Osman Bukari
Ghanaian footballer (born 1998)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Osman Bukari (born 13 December 1998) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a right winger for Ekstraklasa club Widzew Łódź and the Ghana national team.
|
Bukari with Red Star Belgrade in 2022 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Osman Bukari[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 13 December 1998 | ||
| Place of birth | Accra, Ghana | ||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Right winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Widzew Łódź | ||
| Number | 22 | ||
| 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) |
| 2024–2026 | Austin FC | 42 | (4) |
| 2026– | Widzew Łódź | 8 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2019 | Ghana U23 | 3 | (3) |
| 2021– | Ghana | 18 | (3) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 15:48, 26 May 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 21:35, 18 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
Club career
AS Trenčín
The first European club in Osman Bukari's professional career was Slovak side AS Trenčín.[3] Bukari joined them in July 2018 from Accra Lions in his homeland. In his two years in Slovak 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 on 4 September 2020.[5] 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 on a season-long loan.[12] 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 on 21 June 2022 in a deal worth €3 million.[13][14] He made his club debut against Radnički Niš and got on the scoresheet in the same match.[15] He was man of the match with three goals in an assist in Red Star Belgrade's UEFA Champions League qualifying match against Pyunik, in which the Serbian team won 5–0.[16] 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. He occupied a senior roster, international, and designated player slot for Austin.[19]
Widzew Łódź
On 19 December 2025, Bukari signed a five-year contract with Polish club Widzew Łódź.[20] The transfer was reportedly the most expensive in Ekstraklasa history, with a fee of €5.5 million.[21]
International career
Bukari made his Ghana bow on 25 March 2021 against South Africa[22] 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.[23] Bukari has been called up by national coach Otto Addo to represent the Black Stars in the 2022 World Cup.[24] 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.[25]
Personal life
He was granted Serbian citizenship by the Serbian government in June 2023.[26]
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| AS Trenčín | 2018–19 | Slovak Super Liga | 22 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4[b] | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 32 | 1 |
| 2019–20 | Slovak Super Liga | 25 | 10 | 4 | 1 | — | 1[c] | 0 | 30 | 11 | ||
| 2020–21 | Slovak Super Liga | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 1 | |||
| Total | 51 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 66 | 15 | ||
| Gent | 2020–21 | Belgian Pro League | 25 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 7[d] | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 35 | 4 |
| Nantes (loan) | 2021–22 | Ligue 1 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 2 | ||
| Red Star Belgrade | 2022–23 | Serbian SuperLiga | 29 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 9[f] | 3 | — | 42 | 15 | |
| 2023–24 | Serbian SuperLiga | 27 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 6[g] | 2 | — | 36 | 10 | ||
| Total | 56 | 19 | 7 | 1 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 78 | 25 | ||
| Austin FC | 2024 | Major League Soccer | 9 | 1 | — | — | 2[h] | 0 | 11 | 1 | ||
| 2025 | Major League Soccer | 33 | 3 | 5 | 2 | — | 1[i] | 0 | 39 | 5 | ||
| Total | 42 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 50 | 6 | ||
| Widzew Łódź | 2025–26 | Ekstraklasa | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 206 | 41 | 24 | 6 | 26 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 263 | 52 | ||
- Includes Slovak Cup, Belgian Cup, Coupe de France, Serbian Cup, U.S. Open Cup
- Appearances in UEFA Europa League
- Appearance(s) in Slovak First Football League play-offs
- One appearance in UEFA Champions League, six appearances in UEFA Europa League
- Appearance in Belgian First Division A play-offs
- Four appearances and three goals in UEFA Champions League, five appearances in UEFA Europa League
- Appearances in UEFA Champions League
- Appearances in Leagues Cup
- Appearance in MLS Cup playoffs
International
- As of match played 18 November 2024[29]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghana | 2021 | 2 | 0 |
| 2022 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 18 | 3 | |
- As of match played 27 March 2023. Scores and results list Ghana's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Bukari goal.
| 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
Red Star Belgrade[31]
Individual
- Slovak Super Liga Team of the Season: 2019–20[32]
- Serbian SuperLiga Player of the Month: April 2023[33]
- Serbian SuperLiga Player of the Week: 2022–23 (Round 22;[34] 31)[35]
