Raddy Ovouka

Raddy Ovouka
Personal information
Full name	Raddy Machel Hokemba Ovouka
Date of birth	7 December 1999 (age 24)
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
2018–	Accra Hearts of Oak
2022	→ New Mexico United (loan)
2023–	→ Drita Gjilan (loan)
International career
2020–	Congo
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 June 2024

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

Ovouka joined Accra Hearts of Oak in 2018, he quickly rose through the ranks and helped the club to win the Ghana Premier League and Ghana FA Cup in 2021. His performances also led him to be considered as the best left-back in the Ghana Premier League.^[2]^[3] In 2022, he spent time on loan at USL Championship side New Mexico United before embarking on another loan deal to Kosovo-based club Drita Gjilan.

Ovouka has represented the Congo national team and made his senior international debut in March 2021.

Club career

Hearts of Oak

In January 2018, Ovouka joined Accra Hearts of Oak. He was a member of their squad during their GHALCA Top 8 competition, but he did not 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.^[4] 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.^[5] During the 2019 GFA Normalisation Competition, he played two matches as Hearts made it to the championship semi-final playoff.^[5] 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 only two matches within that period before the league was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana.^[5] His performances earned him a nomination for the Congolese footballer of the year in 2020.^[6]

In January 2021, Ovouka extended his contract by two years.^[7] 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.^[5]^[8] 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.^[9] Ovouka played the full 90 minutes plus extra time in the 2021 Ghana FA Cup final, scoring Hearts' eighth penalty in the penalty shootout to help them complete their domestic double.^[10] At the end of the season, he was regarded as the best left-back in the league and was reportedly a target for a Ligue 1 club as well as other African clubs.^[3]

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.^[11]^[12] On 8 January, New Mexico announced the signing of Ovouka on a one-year loan deal with option for a permanent transfer at the end of the loan spell.^[11]^[13] He made debut on 31 March 2022, coming on in the 90th minute for Sergio Rivas in a 2–2 draw against Oakland Roots.^[14] On 6 April, he made his first start for the club in the second round of U.S. Open Cup, scoring the 3rd goal in their 5–0 victory over Las Vegas Legends.^[15]^[16]

Drita Gjilan

In January 2023, Ovouka joined Football Superleague of Kosovo club Drita Gjilan on a one-year contract which would run until January 2024.^[17]

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.^[18] 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.^[19]