Junior Olaitan
Beninese footballer (born 2002)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Junior Olaitan Ishola (ⓘ) (born 9 May 2002) is a Beninese professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Turkish Süper Lig club Beşiktaş and the Benin national team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Junior Olaitan Ishola | ||
| Date of birth | 9 May 2002 | ||
| Place of birth | Porto-Novo, Benin | ||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Beşiktaş | ||
| Number | 15 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2019–2022 | Ayema | ||
| 2022–2024 | Niort | 42 | (4) |
| 2022–2024 | Niort B | 4 | (2) |
| 2023–2024 | → Troyes (loan) | 20 | (0) |
| 2024 | → Troyes B (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2024 | Troyes | 0 | (0) |
| 2024–2025 | Grenoble | 24 | (4) |
| 2025–2026 | Göztepe | 17 | (2) |
| 2026– | Beşiktaş | 16 | (2) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2021– | Benin | 40 | (5) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23 August 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 31 March 2026 | |||
Club career
Olaitan began his senior career with the Beninese club Ayéma Adjarra, where he scored 10 goals in 28 matches during the 2020–21 season.[1] Olaitan transferred to the French club Niort on 31 January 2022, signing a three-year contract.[2] He made his professional debut with Niort in a 2–0 Ligue 2 win over Quevilly-Rouen, coming on as a late sub in the 84th minute. He joined Troyes in the 2023 transfer market with a release clause amounting to €1.7 million and his contract is valid until 2025.[3]
On 30 August 2024, Olaitan signed for Ligue 2 club Grenoble on a three-year contract.[4]
On 26 July 2025, Olaitan signed a four-year contract with Göztepe in Turkey.[5]
On 3 February 2026, Olaitan joined Beşiktaş on a permanent three-year deal with an option for another year.[6]
International career
Olaitan was born in Benin to a Nigerian father and Beninese mother, and raised in Nigeria.[7] He debuted with the Benin national team in a 1–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification win over Madagascar on 2 September 2021.[8]
International goals
- As of match played 31 March 2026
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benin | |||
| 2021 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 10 | 3 | |
| 2025 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2026 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 40 | 5 | |
- Scores and results list Benin's goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 4 June 2022 | Diamniadio Olympic Stadium, Diamniadio, Senegal |  Senegal | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 2. | 23 March 2024 | Stade de la Licorne, Amiens, France |  Ivory Coast | 1–0 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 3. | 1–2 | |||||
| 4. | 10 September 2024 | Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast |  Libya | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 5. | 9 September 2025 | Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast |  Lesotho | 4–0 | 4–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Career statistics
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 20 August 2026[9]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Niort | 2021–22 | Ligue 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | 33 | 3 | 4 | 2 | – | – | 37 | 5 | ||||
| 2023–24 | Championnat National | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 3 | 1 | |||
| Total | 42 | 4 | 4 | 2 | – | – | 46 | 6 | ||||
| Niort B | 2021–22 | Championnat National 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 2 | 1 | ||
| 2022–23 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 2 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 4 | 2 | ||||
| Troyes (loan) | 2023–24 | Ligue 2 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 20 | 0 | ||
| Troyes B (loan) | 2023–24 | Championnat National 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 | ||
| Grenoble | 2024–25 | Ligue 2 | 24 | 4 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 25 | 4 | ||
| Göztepe | 2025–26 | Süper Lig | 17 | 2 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 18 | 2 | ||
| Beşiktaş | 2025–26 | Süper Lig | 14 | 2 | 4 | 0 | – | – | 18 | 2 | ||
| 2026–27 | Süper Lig | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5[b] | 0 | – | 6 | 0 | ||
| Total | 15 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | – | 24 | 2 | |||
| Career total | 129 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 144 | 18 | ||
- Includes Coupe de France, Turkish Cup
- Appearances in UEFA Europa League