| Elias Kachunga | |
| Upright: | 0.9 |
| Fullname: | Elias Kachunga[1] |
| Birth Date: | 22 April 1992 |
| Birth Place: | Haan, Germany |
| Height: | 1.78 m |
| Position: | Forward |
| Currentclub: | Cambridge United |
| Clubnumber: | 10 |
| Years1: | 2009–2012 |
| Clubs1: | Borussia Mönchengladbach II |
| Caps1: | 47 |
| Goals1: | 13 |
| Years2: | 2010–2014 |
| Clubs2: | Borussia Mönchengladbach |
| Caps2: | 2 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 2012 |
| Clubs3: | → VfL Osnabrück (loan) |
| Caps3: | 17 |
| Goals3: | 10 |
| Years4: | 2012 |
| Clubs4: | → Hertha BSC II (loan) |
| Caps4: | 4 |
| Goals4: | 3 |
| Years5: | 2012 |
| Clubs5: | → Hertha BSC (loan) |
| Caps5: | 2 |
| Goals5: | 0 |
| Years6: | 2012–2013 |
| Clubs6: | → SC Paderborn (loan) |
| Caps6: | 13 |
| Goals6: | 3 |
| Years7: | 2013–2015 |
| Clubs7: | SC Paderborn |
| Caps7: | 65 |
| Goals7: | 12 |
| Years8: | 2015–2017 |
| Clubs8: | FC Ingolstadt 04 |
| Caps8: | 10 |
| Goals8: | 0 |
| Years9: | 2016–2017 |
| Clubs9: | → Huddersfield Town (loan) |
| Caps9: | 42 |
| Goals9: | 12 |
| Years10: | 2017–2020 |
| Clubs10: | Huddersfield Town |
| Caps10: | 75 |
| Goals10: | 4 |
| Years11: | 2020–2021 |
| Clubs11: | Sheffield Wednesday |
| Caps11: | 27 |
| Goals11: | 0 |
| Years12: | 2021–2023 |
| Clubs12: | Bolton Wanderers |
| Caps12: | 70 |
| Goals12: | 2 |
| Years13: | 2023– |
| Clubs13: | Cambridge United |
| Caps13: | 50 |
| Goals13: | 6 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2008–2009 |
| Nationalteam1: | Germany U17 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 8 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 1 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2009–2010 |
| Nationalteam2: | Germany U18 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 7 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 2 |
| Nationalyears3: | 2010–2011 |
| Nationalteam3: | Germany U19 |
| Nationalcaps3: | 7 |
| Nationalgoals3: | 3 |
| Nationalyears4: | 2011–2012 |
| Nationalteam4: | Germany U20 |
| Nationalcaps4: | 3 |
| Nationalgoals4: | 0 |
| Nationalyears5: | 2014 |
| Nationalteam5: | Germany U21 |
| Nationalcaps5: | 2 |
| Nationalgoals5: | 0 |
| Nationalyears6: | 2017 |
| Nationalteam6: | DR Congo |
| Nationalcaps6: | 1 |
| Nationalgoals6: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 21:49, 3 December 2024 (UTC) |
| Ntupdate: | 26 March 2017 |
Elias Kachunga (born 22 April 1992) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Cambridge United. Born in Germany, Kachunga represents the DR Congo national team.
Born in Haan, Germany, Kachunga has a Congolese father and a German mother.[2]
Kachunga spent his early career in Germany with Borussia Mönchengladbach, VfL Osnabrück, Hertha BSC and SC Paderborn. Following Paderborn's relegation, he moved to FC Ingolstadt 04 in June 2015.[3] He was the club's record signing, at a transfer fee of €1.7 million.[2] He signed a season-long loan deal with an option to buy at the end with English Championship club Huddersfield Town in June 2016.[4] He made his debut for them on 6 August 2016, scoring the first goal in a 2–1 win over Brentford.[5] On 22 March 2017, Huddersfield paid Ingolstadt £1.1 million to turn Kachunga's loan deal into a permanent transfer.[6]
In December 2017 he was ruled-out for three months due to injury.[7]
He was released by Huddersfield at the end of the 2019–20 season.[8]
On 2 September 2020, he was signed by Sheffield Wednesday on a free transfer.[9] [10] He made his debut coming off the bench against Cardiff City on the opening day of the season. He scored his first goal for Wednesday in a 2-0 EFL Cup win against Rochdale on 15 September 2020.[11]
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.[12]
On 6 August 2021, he signed for Bolton Wanderers.[13] [14] 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.[15] His first Bolton goal came on 7 November in a 2–2 draw against Stockport County in the FA Cup.[16] 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.[17] On 23 May the club confirmed that Kachunga would be leaving at the end of his contract in June.[18]
On 1 August 2023 he signed for Cambridge United.[19]
Kachunga has represented Germany at all youth age levels from under-17 through to under-21.[20]
He debuted for the senior DR Congo national team in a friendly 2–1 loss to Kenya on 26 March 2017.[21] [22]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Borussia Mönchengladbach II | 2009–10 | Regionalliga West | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | ||||
| 2010–11 | Regionalliga West | 24 | 1 | — | — | — | 24 | 1 | |||||
| 2011–12 | Regionalliga West | 18 | 12 | — | — | — | 18 | 12 | |||||
| Total | 47 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 13 | |||
| Borussia Mönchengladbach | 2010–11 | Bundesliga | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| 2011–12 | Bundesliga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2012–13 | Bundesliga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||
| VfL Osnabrück (loan) | 2011–12 | 3. Liga | 17 | 10 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 10 | |||
| Hertha BSC II (loan) | 2012–13 | Regionalliga Nordost | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | ||||
| Hertha BSC (loan) | 2012–13 | 2. Bundesliga | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| SC Paderborn (loan) | 2012–13 | 2. Bundesliga | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 3 | |||
| SC Paderborn | 2013–14 | 2. Bundesliga | 33 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 6 | |||
| 2014–15 | Bundesliga | 32 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 6 | ||||
| Total | 65 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 12 | |||
| FC Ingolstadt 04 | 2015–16 | Bundesliga | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 | |||
| 2016–17 | Bundesliga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |||
| Huddersfield Town (loan) | 2016–17 | Championship | 42 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 48 | 13 | |
| Huddersfield Town | 2017–18 | Premier League | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 22 | 1 | ||
| 2018–19 | Premier League | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 22 | 0 | |||
| 2019–20 | Championship | 36 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 37 | 3 | |||
| Total | 75 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 81 | 4 | |||
| Sheffield Wednesday | 2020–21 | Championship | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 29 | 1 | ||
| Bolton Wanderers | 2021–22 | League One | 32 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 41 | 4 | |
| 2022–23 | League One | 38 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 50 | 4 | ||
| Total | 70 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 3 | 91 | 8 | |||
| Cambridge United | 2023–24 | League One | 36 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 6 | |
| 2024–25 | League One | 14 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 1 | ||
| Total | 50 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 57 | 7 | |||
| Career total | 424 | 65 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 19 | 3 | 467 | 75 | |||
2017[23]