Mubarak Wakaso

1.1. Childhood and Youth Career

Wakaso was born on 25 July 1990 in Tamale, located in the Northern Region of Ghana. He started his early football development with S.C. Adelaide.

1.2. First Professional Clubs in Ghana and Spain

Wakaso began his senior career with Ashanti Gold SC in Ghana. In 2008, he moved to Spain, signing a five-year contract with Elche CF. However, his arrival at the club was delayed by nearly two months due to international duty. During his time at Elche, Wakaso faced several disciplinary issues and violations of internal codes, leading to his release from the club in late January 2011.

Shortly after his departure from Elche, he joined Villarreal CF B, another team in the Segunda División. On 27 February 2011, Wakaso made his La Liga debut for the senior Villarreal team as a substitute in a 2-2 away draw against Racing de Santander. He played in only six matches during his first full season, which unfortunately saw the "Yellow Submarine" relegated after 12 years in the top flight.

2.1. Move to Russia and European Loans

On 11 July 2012, Wakaso signed a four-year contract with RCD Espanyol. He was a regular starter, appearing in 23 league matches during his sole season with the Catalans. In the final days of the 2013 summer transfer window, Wakaso moved to the Russian Premier League to play for FC Rubin Kazan.

On 28 August 2014, he joined Celtic in Scotland on a season-long loan. He made an immediate impact, scoring on his competitive debut for Celtic, which was the opening goal in a 2-2 away draw against FC Red Bull Salzburg in the UEFA Europa League group stage. After making limited appearances, Wakaso was loaned to UD Las Palmas for one year on 30 August 2015.

2.2. Panathinaikos and Return to Spain

On 10 July 2016, Wakaso signed a three-year contract with Super League Greece club Panathinaikos F.C. for an undisclosed fee. During a Europa League group phase home match against AFC Ajax on 15 September, he was sent off in the last minute of the 1-2 home loss. Following this, UEFA imposed an additional two-game suspension after his initial ban.

On 1 February 2017, Wakaso was loaned back to Spain, joining Granada CF, another top-flight team. He scored his first goal for Granada on 1 March, contributing to a 2-1 home victory against Deportivo Alavés.

2.3. Deportivo Alavés

On 17 July 2017, the day after mutually terminating his contract with Panathinaikos, Wakaso signed a three-year deal with Deportivo Alavés. He scored his only competitive goal for the Basque club on 18 May 2019, in a 2-1 home defeat of Girona FC, a result which led to Girona's relegation.

2.4. Asian and Belgian Career

Wakaso transferred to Chinese Super League side Jiangsu Suning F.C. on 18 January 2020. The following year, on 12 April 2021, he joined Shenzhen F.C. in the same country after Jiangsu Suning were dissolved. Later, during the 2022-23 Belgian Pro League season, he had a loan spell with K.A.S. Eupen in Belgium.

3.1. Youth National Team

Wakaso represented Ghana at the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship held in Peru. He played in two matches during the tournament, where Ghana exited at the group stage after three draws.

3.2. Senior National Team Debut and Achievements

He made his full international debut for the Ghana national football team on 13 October 2012, in a qualifier match against Malawi. Wakaso scored his first goal for Ghana in a friendly match against Cape Verde on 14 November 2012.

He was selected for the Ghanaian squad that participated in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa. In the tournament, he notably scored the only goal of the game from a penalty kick in a group stage fixture against Mali. He continued his impressive performance by scoring both goals in Ghana's 2-0 quarter-final victory over Cape Verde. In the semi-final against Burkina Faso, he also scored, though the match ended in a 1-1 draw and Ghana was eliminated on penalties.

3.3. Major International Tournaments

Wakaso was included in the 2014 FIFA World Cup squad by manager James Kwesi Appiah. He made his World Cup debut on 21 June, playing 22 minutes in a 2-2 draw against Germany.

At the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, on 5 February 2015, Wakaso scored the second goal in Ghana's 3-0 victory against Equatorial Guinea in the semi-finals, securing their place in the final. In the decisive match against the Ivory Coast, he successfully converted his penalty shootout attempt, though Ghana eventually lost 9-8. Overall, Wakaso has appeared in five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments for Ghana, including the 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021 editions. He was also part of the squads for the 2013 and 2015 Africa Cup of Nations as well as the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

6.1. Club Statistics

6.2. International Statistics

6.3. List of International Goals