goals in UEFA Europa League, Eight appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
- Appearances in UEFA Champions League
- Six appearances in UEFA Champions League, eight appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa League
- Two appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa Conference League
International
- As of 17 September 2017
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghana | 2017 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 0 | |
Honours
Ludogorets Razgrad
- Bulgarian First League: (5) 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25
- Bulgarian Supercup: (5) 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
- Bulgarian Cup: (2) 2022–23, 2024–25
Individual
- Bulgarian football Best foreign player: 2022[14]
- Bulgarian First League Goal of the Week: 2021–22 (Week 2)[15] (vs CSKA 1948), (Week 27) (vs Slavia Sofia)[16]