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Alhassan Wakaso

Alhassan Wakaso
Personal information
Date of birth (1992-01-07) 7 January 1992 (age 32)[1]
Place of birth Tamale, Ghana[1]
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Position(s) Defensive midfielder, centre-back
Team information
Current team
Ionikos
Number 32
Youth career
2009–2011 Portimonense
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2013 Portimonense 57 (3)
2013–2017 Rio Ave 84 (1)
2014Portimonense (loan) 13 (2)
2017 Lorient 13 (0)
2017–2021 Vitória Guimarães 54 (2)
2021–2022 Olympiakos Nicosia 11 (0)
2023–2024 Leixões 23 (0)
2024– Ionikos 7 (0)
International career
2019 Ghana 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:26, 28 August 2024 (UTC)

Alhassan Wakaso (born 7 January 1992) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or a central defender for Super League Greece 2 club Ionikos.

Club career

Born in Tamale, Wakaso arrived in Portugal in 2009 at the age of 17, signing with Portimonense S.C. in the Segunda Liga. On 28 October of the following year, when he was still a junior,[2][3] he made his debut for the first team, featuring in a 3–2 away loss against C.D. Aves in the second round of the Taça da Liga.[4]

Wakaso was definitely promoted to the Algarve club's main squad for the 2011–12 season. On 23 December 2012, with the side still in the second division, he scored his first goal as a professional, in a 2–1 league win at Vitória S.C. B.[5]

Wakaso moved to the Primeira Liga on 20 June 2013, signing with Rio Ave F.C. for three years.[6] He made his debut in the competition for them on 18 August, starting and being replaced late into a 3–0 away victory over C.F. Os Belenenses.[7] His only league goal during his spell would come on 25 September 2016, in the 2–1 defeat at F.C. Paços de Ferreira.[8]

In the last minutes of the January 2014 transfer window, Wakaso returned to Portimonense on a five-month loan.[9] Three years later, he joined FC Lorient of the French Ligue 1 on a three-and-a-half-year contract.[10] He returned to Portugal and its top tier in the following off-season, however, agreeing to a three-year deal at Vitória de Guimarães.[11]

Wakaso missed the entire 2019–20 campaign, due to an injury to his right knee.[12] In September 2021, he signed a one-year contract with Cypriot First Division side Olympiakos Nicosia.[13] Subsequently, he represented in quick succession Leixões SC (Portuguese second division)[14] and Ionikos FC (Super League Greece 2).[15]

International career

Wakaso made his debut for Ghana on 26 March 2019, in a 3–1 friendly defeat of Mauritania.[16]

Personal life

Wakaso's older brother, Mubarak, is also a footballer and a midfielder. He spent most of his career in Spain.[17][18]

References

  1. ^ a b c "A. Wakaso" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  2. ^ "Africanos vão chegar na terça-feira" [Africans will arrive on Tuesday]. Record (in Portuguese). 27 December 2010. Archived from the original on 14 January 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  3. ^ Alves, Armando (13 December 2012). "Wakaso: "Chegar a um grande é o meu objetivo"" [Wakaso: "My goal is to make it to a big club"]. Record (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 11 December 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  4. ^ "Aves bate (3–2) Portimonense" [Aves beat (3–2) Portimonense]. Record (in Portuguese). 28 October 2010. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  5. ^ "V. Guimarães B-Portimonense, 1–2: Mica salva ao cair do pano" [V. Guimarães B-Portimonense, 1–2: Mica the saviour at the nick of time]. Record (in Portuguese). 23 December 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  6. ^ "Wakaso confirmado" [Wakaso confirmed]. Record (in Portuguese). 20 June 2013. Archived from the original on 11 December 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  7. ^ "Rio Ave inicia campeonato com triunfo no Restelo" [Rio Ave start championship with win at the Restelo] (in Portuguese). TSF. 18 August 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
  8. ^ Alvarenga, Vítor Hugo (25 September 2016). "P. Ferreira-Rio Ave, 2–1 (crónica)" [P. Ferreira-Rio Ave, 2–1 (report)] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  9. ^ "Wakaso reforça meio campo" [Wakaso strengthens midfield] (in Portuguese). Portimonense S.C. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  10. ^ "Le milieu de terrain Alhassan Wakaso s'engage au FC Lorient" [Midfielder Alhassan Wakaso commits to FC Lorient] (in French). France 3. 11 January 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  11. ^ "V. Guimarães oficializa Wakaso e Victor Garcia" [V. Guimarães make Wakaso and Victor Garcia official]. Público (in Portuguese). 28 August 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  12. ^ Rosa, Melo (23 July 2020). "Wakaso deve parar seis meses após nova operação" [Wakaso to miss six months following new surgery]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  13. ^ "Olympiakos Nicosia new signing Alhassan Wakaso promises to give everything". Football Ghana. 7 September 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  14. ^ "Leixões assegura contratação de Wakaso" [Leixões confirm signing of Wakaso]. Record (in Portuguese). 28 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  15. ^ "Υπέγραψε στον Ιωνικό ο Alhassan Wakaso!" [Alhassan Wakaso signed for Ionikos!] (in Greek). Ionikos F.C. 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  16. ^ "Highlights: Black Stars beats Mauritania 3–1 in friendly". Ghana Web. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  17. ^ Taiwo, Taiye (5 June 2018). "EXTRA TIME: Wakaso brothers link up with Jordan Ayew". Goal. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  18. ^ Freeman Yeboah, Thomas (7 January 2019). "Mubarak Wakaso celebrates Alhassan Wakaso on his 26th birthday". Pulse Ghana. Retrieved 26 June 2019.