Elias Kachunga
German association football player
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Elias Kachunga (born 22 April 1992) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for EFL League Two club Cambridge United. Born in Germany, Kachunga represents the DR Congo national team.
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Kachunga with Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2010 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Elias Kachunga[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 22 April 1992 | ||
| Place of birth | Haan, Germany | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Cambridge United | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2009–2012 | Borussia Mönchengladbach II | 47 | (13) |
| 2010–2014 | Borussia Mönchengladbach | 2 | (0) |
| 2012 | → VfL Osnabrück (loan) | 17 | (10) |
| 2012 | → Hertha BSC II (loan) | 4 | (3) |
| 2012 | → Hertha BSC (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | → SC Paderborn (loan) | 13 | (3) |
| 2013–2015 | SC Paderborn | 65 | (12) |
| 2015–2017 | FC Ingolstadt 04 | 10 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | → Huddersfield Town (loan) | 42 | (12) |
| 2017–2020 | Huddersfield Town | 75 | (4) |
| 2020–2021 | Sheffield Wednesday | 27 | (0) |
| 2021–2023 | Bolton Wanderers | 70 | (2) |
| 2023– | Cambridge United | 96 | (12) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2008–2009 | Germany U17 | 8 | (1) |
| 2009–2010 | Germany U18 | 7 | (2) |
| 2010–2011 | Germany U19 | 7 | (3) |
| 2011–2012 | Germany U20 | 3 | (0) |
| 2014 | Germany U21 | 2 | (0) |
| 2017 | DR Congo | 1 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 19:00, 1 January 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 26 March 2017 | |||
Early and personal life
Club career
Kachunga spent his early career in Germany with Borussia Mönchengladbach, VfL Osnabrück, Hertha BSC and SC Paderborn.[2][4] Following Paderborn's relegation, he moved to FC Ingolstadt 04 in June 2015.[5] He was the club's record signing, at a transfer fee of €1.7 million.[3] He signed a season-long loan deal with an option to buy at the end with English Championship club Huddersfield Town in June 2016.[6] He made his debut for them on 6 August 2016, scoring the first goal in a 2–1 win over Brentford.[7] On 22 March 2017, Huddersfield paid Ingolstadt £1.1 million to turn Kachunga's loan deal into a permanent transfer.[8]
In December 2017 he was ruled-out for three months due to injury.[9]
He was released by Huddersfield at the end of the 2019–20 season.[10]
On 2 September 2020, he was signed by Sheffield Wednesday on a free transfer.[11][12] He made his debut coming off the bench against Cardiff City on the opening day of the season.[13] He scored his first goal for Wednesday in a 2-0 EFL Cup win against Rochdale on 15 September 2020.[14]
On 20 May 2021, it was announced that he would leave Sheffield Wednesday at the end of the season, following the expiry of his contract.[15]
On 6 August 2021, he signed for Bolton Wanderers.[16][17] He made his debut a day later as a late substitute against Milton Keynes Dons and provided an assist for Alex Baptiste in the 95th minute, rescuing a point for Bolton in a 3–3 draw.[18] His first Bolton goal came on 7 November in a 2–2 draw against Stockport County in the FA Cup.[19] On 2 April, he started in the 2023 EFL Trophy Final. He scored the third goal, with the Final against Plymouth Argyle eventually ending with a 4–0 Bolton win.[20] On 23 May the club confirmed that Kachunga would be leaving at the end of his contract in June.[21]
On 1 August 2023 he signed for Cambridge United.[22]
International career
Career statistics
- As of match played on 1 January 2026
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Borussia Mönchengladbach II | 2009–10[2] | Regionalliga West | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| 2010–11[2] | Regionalliga West | 24 | 1 | — | — | — | 24 | 1 | ||||
| 2011–12[2] | Regionalliga West | 18 | 12 | — | — | — | 18 | 12 | ||||
| Total | 47 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 13 | ||
| Borussia Mönchengladbach | 2010–11[2] | Bundesliga | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2011–12[2] | Bundesliga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2012–13[2] | Bundesliga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| VfL Osnabrück (loan) | 2011–12[2] | 3. Liga | 17 | 10 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 10 | ||
| Hertha BSC II (loan) | 2012–13[2] | Regionalliga Nordost | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | |||
| Hertha BSC (loan) | 2012–13[2] | 2. Bundesliga | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| SC Paderborn (loan) | 2012–13[2] | 2. Bundesliga | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 3 | ||
| SC Paderborn | 2013–14[2] | 2. Bundesliga | 33 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 6 | ||
| 2014–15[2] | Bundesliga | 32 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 6 | |||
| Total | 65 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 12 | ||
| FC Ingolstadt 04 | 2015–16[2] | Bundesliga | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17[2] | Bundesliga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
| Huddersfield Town (loan) | 2016–17[26] | Championship | 42 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3[a] | 0 | 48 | 13 |
| Huddersfield Town | 2017–18[27] | Premier League | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 22 | 1 | |
| 2018–19[28] | Premier League | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 22 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20[29] | Championship | 36 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 37 | 3 | ||
| Total | 75 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 81 | 4 | ||
| Sheffield Wednesday | 2020–21[13] | Championship | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 29 | 1 | |
| Bolton Wanderers | 2021–22[30] | League One | 32 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5[b] | 0 | 41 | 4 |
| 2022–23[31] | League One | 38 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 9[c] | 3 | 50 | 4 | |
| Total | 70 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 3 | 91 | 8 | ||
| Cambridge United | 2023–24[32] | League One | 36 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 6 |
| 2024–25[33] | League One | 43 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 7 | |
| 2025–26[34] | League Two | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4[b] | 3 | 26 | 3 | |
| Total | 96 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 112 | 16 | ||
| Career total | 470 | 71 | 14 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 23 | 6 | 522 | 84 | ||
- Appearance(s) in the EFL Championship play-offs.
- Appearance(s) in the EFL Trophy.
- Seven appearances in the EFL Trophy, two appearances in the League One play-offs
