Raddy Ovouka

Raddy Machel Hokemba Ovouka (7 December 1999) is a Congolese professional footballer who plays as left-back for Football Superleague of Kosovo club Drita Gjilan loan from Ghana Premier League clubAccra Hearts of Oak and the Congo national team.[1]

Raddy Ovouka
Personal information
Full name Raddy Machel Hokemba Ovouka
Date of birth (1999-12-07) 7 December 1999
Place of birth Congo
Position(s) Left-back
Team information
Current team
 Drita Gjilan (loan from Accra Hearts of Oak)
Number 26
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018– Accra Hearts of Oak 45 (1)
2022 → New Mexico United (loan) 9 (0)
2023– → Drita Gjilan (loan) 1 (0)
International career
2020– Congo 6 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20 April 2023

Club career

Hearts of Oak

Ovouka signed for Accra Hearts of Oak in January 2018. He was part of their squad during their GHALCA Top 8 competition, however he did not make any appearance. He made his official debut on 24 March 2018, starting in their 3–1 loss to Ashanti Gold during the 2018 Ghana Premier League season. He played 43 minutes before being substituted for Isaac Mensah.[2] That was his only appearance that season as the league was abandoned due to the dissolution of the GFA in June 2018, as a result of the Anas Number 12 Expose.[3] During the 2019 GFA Normalisation Competition, he played two matches as Hearts made it to the championship semi-final playoff.[3] Ovouka had his breakthrough season during the 2019–20 season displacing William Dankyi from the left-back position. He started and played the whole 90 minutes in 12 matches, missing two matches within that period before the league was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana.[3] He was nominated for the Congolese footballer of the year in 2020.[4]

In January 2021, he extended his contract by two years.[5] In the 2020–21 season, Ovouka was Hearts of Oak's first choice left-back in their double winning season. He played 29 league matches, scored one goal and made three assists to help Hearts in winning the 2020–21 Ghana Premier League after a 12-year trophy drought.[3][6] His only goal of the season was his debut goal, which was scored on 7 March 2021 during Samuel Boadu's first game in charge, helping Hearts to a 4–0 victory over West African Football Academy.[7] During the 2021 Ghanaian FA Cup final, Ovouka played the full 90 minutes plus extra time and scored Hearts' 8th penalty in the penalty shootout to help complete their domestic double.[8] At the end of the season, he was considered as the best left-back in the league and was reportedly an interest for a club in the Ligue 1 alongside other clubs in Africa.[9]

New Mexico United

On 5 January 2022, it was announced that, as a result of a contract dispute, Ovouka would be loaned to USL Championship club New Mexico United indefinitely.[10]

International career

On the back of his performance in the Ghana Premier League, Ovouka received his first call-up to the Congo national team in March 2020 ahead of the team's 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Eswatini.[11] He made his debut on 26 March 2021 playing the full 90 minutes in their goalless draw against Senegal in their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers Group I.[12]

Honours

Hearts of Oak

References
  1. "Raddy Ovouka earns Congo call up, set to miss Hearts of Oak's season opener". GhanaWeb. 30 October 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. "Match Report of Accra Hearts of Oak SC vs Ashanti Gold SC - Zylofon Cash Premier League". Global Sports Archive. 24 March 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. "Raddy Ovouka - player profile & career statistics". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 16 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. "Hearts of Oak defender Raddy Ovouka nominated for Congolese footballer of the year 2020 award". GhanaSoccernet. 20 December 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  5. "Raddy Ovouka signs two-year contract extension with Hearts of Oak - Reports". GhanaWeb. 20 January 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. Appiah, Samuel Ekow Amoasi (17 July 2021). "Hearts of Oak crowned 2020/21 Ghana Premier League champions [Photos]". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 17 July 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. "2020/21 Ghana Premier League: Week 17 Match Report - Hearts of Oak 4-0 WAFA". GhanaSoccernet. 7 March 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. "Hearts of Oak beats Ashgold on penalties to win MTN FA Cup". GhanaWeb. 8 August 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. Sarbah, Peter (5 July 2021). "Hearts of Oak to reject offers for Raddy Ovuoka". Graphic Online. Retrieved 17 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. Staff (5 January 2022). "Hearts defender Raddy Ovouka joins American side New Mexico United for 2022". GhanaWeb. GhanaWeb. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  11. "Hearts of Oak defender Raddy Ovouka earns first Congo national team call up". GhanaSoccernet. 12 March 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. "Match Report of Congo vs Senegal - 2021-03-26 - Total Africa Cup of Nations Qualification". Global Sports Archive. 26 March 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. Appiah, Samuel Ekow Amoasi (17 July 2021). "Hearts of Oak crowned 2020/21 Ghana Premier League champions [Photos]". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 17 July 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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