| Osman Bukari | |
| Full Name: | Osman Bukari[1] |
| Birth Date: | 13 December 1998 |
| Birth Place: | Accra, Ghana |
| Height: | 1.70 m[2] |
| Position: | Right winger |
| Currentclub: | Austin FC |
| Clubnumber: | 7 |
| Youthyears1: | 2017–2018 |
| Youthclubs1: | Accra Lions |
| Youthyears2: | 2018 |
| Youthclubs2: | → Anderlecht (loan) |
| Years1: | 2018–2020 |
| Clubs1: | AS Trenčín |
| Caps1: | 51 |
| Goals1: | 12 |
| Years2: | 2020–2022 |
| Clubs2: | Gent |
| Caps2: | 25 |
| Goals2: | 4 |
| Years3: | 2021–2022 |
| Clubs3: | → Nantes (loan) |
| Caps3: | 24 |
| Goals3: | 2 |
| Years4: | 2022–2024 |
| Clubs4: | Red Star Belgrade |
| Caps4: | 56 |
| Goals4: | 19 |
| Years5: | 2024– |
| Clubs5: | Austin FC |
| Caps5: | 1 |
| Goals5: | 0 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2019 |
| Nationalteam1: | Ghana U23 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 3 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 3 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2021– |
| Nationalteam2: | Ghana |
| Nationalcaps2: | 17 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 3 |
| Club-Update: | 16:37, 22 July 2024 (UTC) |
| Nationalteam-Update: | 10 February 2024 |
Osman Bukari (born 13 December 1998) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a right winger for Major League Soccer club Austin FC and the Ghana national team.
The first European club in Osman Bukari's professional career was Slovakian side AS Trenčin.[3] Bukari joined them in July 2018 from Accra Lions in his homeland. In his two years in Slovakian 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.
After his eye-catching performances in Slovakia, Belgian side KAA Gent signed Bukari[5] on 4 September 2020. 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.
On 12 August 2021, French Ligue 1 outfit FC Nantes signed Bukari[12] on a season-long loan. 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.
Serbian champions Red Star Belgrade signed Bukari[13] [14] on 21 June 2022 in a deal worth €3 million. He made his club debut against Radnički Niš[15] and got on the scoresheet in the same match. He was man of the match with three goals in an assist in Red Star Belgrade's UEFA Champions League qualifying match against Pyunik,[16] in which the Serbian team won 5–0. 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]
On 30 May 2024, Bukari was signed by Austin FC for a reported $7 million. Bukari will occupy a senior roster, international, and designated player slot for Austin.[19]
Bukari made his Ghana bow on 25 March 2021 against South Africa[20] 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.[21] Bukari has been called up by national coach Otto Addo to represent the Black Stars in the 2022 World Cup.[22] 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.[23]
He was granted Serbian citizenship by the Serbian government in June 2023.[24]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| AS Trenčín | 2018–19[25] | Slovak Super Liga | 22 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 1 | |
| 2019–20 | 25 | 10 | 4 | 1 | – | 1 | 0 | 30 | 11 | ||||
| 2020–21 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 4 | 2 | |||||
| Total | 51 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 66 | 16 | |||
| Gent | 2020–21 | Belgian Pro League | 25 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 4 | |
| Nantes (loan) | 2021–22 | Ligue 1 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 26 | 2 | |||
| Red Star Belgrade | 2022–23 | Serbian SuperLiga | 30 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 | – | 39 | 15 | ||
| 2023–24 | 27 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 | – | 36 | 10 | ||||
| Total | 57 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 75 | 25 | |||
| Austin FC | 2024 | MLS | 1 | 0 | – | – | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 158 | 38 | 15 | 4 | 26 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 205 | 47 | |||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghana | 2021 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 7 | 2 | ||
| 2023 | 4 | 1 | ||
| Total | 13 | 3 | ||
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 | align=center | 5 | align=center | 3–0 | 3–0 | 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification | |||
| 2 | 24 November 2022 | align=center | 8 | align=center | 2–3 | 2–3 | 2022 FIFA World Cup | |||
| 3 | 27 March 2023 | Estádio 11 de Novembro, Talatona, Angola | align=center | 9 | align=center | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
Nantes
Red Star Belgrade
Individual