Aka Wilfried Julien Kanga (born 21 February 1998) is a professional footballer who plays as a right winger or a forward for EFL Championship side Cardiff City and is on loan from 2. Bundesliga club Hertha BSC.[3] Born in France, he plays for the Ivory Coast national team.

Wilfried Kanga
A cropped in close up shot of Wilfried Kanga looking at the camera with his head slightly turned to the right.
A 2022 photo of Wilfried Kanga
Personal information
Full name Aka Wilfried Julien Kanga[1]
Date of birth (1998-02-21) 21 February 1998 (age 26)
Place of birth Montreuil, France
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)[2]
Position(s) Winger, forward
Team information
Current team
Cardiff City (on loan from Hertha Berlin)
Number 15
Youth career
2004–2007 FCM Garges-lès-Gonesse
2007–2009 FC Villepinte
2009–2010 Sevran FC
2010–2016 Paris Saint-Germain
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2017 Paris Saint-Germain 0 (0)
2016–2017Créteil (loan) 24 (5)
2017–2020 Angers II 8 (8)
2017–2020 Angers 33 (2)
2020–2021 Kayserispor 14 (2)
2021–2022 Young Boys 33 (15)
2022– Hertha BSC 23 (2)
2023–2024Standard Liège (loan) 36 (12)
2024–Cardiff City (loan) 12 (0)
International career
2016 Ivory Coast U20 1 (0)
2018 France U20 4 (1)
2022– Ivory Coast 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 6 November 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17:32, 12 November 2022 (UTC)

Club career

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Kanga is a youth product of PSG, and moved on loan to US Créteil-Lusitanos, after signing his first professional contract.[4] After his successful season in the Championnat National, Kanga was transferred to Angers in the Ligue 1.[5] He made his professional debut for Angers, in a Ligue 1 1–1 tie with Lille on 27 August 2017.[6]

On 30 July 2022, Kanga signed a four-year contract with Hertha BSC in Germany.[7]

On 7 August 2023, Kanga moved on a season-long loan to Standard Liège in Belgium.[8]

On 30 July 2024, Kanga joined Cardiff City on loan.[9]

International career

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Kanga was born in France and is Ivorian by descent, and represented the Ivory Coast U20s in a 3–2 friendly victory over the Qatar U20s in March 2016.[10][11][12]

Kanga switched and represented the France U20s at the 2018 Toulon Tournament. He scored on his debut against the South Korea U20s on 28 May 2018.[13]

Kanga switched back to represent the senior Ivory Coast national team in September 2022, and debuted with them in a friendly 2–1 win over Togo national team on 25 September 2022.[14]

Career statistics

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As of 21 April 2024
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Créteil (loan) 2016–17 Championnat National 24 5 24 5
Angers 2017–18 Ligue 1 9 0 9 0
2018–19 Ligue 1 18 2 1 0 1 0 20 2
2019–20 Ligue 1 4 0 0 0 1 1 5 1
2020–21 Ligue 1 2 0 2 0
Total 33 2 1 0 2 1 36 3
Kayserispor 2020–21 Süper Lig 14 2 1 1 15 3
Young Boys 2021–22 Swiss Super League 31 12 3 4 8 0 42 16
2022–23 Swiss Super League 2 3 0 0 1 0 3 3
Total 33 15 3 4 9 0 45 19
Hertha BSC 2022–23 1. Bundesliga 23 2 0 0 23 2
Standard Liège (loan) 2023–24 Belgian Pro League 31 12 1 0 32 12
Career total 158 38 6 5 2 1 9 0 0 0 175 44

References

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  1. ^ "AlKass Cup Start List 2014" (PDF). Reysol.co.jp. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  2. ^ "Wilfried Kanga". Hertha BSC. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Kayserispor, Wilfried Kanga ile anlaşt". Goal.com. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  4. ^ "Le PSG officialise la signature de Kanga et son prêt à Créteil". Culturepsg.com.
  5. ^ "Angers SCO : Wilfried Kanga nouveau venu". Stadito.fr. 4 July 2017. Archived from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  6. ^ "LFP.fr - Ligue de Football Professionnel - Ligue 1 Conforama - Saison 2017/2018 - 4ème journée - Angers SCO / LOSC". Lfp.fr.
  7. ^ "HERTHA BSC SIGN WILFRIED KANGA". Hertha BSC. 30 July 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  8. ^ "WILFRIED KANGA NOUVEL ATTAQUANT DES ROUCHES" [WILFRIED KANGA NEW STRIKER FOR THE ROUCHES] (in French). Standard Liège. 7 August 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  9. ^ "Kanga joins Bulut's Bluebirds". Cardiff City F.C. 30 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  10. ^ "Cinq U18 du PSG en sélection, dont Kanga". Culturepsg.com.
  11. ^ "[Exclu] Wilfried Kanga (U19/PSG) : " Une passe, c'est bien ! Un but, c'est mieux… " - Les Titis du PSG". Lestitisdupsg.fr. Archived from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  12. ^ "Jean-Philippe avec la Côte d'Ivoire - Chartres Horizon". Chartreshorizon-football.com. 24 March 2016. Archived from the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  13. ^ "Match - France - Corée du Sud - FFF". Fff.fr.
  14. ^ "%competition_name% (Sky Sports)". Sky Sports.
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