Messi Bouli Explained

Messi Bouli
Fullname:Raphaël Éric Messi Bouli
Birth Date:23 April 1992
Birth Place:Yaoundé, Cameroon
Height:1.86 m
Position:Forward
Currentclub:Shijiazhuang Gongfu
Clubnumber:28
Years1:2013
Clubs1:FAP Yaounde
Years2:2014–2015
Clubs2:Canon Yaoundé
Years3:2016–2018
Clubs3:APEJES
Caps3:24
Goals3:14
Years4:2018–2019
Clubs4:Yanbian Funde
Caps4:14
Goals4:3
Years5:2019
Clubs5:Foolad
Caps5:12
Goals5:1
Years6:2019–2020
Clubs6:Kerala Blasters
Caps6:17
Goals6:8
Years7:2020
Clubs7:Heilongjiang Lava Spring
Caps7:9
Goals7:0
Years8:2021
Clubs8:Liaoning Shenyang Urban
Caps8:0
Goals8:0
Years9:2021
Clubs9:Nanjing City (loan)
Caps9:32
Goals9:15
Years10:2022–2023
Clubs10:Nanjing City
Caps10:59
Goals10:27
Years11:2024–
Clubs11:Shijiazhuang Gongfu
Caps11:18
Goals11:9
Nationalyears1:2013–2018
Nationalteam1:Cameroon
Nationalcaps1:6
Nationalgoals1:1
Club-Update:17:55, 23 July 2024 (UTC)
Nationalteam-Update:24 January 2018

Raphaël Éric Messi Bouli (born 23 April 1992), or simply Messi Bouli or Messi B, is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a forward for China League One club Shijiazhuang Gongfu. He made six appearances for the Cameroon national team.

Club career

Bouli started his career in Cameroon with FAP Yaoundé in 2013.[1] [2] A year later, he signed for Canon Yaoundé where he remained for the 2014 and 2015 Elite One seasons.[1] [2] 2016 saw Bouli join APEJES, with whom he won the 2016 Cameroonian Cup with.[1] In 2017, Bouli scored fourteen goals in twenty-four league fixtures.[3] On 1 March 2018, Bouli joined China League One side Yanbian Funde.[3] [4] [5] He made his debut against Nei Mongol Zhongyou on 1 April, prior to netting in back-to-back matches in May versus Qingdao Huanghai and Zhejiang Greentown respectively. Bouli moved to Iran to play for Foolad of the Persian Gulf Pro League in 2019.[6]

Bouli departed Foolad in June 2019, after scoring one goal (against Esteghlal Khuzestan) in twelve games for the Iranian club.[7] In the months following his departure, Bouli threatened to complain to FIFA, along with then-manager Afshin Ghotbi and former teammate Takafumi Akahoshi, regarding unpaid wages.[8] [9]

On 24 August, Bouli completed a move to India with Super League team Kerala Blasters.[10] [11] He scored eight goals for them, which included a brace over Jamshedpur on 13 December.[12]

September 2020 saw Bouli return to Chinese football as he agreed terms with League One team Heilongjiang Lava Spring.[13]

In April 2021, Bouli joined Nanjing City on loan, he completed a permanent transfer to the club in April 2022.[14] [15] As of the 2023 season, he scored 42 goals and provided 4 assists in 93 appearances for the club.

On 29 February 2024, Bouli joined fellow China League One club Shijiazhuang Gongfu.[16]

International career

Bouli made his international debut on 10 August 2013, playing in a 2014 African Nations Championship qualifier with Gabon.[1] Years later, he scored his first goal in 2018 African Nations Championship qualifying in a game with São Tomé and Príncipe.[1] In November 2017, Bouli was selected by the national team for a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Zambia. However, he failed to feature after remaining on the bench for a 2–2 draw. Months later, Bouli was called up to the squad for the 2018 African Nations Championship in Morocco. He featured in matches against Congo, Angola and Burkina Faso as Cameroon were eliminated at the group stages.

Career statistics

Club

.

Club statistics
ClubSeasonLeagueCupContinentalOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
APEJES2017Elite One2414002414
Yanbian Funde2018China League One14300143
Foolad2018–19Persian Gulf Pro League12100121
Kerala Blasters2019–20Indian Super League17800178
Heilongjiang Lava Spring2020China League One702090
Nanjing City (loan)20213215003215
Nanjing City20223117203317
2023000000
Total31172000003317
Career total1375620002014156

International

.

National teamYearAppsGoals
Cameroon201310
201721
201830
Total61

International goals

As of 14 July 2019. Cameroon score listed first.[1]

International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition
scope=colNo.scope=colDatescope=colVenuescope=colCapscope=colOpponentscope=colScorescope=colResultscope=colCompetition
scope=row style=text-align:center119 August 2017Limbe Stadium, Limbe, Cameroon12–02–02018 African Nations Championship qualification

Honours

APEJES[1]

2016

Notes and References

  1. News: Raphaël Messi Bouli - National Football Teams. 29 May 2018. National Football Teams. 29 May 2018.
  2. News: Football : Raphaël Messi Bouli. 29 May 2018. Football Database. 29 May 2018.
  3. News: 博尔特之后梅西也踢中甲?延边官宣斯蒂夫替身. 29 May 2018. Sina. 1 March 2018.
  4. News: Cameroon - R. Messi Bouli. 29 May 2018. Cameroun Sports. 1 March 2018.
  5. News: Transfert: Messi Bouli en D2 chinoise. 29 May 2018. 45fois2. 1 March 2018.
  6. News: مسی به فولاد خوزستان پیوست. 6 February 2019. Foolad. 6 February 2019.
  7. News: سیف اللهی شاگرد نکونام شد. 14 July 2019. Varzesh3. 25 June 2019.
  8. News: فرصت 48 ساعته قطبی، مسی و آکاهوشی به باشگاه فولاد برای جلوگیری از شکایت به فیفا. 14 August 2019. ION. 14 August 2019.
  9. News: قطبی تا شنبه منتظر اقدام باشگاه فولاد می‌ماند. 14 August 2019. Tasnim News Agency. 14 August 2019.
  10. News: Looks like there's a new Messi in town. 24 August 2019. Kerala Blasters. 24 August 2019.
  11. News: ഇത് കേരള ബ്ലാസ്റ്റേഴ്‌സിന്റെ സ്വന്തം 'മെസി'. 24 August 2019. Indian Express Malayalam. 24 August 2019.
  12. News: Cameroon - R. Messi Bouli. 29 May 2018. Soccerway. 29 May 2018.
  13. News: 德转更新:前延边外援梅西-保利自由身加盟黑龙江. 7 October 2020. Dongqiudi. 11 September 2020.
  14. Web site: 【官宣】继续补强,再迎新援!7名球员加盟南京城市. dongqiudi. 16 April 2021. 29 February 2024. zh.
  15. Web site: 官方:梅西-保利加盟南京城市,上赛季15球6助攻. dongqiudi. 12 April 2022. 29 February 2024. zh.
  16. Web site: 石家庄功夫官方:外援梅西-保利、姆拉登-科瓦切维奇加盟球队. dongqiudi. 29 February 2024. 29 February 2024. zh.