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Gideon Waja

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Gideon Waja
Personal information
Date of birth (1996-12-15) December 15, 1996 (age 27)
Place of birth Accra, Ghana
Height 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
WAFA
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2018 WAFA 59+ (5+)
2018–2020 Toronto FC II 32 (0)
2020–2022 AFC Leopards
2023– Hamilton United 14 (0)
International career‡
2011 Ghana U17 3 (0)
2017 Ghana 3 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of June 9, 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of February 24, 2018

Gideon Waja (born December 15, 1996) is a Ghanaian footballer who plays for Hamilton United in League1 Ontario.

Club career

[edit]

Waja began his senior career with West African Football Academy in 2015,[1] where he served as vice-captain.[2] Afterwards, he became the team's captain in 2017.[3][4] At the end of the 2016 season, the club received transfer offers from Aduana Stars and Kotoko,[5] but he ultimately remained with WAFA.[6] In November 2017, he began training with Kuwaiti side Qadsia SC.[7][8] In November 2017, it was announced that Waja would leave the club after the season with Major League Soccer clubs New York City FC and Toronto FC were being linked as potentially interested clubs.[9]

In February 2018, he signed with Canadian side Toronto FC II in the USL.[10] In 2020, the club opted out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in Waja not playing that season.[11] In March 2020, he returned to Ghana, and began training with his former club WAFA, while were also interested in signing him.[12][13]

In November 2020, he signed with Kenyan Premier League club AFC Leopards on a one-year contract, with an option to extend for an additional year.[14][15][16]

In 2023, he played with Hamilton United in League1 Ontario.[17]

International career

[edit]

Waja played at the youth level with Ghana U17.[18]

In June 2015, he attended a camp with the Ghana national team ahead of the 2015 COSAFA Cup, but did not make the final squad.[19] On May 25, 2017, Waja made his international debut at senior level in a 1–1 draw against Benin with the Ghana B team (it counted as a full international, but a majority of the main squad players were not called up).[20] On 12 August 2017, he scored against Burkina Faso in the 2018 African Nations Championship qualification matches.[21] In September 2017, he was called up for two FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Congo, with was his first call-up with the full Ghanaian team,[22][23] but was an unused substitute in both matches.[18] He then won the 2017 WAFU Cup of Nations with the national B team.[24][25]

Career statistics

[edit]

Club

[edit]
As of June 9, 2024[26]
Club League Season League Playoffs Domestic Cup Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
WAFA Ghana Premier League 2016 26 1 – – – 26 1
2017 33 4 – – – 33 4
Total 59 5 – – – 59 5
Toronto FC II USL 2018 18 0 – – – 18 0
USL League One 2019 14 0 – – – 14 0
Total 32 0 – – – 32 0
Hamilton United League1 Ontario 2023[17] 8 0 – – 8 0
2024 6 0 – – 1 0 7 0
Total 14 0 – – 1 0 15 0
Career total 105 5 0 0 1 0 106 5

International goals

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Scores and results list Ghana's goal tally first.[27]
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 12 August 2017 Stade du 4 Août, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso  Burkina Faso 2–1 2–2 2018 African Nations Championship qualification

References

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  1. ^ "WAFA agree Gideon Waja's move to Toronto FC". Beach FM. February 16, 2018.
  2. ^ Osman, Rahman (November 25, 2015). "WAFA deputy skipper Gideon Waja anticipating a keenly contested 2015/2016 Ghana Premier League". Ghana SoccerNet.
  3. ^ Armah Tagoe, Godwin Nii (September 17, 2019). "'If WAFA Was To Have A Game It All Depended On Waja' – Ashimeru Hails 'Brother' Gideon Waja". FocalSports.
  4. ^ "WAFA's Gideon Waja happy with Black Stars call-up". MyJoy Online. August 24, 2017.
  5. ^ Akyereko, El (November 11, 2016). "Aduana Stars strongly enter race to sign WAFA talisman Gideon Waja". Ghana SoccerNet.
  6. ^ "WAFA midfielder Gideon Waja not desperate to leave the club". Ghana SoccerNet. December 5, 2016.
  7. ^ "Exclusive: Black Stars B trio Stephen Sarfo, Felix Addo and Gideon Waja on trials at Kuwaiti side Qadsia". Ghana SoccerNet. November 15, 2017.
  8. ^ Akyereko, El (November 16, 2017). "Exclusive: WAFA midfielder Gideon Waja set to swerve Al-Qadsia to join MLS side Toronto FC". Shana Sports Online.
  9. ^ Amoasi Appiah, Samuel Ekow (November 24, 2017). "Gideon Waja Will Not Be With Us In The 2017/18 GPL Season – WAFA Operations Manager". Modern Ghana.
  10. ^ "Official: USL side Toronto FC II announce signing WAFA captain Gideon Waja". Ghana SoccerNet. February 21, 2018.
  11. ^ Gyimah, Edmund Okai (July 30, 2020). "No football for Gideon Waja this season". Sports World Ghana.
  12. ^ "GPL: Kotoko open talks to sign Gideon Waja". Ghana Guardian. March 17, 2020.
  13. ^ "Kotoko make move to sign Gideon Waja". KickGH. March 17, 2020.
  14. ^ Osano, Bonface (November 7, 2020). "FKFPL Transfers: Leopards Sign Ghanaian Midfielder Gideon Waja". KahawaTungu.
  15. ^ "Gideon Waja: Ex-WAFA captain signs for Kenya's AFC Leopards". Footy Ghana. November 7, 2020. Archived from the original on May 21, 2023.
  16. ^ "Exclusive: Ghanaian midfielder Gideon Waja joins Kenyan giants AFC Leopards". Ghana SoccerNet. November 7, 2020.
  17. ^ a b "Gideon Waja 2023 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  18. ^ a b "Toronto FC II sign midfielder Gideon Waja". Toronto FC. February 20, 2018.
  19. ^ "Midfield ace Gideon Waja has rejoined the #wafasc First Team after being released by the Local Black Stars". West African Football Academy. June 24, 2015. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018.
  20. ^ Annor, Kwaki (February 21, 2018). "Toronto FC II announce the signing of Gideon Waja". Pulse Ghana.
  21. ^ Tophic Sienu, Sheikh (August 14, 2017). "Outstanding Musah Nuhu earns praises from Gideon Waja after Ghana's 2-2 stalemate with Burkina Faso in CHAN qualifier". Ghana SoccerNet.
  22. ^ "WAFA captain Gideon Waja trains with Black Stars for the first time". Ghana SoccerNet. August 29, 2017.
  23. ^ "WAFA star Gideon Waja delighted with debut Black Stars call-up". Ghana SoccerNet. August 24, 2017.
  24. ^ "Exclusive! Ghanaian midfielder Gideon Waja joins Kenyan giants AFC Leopards". Ghana SoccerNet. November 7, 2020.
  25. ^ "Gideon Waja leaves WAFA for Toronto FC". Footy Ghana. February 16, 2018. Archived from the original on January 26, 2020.
  26. ^ Gideon Waja at Soccerway
  27. ^ "Gideon Waja". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
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