Oumare Tounkara

Oumare Tounkara
Tounkara playing for Châteauroux in 2018
Personal information
Full name Oumare Tounkara[1]
Date of birth (1990-05-25) 25 May 1990[2]
Place of birth Paris, France
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[3]
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2009 Sedan 0 (0)
2009–2012 Sunderland 0 (0)
2010–2011 → Oldham Athletic (loan) 44 (7)
2012 → Oldham Athletic (loan) 8 (1)
2012 Red Star 0 (0)
2013 Bristol Rovers 9 (2)
2013–2014 Stevenage 15 (0)
2014 → Grimsby Town (loan) 12 (2)
2014–2015 Drancy 19 (11)
2015–2019 Châteauroux 122 (28)
2019–2020 Astra Giurgiu 14 (0)
2020–2021 Lyon La Duchère 24 (4)
2021 Fleury 10 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 00:25, 2 December 2021 (UTC)

Oumare Tounkara (born 25 May 1990) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker.

Tounkara began his career at French club Sedan, before attracting transfer interest from Sunderland, signing with the Premier League club in the summer of 2009. He had two loan spells at League One club Oldham Athletic, playing regularly during the 2010–11 season and making eight appearances during a brief second loan towards the latter stages of the 2011–12 season. He was released by Sunderland in May 2012, having not made any senior appearances. He briefly returned to France to join Red Star of the Championnat National, but did not make a competitive appearance.

In March 2013, Tounkara joined League Two club Bristol Rovers on a short-term deal and was released upon the expiry of his contract in May. Shortly after, he signed for League One club Stevenage, where he was also loaned to Grimsby Town. He returned to France in the summer of 2014 and joined JA Drancy for the 2014–15 season. Following 11 goals in 19 appearances for Drancy, he joined Châteauroux, helping the club achieve promotion to Ligue 2 during the 2016–17 season. After four years at Châteauroux, Tounkara signed for Romanian club Astra Giurgiu in July 2019. He returned to France and signed for Lyon La Duchère in June 2020, spending a year there before joining Fleury.

Early life

Tounkara was born in Paris into a Senegalese-Malian family and is one of six siblings.[4]

Club career

Sunderland

Tounkara playing for Sunderland in 2011

Tounkara signed a professional contract with French Ligue 2 club Sedan ahead of the 2008–09 season, although he did not a senior appearance during his 12 months at the club.[5] He was subsequently invited for a trial at Premier League club Sunderland and joined permanently in July 2009, having featured in several of the reserve team's pre-season fixtures.[5] He struggled with persistent injuries during his first season, making 13 appearances for the reserves.[5]

Ahead of the 2010–11 season, Tounkara joined League One club Oldham Athletic on a season-long loan deal, along with team-mate Jean-Yves Mvoto, to gain senior experience.[6] He made his debut for Oldham on 7 August 2010, playing 84 minutes in a 2–1 victory over Tranmere Rovers.[7] A week later, he scored his first goal for the club, doubling Oldham's lead in a 3–0 home win against Notts County.[8] Tounkara scored three goals in five matches during late October and November 2010,[9][10][11] all at Boundary Park.[12] He was a regular throughout his year at Oldham, making 46 appearances and scoring seven goals.[12]

Tounkara returned to Sunderland at the end of the season and trained with the first team during pre-season ahead of the 2011–12 season, scoring in a 2–1 friendly victory over York City on 13 July 2011.[13] He was assigned a squad number for the season after impressing manager Steve Bruce in pre-season.[5] Although early indications suggested he might feature for the senior team, he resumed playing for Sunderland's reserve team during the first half of the season.[14] He later described the experience as valuable but expressed disappointment at not being given a first-team opportunity.[14] In March 2012, Tounkara rejoined Oldham on loan for the remainder of the 2011–12 season.[15] He made eight appearances, of which three were starts, and scored once, on the last day of the season in a 2–1 victory over Carlisle United.[16][17] Tounkara released in May 2012 as one of nine departing players, having made no senior appearances during his three-year spell at the club.[18][19][20]

Bristol Rovers

Following his release from Sunderland, Tounkara briefly returned to France to play for Red Star of the Championnat National, although he did not make any first-team appearances during his time at the club.[21] In February 2013, Tounkara joined League Two club Bristol Rovers on a week-long trial.[22] The trial proved to be successful, and he signed a short-term contract until the end of the 2012–13 season.[22] He made his debut for Bristol Rovers in the club's 3–0 win over Burton Albion on 2 March 2013, coming on as a substitute for Ryan Brunt on the hour mark.[23] He scored twice on his first start for the club, on Easter Monday, in a 4–2 away victory against Dagenham & Redbridge.[24][25] Manager John Ward praised his performance, describing him as "an interesting player" with good awareness and finishing ability.[26] However, he was released at the end of the season, with Ward citing limited playing opportunities due to the return to fitness of other strikers.[27] Tounkara made nine appearances for Bristol Rovers, scoring twice.[25]

Stevenage

Tounkara signed for League One club Stevenage on a free transfer on 21 May 2013.[28] He made his debut on the opening day of the 2013–14 season, playing the full match in a 4–3 defeat to former club Oldham Athletic.[29] Tounkara played a peripheral role during the first half of the season, making seven starts and 10 substitute appearances,[30] before being made available for loan in January 2014.[31]

Tounkara joined Conference Premier club Grimsby Town on 27 January 2014, on a loan deal for the remainder of the season.[32] He made his debut the following day, coming on as an 83rd-minute substitute in Grimsby's 2–1 away victory at Cambridge United.[33] Tounkara scored his first goal for the club on his first start, scoring in a 4–1 FA Trophy win over Tamworth on 1 February 2014.[34] He added two further goals in April 2014, both at Blundell Park: first, a late equaliser as a substitute against Woking,[35] and then in a 2–1 win over Chester.[36] He made 15 appearances in all competitions during his loan spell, including six starts, and scored three goals.[30]

Drancy

Tounkara was released by Stevenage in May 2014[37] and began the 2014–15 season without a club.[30] He joined JA Drancy of the Championnat National 2, the fourth tier of the French football, in October 2014.[30] He made his debut for Drancy on 19 October 2014, playing 83 minutes in the club's 2–0 away victory at Metz II.[38] His arrival coincided with an upturn in form for the club, scoring five goals in his five opening games, to help lift Drancy out of the relegation places into mid-table.[30][4] His early season form at Drancy attracted the interest of Ligue 1 clubs Saint-Étienne and Toulouse,[4] although no move materialised and he remained at Drancy to see out the 2014–15 season. Tounkara scored his first career hat-trick in a 3–1 win over Raon-l'Étape in March 2015,[39] and ended the season having scored 11 goals in 19 appearances for the Parisien team, with Drancy finishing ninth in the league.[30][40]

Châteauroux

Tounkara playing for Châteauroux in 2018

Tounkara left Drancy at the end of the season and signed for Championnat National club LB Châteauroux on a free transfer ahead of the 2015–16 season.[30] He made his debut in the club's opening game of the season, on 7 August 2015, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 defeat to Fréjus Saint-Raphaël.[41] Tounkara scored his first goals for Châteauroux on 4 September 2015, netting twice late on in a 3–1 victory against US Boulogne at Stade de la Libération.[42] He was a regular for the club throughout the season and adapted well to the step up to the third tier of French football, making 29 appearances in all competitions and scoring 12 times as Châteauroux missed out on promotion with a fifth-placed finish.[30][43]

Tounkara remained at Châteauroux for the 2016–17 season, which proved successful individually and collectively. He opened the season by scoring in Châteauroux's first league fixture, a 2–0 away win at Les Herbiers VF.[44] Tounkara was a mainstay in the starting line-up for most of the season, starting 30 of the 34 league matches, and made two further substitute appearances, scoring seven goals as Châteauroux won Championnat National and secured promotion to Ligue 2.[30][45] At the end of the season, it was initially reported that Tounkara had departed following the expiry of his contract, amid interest from "many clubs".[46] However, in June 2017, Châteauroux stated that Tounkara had signed a new three-year contract, extending his stay until 2020.[46]

Tounkara started Châteauroux's opening match of the 2017–18 season, an away fixture against Stade Brest on 28 July 2017, although his Ligue 2 debut was curtailed after he sustained an injury in the ninth minute and was substituted.[47] He returned to first-team action a month later, appearing as a late substitute in a 5–1 win at Sochaux,[48] before scoring his first goal of the season in the club's next match, doubling Châteauroux's lead in an eventual 3–2 home win over US Quevilly on 8 September 2017.[49] Tounkara scored six goals in 34 appearances during the season,[30] as Châteauroux fnished ninth, consolidating their place in the second tier.[50] He made 32 appearances in all competitions during the 2018–19 season, scoring four goals.[30]

Astra Giurgiu

He spent the 2019–20 season with Romanian club Astra Giurgiu,[30] having signed on 26 July 2019.[51] He made his debut in the club's 2–1 victory over FCSB on 5 August 2019, coming on as a 91st-minute substitute.[52] Limited to six starts, he made 15 appearances in all competitions during his time at the club.[30]

Return to France

Tounkara returned to France and signed for Championnat National club SC Lyon on 1 June 2020,[30][53] scoring four times in 24 appearances during the 2020–21 season as the club were relegated to Championnat National 2.[30][54] Tounkara signed for Championnat National 2 club Fleury on 5 August 2021.[55] He debuted for the club in a 2–1 away victory at Beauvais on 14 August 2021, coming on as a 78th-minute substitute in the match.[30]

International career

Tounkara was named in the provisional squad for France's under-20 team for the 2011 Toulon Tournament, but was not selected in the final 20-man selection.[56]

Style of play

Predominantly deployed as a centre forward, Tounkara was also utilised as a left-sided winger during his time at Châteauroux.[30] Upon rejoining Oldham Athletic, manager Paul Dickov identified his physicality and pace as key attributes.[15]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Sedan 2008–09[30] Ligue 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sunderland 2009–10[30] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2010–11[30] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2011–12[30] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Oldham Athletic (loan) 2010–11[12] League One 44 7 1 0 0 0 1[a] 0 46 7
2011–12[17] League One 8 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 1
Total 52 8 1 0 0 0 1 0 54 8
Red Star 2012–13[30] Championnat National 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Bristol Rovers 2012–13[25] League Two 9 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 2
Stevenage 2013–14[57] League One 15 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 17 0
Grimsby Town (loan) 2013–14[57] Conference Premier 12 2 0 0 0 0 3[b] 1 15 3
Drancy 2014–15[30] Championnat National 2 19 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 19 11
Châteauroux 2015–16[30] Championnat National 28 12 0 0 1 0 0 0 29 12
2016–17[30] Championnat National 32 7 3 2 2 0 0 0 37 10
2017–18[30] Ligue 2 32 5 3 1 0 0 0 0 35 6
2018–19[30] Ligue 2 29 4 1 0 2 0 0 0 32 4
Total 122 28 7 3 7 0 0 0 136 31
Astra Giurgiu 2019–20[30] Liga I 14 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 15 0
Sporting Club Lyon 2020–21[30] Championnat National 24 4 0 0 — 0 0 24 4
Fleury 2021–22[30] Championnat National 2 10 0 0 0 — 0 0 10 0
Career total 277 55 9 3 7 0 4 1 297 59
  1. ^ Appearance in the EFL Trophy
  2. ^ Appearances in the FA Trophy

Honours

Châteauroux

References

  1. ^ "List of Temporary Transfers of Players under Written Contract Between 01/01/2014 and 31/01/2014". The Football Association. p. 27. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  2. ^ "Oumare Tounkara". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Archived from the original on 8 June 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  3. ^ "Oumare Tounkara: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  4. ^ a b c "L'attaquant qui redonne le sourire à Drancy". Le Parisien (in French). 17 January 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d "Oumare Tounkara – Sunderland". Sunderland A.F.C. Archived from the original on 7 July 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  6. ^ "Oldham sign Jean Yves M'voto & Oumare Tounkara on loan". BBC Sport. 5 August 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
  7. ^ "Tranmere 1–2 Oldham". BBC Sport. 7 August 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
  8. ^ "Oldham 3–0 Notts County". BBC Sport. 14 August 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
  9. ^ "Oldham 4–2 Plymouth". BBC Sport. 30 October 1997. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  10. ^ "Oldham 1–0 Huddersfield". BBC Sport. 13 November 2010. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  11. ^ "Oldham 3–3 Exeter". BBC Sport. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  12. ^ a b c "Games played by Oumare Tounkara in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  13. ^ Veal, Harry (13 July 2011). "York City 1–2 Sunderland". Goal.com. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  14. ^ a b "Tounkara waits on future". Sky Sports. 26 March 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  15. ^ a b "Oumare Tounkara rejoins Oldham Athletic from Sunderland". BBC Sport. 23 March 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  16. ^ "Oldham 2–1 Carlisle". BBC Sport. 5 May 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  17. ^ a b "Games played by Oumare Tounkara in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  18. ^ "Craig Gordon released by Sunderland as nine players leave". BBC Sport. 19 May 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  19. ^ "Gordon leaves Sunderland". Sky Sports. 19 May 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  20. ^ "Oumare Tounkara – Soccerbase". Soccerbase. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  21. ^ "Oumare Tounkara – Soccerway". Soccerway. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  22. ^ a b "Oumare Tounkara joins Bristol Rovers after David Clarkson injury". BBC Sport. 28 February 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  23. ^ "Bristol Rovers 3–0 Burton". BBC Sport. 2 March 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  24. ^ "Dag & Red 2–4 Bristol Rovers". BBC Sport. 1 April 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  25. ^ a b c "Games played by Oumare Tounkara in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  26. ^ McNamara, James (2 April 2013). "Bristol Rovers boss John Ward full of praise for two-goal Oumare Tounkara". The Post. Archived from the original on 7 July 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  27. ^ "Young Bristol Rovers duo expected to sign new deals". The Post. 10 May 2013. Archived from the original on 7 July 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  28. ^ Jones, Mitchell (21 May 2013). "Westley begins recruitment process". Stevenage F.C. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  29. ^ "Stevenage 3–4 Oldham". BBC Sport. 3 August 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
  30. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae "O. Tounkara". Soccerway. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  31. ^ Roberts, Damion (13 January 2014). "Stevenage transfer list duo for second time". The Comet. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  32. ^ Toyn, Dave (27 January 2014). "Tounkara and Dunne depart on loan". Stevenage F.C. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  33. ^ "Cambridge United 1–2 Grimsby Town". Soccerway. 28 January 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  34. ^ "Grimsby Town 4–1 Tamworth". Soccerway. 1 February 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  35. ^ "Grimsby Town 2–2 Woking". Soccerway. 8 April 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  36. ^ "Grimsby Town 2–1 Chester". Soccerway. 12 April 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  37. ^ "Stevenage release nine as Jon Ashton and Chris Day pen deals". BBC Sport. 17 May 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  38. ^ "Metz II 0–2 Drancy". Soccerway. 19 October 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  39. ^ "Drancy 1–3 Raon-l'Etape". Soccerway. 28 March 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  40. ^ "Soccerway – National 2 – 2014–15". Soccerway. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  41. ^ "Frejus Saint-Raphael 1–0 Chateauroux". Soccerway. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  42. ^ "Boulogne 1–3 Chateauroux". Soccerway. 4 September 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  43. ^ "Soccerway – National 1 – 2015–16". Soccerway. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  44. ^ "Les Herbiers 0–2 Chateauroux". Soccerway. 5 August 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  45. ^ "Soccerway – National 1 – 2016–17". Soccerway. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  46. ^ a b "Tounkara, le doute n'est pas permis" (in French). La Nouvelle République. 27 June 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  47. ^ "Brest 2–3 Chateauroux". Soccerway. 28 July 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  48. ^ "Sochaux 1–5 Chateauroux". Soccerway. 25 August 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  49. ^ "Chateauroux 3–2 Quevilly Rouen". Soccerway. 8 September 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  50. ^ "Summary – Ligue 2 – 2017/2018". Soccerway. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  51. ^ "Atacant francez pentru echipa noastră" (in Romanian). FC Astra Giurgiu. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  52. ^ "Astra 2–1 FCSB". Soccerway. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  53. ^ "National – Un renfort de choix arrive" (in French). Sporting Club de Lyon. 1 June 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  54. ^ "Championnat National – 2020–21 – League Table". Soccerway. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  55. ^ "Oumare Tounkara débarque au FC Fleury 91 (officiel)". Actufoot (in French). 5 August 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  56. ^ "Athletic pair miss out on Toulon tournament". Oldham Evening Chronicle. 27 May 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  57. ^ a b "Games played by Oumare Tounkara in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Oumare Tounkara.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.