Razak Boukari

Abdoul-Razak Boukari
Born	Abdoul-Razak Boukari (1987-04-25) April 25, 1987 Lomé, Togo
Other names	Razak Boukari
Occupation	Professional footballer
Years active	2004–2022
Known for	Playing as a winger for clubs including Châteauroux, Lens, Rennes, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Sochaux; Togo national team

Abdoul-Razak "Razak" Boukari (born 25 April 1987) is a professional footballer from Togo who operates primarily as a winger.

He progressed from Châteauroux to the highest level of French football, featuring for Lens and Rennes, before moving to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2012. In 2016, he made his way back to Châteauroux, where he stayed until 2022.

Early career

Boukari launched his professional journey at Châteauroux, a club where his father, Sadou, also played. He made his professional debut in the 2004–05 season, scoring twice across fourteen matches. The following season saw him become a regular starter, attracting attention from prominent French clubs such as Nantes, Lille, and Monaco.

Advancement to Ligue 1

In June 2006, Boukari secured a five-year contract with Ligue 1 outfit Lens. During his first season, he featured in 29 league matches, followed by 19 appearances in his second year; however, the team was relegated. Boukari remained with Lens and played a role in their return to Ligue 1 as champions of Ligue 2 in the 2009–10 campaign.

January 2011 marked his transfer to another Ligue 1 club, Rennes, for €4.5 million on a four-and-a-half-year contract. He netted four goals in eighteen appearances before an injury forced him out for the remainder of that season.

In the subsequent season, Boukari lost his place in the starting lineup to Jonathan Pitroipa and suffered a left thigh tear in January 2012, sidelining him for approximately four weeks. He completed the season with twenty appearances—mostly off the bench—and scored three goals as Rennes secured sixth place.

Time at Wolverhampton Wanderers

On 27 August 2012, Boukari signed a four-year contract with Wolverhampton Wanderers competing in the Football League Championship, for an undisclosed amount. Prior to this move, he trialed with Premier League side West Ham United, who ultimately opted to sign Wolverhampton's winger Matt Jarvis, thereby creating an opportunity for Boukari at Wolves.

After a promising start to the season, he sustained a calf injury during a 1–0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday on 29 September 2012. Initially projected to be out for three to six weeks, his rehabilitation extended until Autumn of 2013.

On 12 August 2013, Ligue 1 team Sochaux announced that Boukari would undergo a trial with the intention of securing a season-long loan deal. Although talks initially faltered, the loan was completed on 27 August 2013. His spell at Sochaux was hampered by injuries, limiting him to ten substitute appearances as the club experienced relegation.

International career

Boukari possesses dual nationality with Togo and France. He first represented the France U21 squad in a match against Sweden on 14 November 2006. In July 2010, he pledged his international allegiance to Togo. Between 2010 and 2018, Boukari earned caps for the Togo national team.

Club

Appearances and goals categorized by club, season, and competition

Club	Season	League			Cup		Other		Overall
		Division	Appearances	Goals	Appearances	Goals	Appearances	Goals	Appearances	Goals
Châteauroux	2004–05	Ligue 2	14	5	1	1	—		15	6
	2005–06	Ligue 2	34	2	4	0	—		38	2
	Total		48	7	5	1	—		53	8
Lens	2006–07	Ligue 1	29	0	5	0	8	1	42	1
	2007–08	Ligue 1	19	0	2	1	3	0	24	1
	2008–09	Ligue 2	26	4	5	1	—		31	5
	2009–10	Ligue 1	27	4	4	1	—		31	5
	2010–11	Ligue 1	18	3	1	0	—		23	3
	Total		119	11	17	3	11	1	147	15
Rennes	2010–11	Ligue 1	18	4	3	1	—		21	5
	2011–12	Ligue 1	20	3	2	1	8	2	33	7
	Total		38	7	5	2	8	2	54	11
Wolverhampton Wanderers	2012–13	Championship	4	0	2	0	—		6	0
Sochaux (loan)	2013–14	Ligue 1	10	0	0	0	—		10	0
Sochaux B (loan)	2013–14	CFA	1	0	—		—		1	0

International goals

The tally displays Togo's goals first; the score column reflects the match score immediately following each goal scored by Boukari.

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition																					} Honours Lens Ligue 2 champions: 2008–09 Coupe de la Ligue finalist: 2008 Châteauroux Championnat National title: 2016–17 France U21 Winner of the Toulon Tournament: 2007 External links FFF national team statistics.