Jordan Botaka
Botaka in 2020
Personal information
Full name Jordan Rolly Botaka[1]
Date of birth (1993-06-24) 24 June 1993 (age 30)
Place of birth Kinshasa, Zaire
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Winger, forward
Team information
Current team
 F.C. Ashdod
Youth career
2001–2004 Westlandia
2004–2004 ADO Den Haag
2005–2007 Anderlecht
2007–2008 Beveren
2008–2010 Lokeren
2010–2012 Club Brugge
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2013 Club Brugge 0 (0)
2013 → Belenenses (loan) 1 (0)
2013–2015 Excelsior 73 (11)
2015–2017 Leeds United 13 (0)
2016–2017 → Charlton Athletic (loan) 26 (2)
2017–2020 Sint-Truiden 84 (11)
2020–2023 Gent 8 (0)
2021 → Charleroi (loan) 10 (0)
2022 → Fortuna Sittard (loan) 7 (0)
2022–2023 → Hapoel Jerusalem (loan) 34 (3)
2023– F.C. Ashdod 0 (0)
International career‡
2012 Netherlands U19 3 (0)
2015– DR Congo[2] 25 (4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16 May 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 11:56, 30 July 2020 (UTC)

Jordan Rolly Botaka (born 24 June 1993) is a Congolese[3] professional footballer. He represents DR Congo at international level.[4]

He formerly played for Club Brugge, Belenenses (on loan), Excelsior, Sint-Truiden, Gent, Charleroi and Fortuna Sittard. He has been nicknamed 'The Wizard' due to his quick feet, trickery and skill with the ball.[5]

Career

Botaka was born in Kinshasa, the son of Congolese parents, Botaka started his career at Dutch side Westlandia and ADO Den Haag, before his parents moved to Antwerp where Botaka joined the academies of Anderlecht, Beveren and KSC Lokeren.[6] He also has a Dutch passport.[7]

Club Brugge

Following vague interest by Newcastle United,[8] Botaka joined Club Brugge from Lokeren on 23 January 2012, a 2 and half year contract.[6]

Botaka spent the whole year at the club, playing in the club's reserve.[9][10] To help gain first team experience, Botaka joined Portuguese Belenenses on loan in 2013,[11] where Mitchell van der Gaag was Manager. The club also stipulated an option to buy Botaka on a permanent deal. However, due to an administrative error, Botaka could not play official matches for the club.

Excelsior

After his spell in Portugal, Botaka was released to Club Brugge and joined Feyenoord on trial but due to Feyenoord's close links with feeder club Excelsior, Botaka went on trial for the side in June 2013.[7] After impressing the club's management during his four weeks trial there,[12] he joined the then Eerste Divisie side Excelsior on 27 July 2013.[13]

Botaka made his Excelsior debut in the opening game of the season on 2 August 2013, where he started the whole game, in a 2–2 draw against Helmond Sport.[14] He then scored his first goals for the side on 6 October 2013, in a 3–1 win over Jong Ajax.[15] After missing out one game, due to illness,[16] he returned from injury and then scored again on 25 October 2013, in a 3–1 win over FC Eindhoven.[17] After ending his three months goal drought,[18] Botaka went on a goal-scoring spree between 14 February 2014 and 7 March 2014 against FC Eindhoven (twice),[19] VVV-Venlo,[20] Achilles '29[21] and Fortuna Sittard.[22] Shortly after, Botaka extended his contract with the club on 17 March 2014.[23] In first season at the club during the 2013–14 season, the club was managed by head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson and then Marinus Dijkhuizen and went on to score 10 goals in 36 league games to earn Excelsior's promotion to Eredivisie after finishing 3rd and earning promotion via the Eerste Divisie playoffs.[24]

Amid to a transfer move to Heerenveen in the summer transfer window,[25] Botaka ended the speculation when he signed a two-year contract with the club, keeping him until 2016.[26] At the start of the 2014–15 season, Botaka made his Eredivisie debut in the opening game of the season, in a 1–1 draw against NAC Breda.[27] This was followed up by scoring in a 3–2 win over Go Ahead Eagles on 17 August 2014.[28] Two months later, on 30 October 2014, he scored in the third round of the KNVB Beker, in a 3–0 win over WKE Emmen.[29] At the end of the season 2014–15 season, Botaka made 33 appearances in Eredivisie scoring 1 goal and helped keep Excelsior in the Eredivisie, having missed one match over a thigh injury.[30][31]

In the summer transfer window of 2015, Botaka continued to be linked with a move away from Excelsior, with Swiss side Sion interested in signing him.[32] However, Botaka was not interested in a move to Sion and stayed there in the final months at Excelsior.[33] Amid to the transfer move, Botaka made four appearances for the side.[34][35]

Leeds United

On transfer deadline day 1 September 2015, Botaka signed for English club Leeds United on a two-year deal, with a club option for a further two years;[36] the transfer fee was undisclosed but reported to be around £1 million.[37] He was given the number 20 shirt for the 2015/16 season.[38][39]

On 27 September, Botaka made his Leeds United debut, starting for Leeds in a 3–0 loss against Middlesbrough.[40] After originally becoming a bit part player at Leeds under new Head Coach Steve Evans, where Evans has questioned Botaka's work-rate, Botaka had impressed in training and came back into the team towards the end of the season with Evans saying that Leeds 'have a real player here' speaking of Botaka.[41] On 24 April 2016, after gaining an assist for Stuart Dallas in a 2–2 draw against Hull, on his return to form, Botaka credited his performances on to wanting to prove Evans earlier season criticism wrong.[42]

Ahead of the 2016–17 season, Botaka found his first team opportunity limited following the new management of Garry Monk.[43] As a result, he was subjected to be linked with a move away from Leeds United.[44] Botaka was released at the end of the 2016/17 season, following his loan at Charlton Athletic.[45]

Charlton Athletic (loan)

On 11 August 2016, Botaka joined Charlton Athletic on a season long loan.[46]

Botaka made his Charlton Athletic debut, coming on as a second-half substitute for Ricky Holmes, in a 1–1 draw against Northampton Town on 13 August 2016.[47] During a 1–0 loss against Rochdale on 1 October 2016, he was subjected of boos from Charlton Athletic after coming on as a late substitute, with Manager Russell Slade described it as “slightly disrespectful”.[48] Although Botaka was out over an injury and international commitment by the end of the year,[49][50] he then got his first start, playing the whole game, in a 0–0 draw against Bradford City on 10 December 2016.[51] It wasn't until on 18 February 2017 when he scored in a 3–3 draw against Rochdale.[52] He scored again on 4 March 2017, in a 2–1 loss against Northampton Town.[53] Although he subsequently spent the most of the season on the substitute bench,[54][55] Botaka went on to make a total of 29 appearances and scored 2 times.

Sint Truiden

After being released by Leeds United, Botaka returned to Belgium, signing for Sint-Truiden, signing a three-year contract on 26 June 2017 before the start of the 2017–18 season.[56] He previously went on trial with the side four years prior to the move.[57]

Botaka made his Sint Truiden debut in the opening game of the season, coming on as a second-half substitute for Samuel Asamoah, in a 3–2 win over Gent.[58] In the third round of the Beker Van Belgie against Leuven on 19 September 2017, he scored his first goal for the club, in a 4–2 win.[59]

Gent

After three season with Sint-Truiden, Botaka was signed by Gent in May 2020 on a four-year deal.[60] In January 2021, he was sent on loan to Charleroi with an option to buy.[61] Upon his return from loan, he was not registered by Gent on their squads for either Belgian First Division A[62] or UEFA Europa Conference League.[63] He reportedly had talks during the summer of 2021 with Turkish clubs BB Erzurumspor and Konyaspor,[64] but the transfer did not happen and he remained on Gent's books. On 28 January 2022, he was loaned to Fortuna Sittard in the Netherlands until the end of the season.[65]

On 15 August 2022, Botaka was loaned to Israeli Premier League club Hapoel Jerusalem.[66] He made his first appearance on August 20 in a league fixture against Hapoel Hadera F.C., in which he scored a goal in a 1-1 draw.

International career

After representing Netherlands U19 at international level in 2012,[67][68] Bokata was selected by Dutch coach Wim Van Zwam for the DR Congo national team and Botaka accepted the call up to the country of his birth, making his debut for Congo against Iran on 28 March 2015.[69][70]

On 9 June 2015, Botaka scored for DR Congo (and his first goal) in a 1–1 draw against Cameroon.[71] On 12 October 2015, Botaka scored his second goal for DR Congo in a 2–1 victory against Gabon, after scoring a rebound from Yannick Bolasie's shot.[72] The following year, Botaka scored two more goals against Madagascar[73] and .[74]

Botaka was named in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations squad for DR Congo during the tournament in January 2017.[75]

Career statistics

Scores and results list DR Congo's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Botaka goal.
List of international goals scored by Jordan Botaka[2]
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 9 June 2015 Stade Charles Tondreau, Mons, Belgium  Cameroon 1–0 1–1 Friendly
2 12 October 2015 Stade de la Cité l'Oie, Visé, Belgium  Gabon 1–0 2–1 Friendly
3 5 June 2016 Mahamasina Municipal Stadium, Antananarivo, Madagascar  Madagascar 6–1 6–1 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
4 4 September 2016 Stade des Martyrs, Kinshasa, DR Congo  Central African Republic 4–1 4–1 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

References

  1. ^ "EFL: Retained list: 2015/16" (PDF). English Football League. p. 29. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 December 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  2. ^ a b Jordan Botaka at National-Football-Teams.com
  3. ^ "Léopards : le point sur les deux matchs amicaux" (in French). Leopards Foot. 1 October 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  4. ^ Jordan Botaka at WorldFootball.net
  5. ^ "Excelsior winger Jordan Botaka absolutely destroys Cambuur defence with amazing skill". Metro. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  6. ^ a b "BOTAKA TEKENT CONTRACT BIJ CLUB BRUGGE" (in Dutch). Voetbal Belgie. 23 January 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  7. ^ a b "Aanvaller Botaka op proef bij Excelsior" (in Dutch). RTV Rijnmood. 27 June 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
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  63. ^ "Gent 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League". UEFA. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  64. ^ "TURKS AVONTUUR VOOR JORDAN BOTAKA" (in Dutch). VoetbalBelgie. 4 July 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  65. ^ "FORTUNA SITTARD HUURT JORDAN BOTAKA VOOR RESTANT SEIZOEN" (Press release) (in Dutch). Fortuna Sittard. 28 January 2022. Archived from the original on 29 January 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  66. ^ "JORDAN BOTAKA TREKT NAAR HAPOEL JERUSALEM" (in Dutch). Gent. 15 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
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  70. ^ "Botaka verliest eerste duel met Congo" (in Dutch). RTV Rijnmond. 28 March 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  71. ^ "Congo en Kameroen spelen gelijk in Bergen" (in Dutch). Sporza.be. 9 June 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  72. ^ "DR Congo – Gabon: 2–1" (in French). L'Equipe. 12 October 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
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  74. ^ "La RD Congo Écarte La Centrafrique Et Disputera La CAN 2017 Parmi Les Favoris" (in French). Le Congolais. 4 September 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  75. ^ "RDC : Kage finalement écarté, Kabananga dans les 23!" (in French). Afrik-Foot. 9 January 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2017.

External links

DR Congo squad – 2017 Africa Cup of Nations
F.C. Ashdod – current squad
Categories