Lago Junior
Ivorian footballer (born 1990)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lago Junior Wakalible (born 31 December 1990), known as Junior, is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Primera Federación club Lugo.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lago Junior Wakalible[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 31 December 1990[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Abidjan, Ivory Coast | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Lugo | ||
| Number | 23 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Joël Tiéhi | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2008 | Issia Wazy | 29 | (17) |
| 2009–2013 | Numancia | 68 | (6) |
| 2010–2011 | → Eibar (loan) | 32 | (9) |
| 2013–2015 | Gimnàstic | 72 | (13) |
| 2015–2016 | Mirandés | 22 | (7) |
| 2016–2023 | Mallorca | 196 | (36) |
| 2022 | → Huesca (loan) | 13 | (0) |
| 2023 | Málaga | 17 | (4) |
| 2023–2025 | Racing Santander | 46 | (4) |
| 2025– | Lugo | 12 | (1) |
| International career | |||
| 2020–2021 | Ivory Coast | 5 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 30 November 2025 | |||
Club career
Numancia
Born in Abidjan, Junior began his football career at the Centre de Formation Joël Tiéhi, a school founded by former player Joël Tiéhi. He made his senior debut with Issia Wazy in 2007, scoring at an excellent rate.[2]
On 31 January 2009, Junior moved to Spain and signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with CD Numancia.[3] He made his La Liga debut on 18 April, playing ten minutes in a 3–0 away loss against Atlético Madrid.[4] He only appeared in four more matches until the end of the season, all as a substitute, and the Soria team were relegated as 19th.[5]
Junior joined SD Eibar on 27 August 2010, in a season-long loan.[6] Two days later, he scored twice on his official debut for the Segunda División B club, a 2–1 home win over CF Palencia.[7]
Gimnàstic and Mirandés
On 13 July 2013, after a further two Segunda División campaigns with Numancia,[5] Junior remained in the country and signed for Gimnàstic de Tarragona from division three.[8] On 22 July 2015, after achieving promotion, he moved to CD Mirandés of the second tier.[9]
Mallorca
On 28 January 2016, Junior agreed to a €300,000 deal at second-division RCD Mallorca.[10] After suffering relegation at the end of the 2016–17 campaign[11] he went on to help the side to earn two consecutive promotions,[12][13] netting a career-best 11 goals in 2018–19.[14]
Junior subsequently lost his importance in the squad.[15] In December 2021, he was loaned to SD Huesca.[16]
On 11 January 2023, Junior terminated his contract by mutual consent.[17]
Later career
Immediately after leaving Mallorca, Junior joined Málaga CF on a free transfer, signing until June 2024 with an option for another year.[18] On 15 June 2023, having been relegated, he moved to fellow second-tier club Racing de Santander on a two-year contract.[19]
International career
Career statistics
Club
- As of 11 January 2023[21]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Numancia | 2008–09 | La Liga | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | |
| 2009–10 | Segunda División | 22 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 23 | 3 | ||
| 2011–12 | Segunda División | 26 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 26 | 2 | ||
| 2012–13 | Segunda División | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 16 | 1 | ||
| Total | 68 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 70 | 6 | ||
| Eibar (loan) | 2010–11 | Segunda División B | 32 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 4[a] | 0 | 36 | 9 |
| Gimnàstic | 2013–14 | Segunda División B | 37 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 5[a] | 2 | 46 | 12 |
| 2014–15 | Segunda División B | 35 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4[a] | 2 | 40 | 5 | |
| Total | 72 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 86 | 17 | ||
| Mirandés | 2015–16 | Segunda División | 22 | 7 | 5 | 2 | — | 27 | 9 | |
| Mallorca | 2015–16 | Segunda División | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 20 | 3 | |
| 2016–17 | Segunda División | 40 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | 40 | 6 | ||
| 2017–18 | Segunda División B | 26 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 4[a] | 1 | 30 | 9 | |
| 2018–19 | Segunda División | 40 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 4[a] | 0 | 44 | 11 | |
| 2019–20 | La Liga | 35 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | 35 | 4 | ||
| 2020–21 | Segunda División | 24 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | 26 | 4 | ||
| 2021–22 | La Liga | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | La Liga | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| Total | 196 | 36 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 207 | 41 | ||
| Career total | 374 | 72 | 15 | 2 | 21 | 5 | 426 | 78 | ||
- Appearances in promotion playoffs
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ivory Coast | 2020 | 3 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 5 | 0 | |