Randy Edwini-Bonsu

Randy Edwini-Bonsu

Personal information
Full name	Randy Edwini-Bonsu
Date of birth	(1990-04-20) April 20, 1990
Place of birth	Kumasi, Ghana
Height	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Playing position	Forward
Club information
Current club	Stuttgarter Kickers
Number	13
Youth career
2007	Metz
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2008	Whitecaps Residency	15	(9)
2008–2010	Vancouver Whitecaps	32	(2)
2009–2010	→ Whitecaps Residency (loan)	11	(2)
2011	AC Oulu	20	(16)
2011–2013	Eintracht Braunschweig	16	(0)
2012–2013	Eintracht Braunschweig II	5	(1)
2014–	Stuttgarter Kickers	1	(0)
National team‡
2006–2007	Canada U17	15	(2)
2008–2009	Canada U20	5	(3)
2012–	Canada U23	2	(0)
2010–	Canada	4	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 28 January 2014. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 28 May 2013

Randy Edwini-Bonsu (born April 20, 1990) is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for Stuttgarter Kickers.

Career

Youth and Amateur

Edwini-Bonsu started playing soccer when his family immigrated from Ghana to Edmonton, Alberta in 2002. He played club soccer for the Green & Gold Soccer Club at the University of Alberta in Edmonton and, from 2004 and 2006, was a member of the Alberta provincial team, leading his province to a gold medal victory at the 2006 Canadian All-Star Championship.

At club level, Edwini-Bonsu played for Southwest United of the Edmonton Interdistrict Youth Soccer Association (EIYSA) between 2003 and 2006, and in his last year with the club he took Southwest United U-16's to an Alberta provincial title and a second-place finish at Canadian Club Championship in Moncton, New Brunswick.

In 2007, he trained with the U-18 and reserve sides of French club F.C. Metz,^[1] before signing with the youth academy of USL First Division side Vancouver Whitecaps. He played for Whitecaps' development team, Vancouver Whitecaps Residency, in the USL Premier Development League, helping the team to the Conference Finals in its inaugural season, scoring nine goals in 15 games along the way.

Professional

Following the conclusion of the 2008 PDL season Edwini-Bonsu was called up to the senior Vancouver Whitecaps team, and made his professional debut on August 20, 2008 in a 0–0 tie with the Seattle Sounders.^[2]

On November 22, 2011, it was announced that Edwini-Bonsu had signed a contract with Eintracht Braunschweig through June 2013,^[3] after impressing in two friendlies while on trial, scoring a total of four goals. Edwini-Bonsu made his debut in Germany on February 5, 2012 in a 2–1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt, he came on as a second half sub for Mathias Fetsch.^[4]

On March 4, 2012, Edwini-Bonsu made his home debut in a league game for Eintracht Braunschweig as a sub for Damir Vrančić (32nd minute).^[5] This substitution set the basics for Eintracht beating Hansa Rostock 3–2: Edwini-Bonsu initiated an attack that lead to Braunschweig's second goal. In minute 79, Edwini-Bonsu was fouled which lead to the final result by a directly converted free-kick from Nico Zimmermann.^[6]

His good performance in this match got confirmed by Eintracht Braunschweig's fans who have voted him as the "Player of the Day".^[7] However, subsequently Edwini-Bonsu could not establish himself as a regular at the club, and his contract was not renewed at the end of the 2012–13 season.^[8]

After six months without a club, he signned for Stuttgarter Kickers in January 2014.

International

On November 12, 2008 he was called to a Canada U-20 training camp in Switzerland. Edwini-Bonsu represented Canada at the 2007 CONCACAF U17 Tournament in Kingston, Jamaica; Canada finished fourth in Group B. Edwini-Bonsu was later called up to a U-20 camp for Canada in November 2008 which included an exhibition match against U-21 from Young Boys Bern on November 24 in Bern and then an international friendly match against Switzerland on November 26, 2008 in Solothurn. He tied for the goal-scoring lead with three goals in three games at the 2009 CONCACAF U-20 Championship even though Canada didn't advance past the group stage. In January 2010, he was called up for the U-23 of Canada alongside his teammate Philippe Davies.^[9] On January 31, 2010, he earned his first cap for the Canada national men's soccer team in a friendly match against Jamaica.^[10][11][12] Edwini-Bonsu didn't return to Canada's senior team until March 22, 2013, when he received his second cap in a friendly against Japan.^[13] On June 27, 2013 Edwini-Bonsu was listed as a part of the confirmed 23-man squad for Colin Miller's Canada squad for 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup.^[14]

Personal life

Edwini-Bonsu's father, Dr. Edwini-Bonsu, was born in Kumasi and his mother, Gifty, was born in Accra. He grew up competing in track and soccer. Edwini-Bonsu speaks English, Twi, and French. He has two younger brothers and a younger sister. The family currently lives in Edmonton, Alberta.

Club Statistics

Last updated on 18 May 2013.

References

External links

• Vancouver Whitecaps bio

v t e Canada squad – 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup 1 Hirschfeld 2 Ledgerwood 3 Morgan 4 Porter 5 Edgar 6 de Guzman 7 Teibert 8 Johnson (c) 9 Ricketts 10 Jackson 11 Haber 12 Nakajima-Farran 13 Pacheco 14 Piette 15 Bekker 16 Edwini-Bonsu 17 de Jong 18 Borjan 19 Straith 20 Henry 21 Osorio 22 Thomas 23 Alemán Coach: Miller