Franco_Tongya
Franco Tongya
Italian footballer (born 2002)
Franco Daryl Tongya Heubang (born 13 March 2002) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Cypriot First Division club AEK Larnaca, on loan from Danish Superliga club OB.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Franco Daryl Tongya Heubang[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (2002-03-13) 13 March 2002 (age 22) | ||
| Place of birth | Turin, Italy | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | AEK Larnaca (on loan from OB) | ||
| Number | 8 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2006–2009 | Brandizzo | ||
| 2009–2021 | Juventus | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2021 | Juventus U23 | 10 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | Marseille II | 14 | (4) |
| 2022– | OB | 27 | (3) |
| 2023– | → AEK Larnaca (loan) | 28 | (6) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2017–2018 | Italy U16 | 13 | (1) |
| 2018–2019 | Italy U17 | 22 | (7) |
| 2019 | Italy U18 | 9 | (2) |
| 2020–2021 | Italy U19 | 2 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | Italy U20 | 7 | (1) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22 April 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:01, 7 June 2022 (UTC) | |||
Early career
Born in Turin, Italy, to Cameroonian parents,[2] Tongya began his youth career at Brandizzo when he was about four years old,[3] before moving to Juventus' youth sector in 2009 aged seven.[3] In 2016–17 he captained the under-15 side, helping them win the league title.[3]
Tongya made his Serie C debut for Juventus U23 – the reserve team of Juventus – on 28 September 2020,[4] in a 2–1 win over Pro Sesto.[5] He played 10 league games in the first half of the 2020–21 season.[4]
Marseille
On 28 January 2021, Tongya joined Ligue 1 Marseille in a deal worth €8 million, with Marley Aké moving to Juventus for the same fee.[6] He made his debut for the reserve team in the Championnat National 2 on 27 February, as a starter in a 0–0 draw against Rumilly-Vallières.[7]
Odense Boldklub
On 30 August 2022, Tongya joined Danish side OB on a permanent deal, signing a three-year contract with the club.[8] He subsequently made his debut in the Danish Superliga on 4 September, starting the match against Viborg, which ended in a 2-1 defeat for his team.[9]
On 21 October, Tongya scored his first goal with the club, as well as his first professional goal, in a 3–1 league win against Lyngby.[10][11] On 10 March 2023, he scored with a bicycle kick in a 2-1 league win over Aalborg: thanks to this achievement, he eventually received the "Goal of the Month" prize by the Superligaen.[12][13]
Loan to AEK Larnaca
On 2 September 2023, Tongya joined Cypriot First Division side AEK Larnaca on a season-long loan.[14]
Tongya has represented Italy internationally from under-16 to under-19 levels.[2] He played for the under-17 side at the 2019 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, playing five games and scoring Italy's winning goal in the semi-finals against Portugal;[15] Italy eventually lost the final to the Netherlands.[16]
Tongya also took part at the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil; he played as a starter in all five games and scored a goal in the group stage against the Solomon Islands.[2] Italy were knocked out by hosts Brazil in the quarter-finals.[2]
Both in May and December 2022, he was involved in training camps led by the Italian senior national team's manager, Roberto Mancini, and aimed to the most promising national talents.[17][18]
Mainly a half-winger (Italian: mezzala), Tongya is also capable of playing as an attacking midfielder,[19] or a winger.[20] He initially started out as a forward, before moving to the midfield.[19] He has been described as a dynamic player, with good tactical intelligence and technical ability.[21]
Tongya cited Cristiano Ronaldo as a source of inspiration.[3]
Club
- As of match played 27 August 2023[4]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[lower-alpha 1] | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Juventus U23 | 2020–21 | Serie C | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Marseille II | 2020–21 | National 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021–22 | National 2 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 4 | |
| OB | 2022–23 | Danish Superliga | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 2 |
| 2023–24 | Danish Superliga | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | |
| Total | 21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 3 | ||
| AEK Larnaca | 2023–24 | Cypriot First Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career total | 39 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 6 | ||
- Includes Coppa Italia, Coupe de France, Danish Cup
Juventus
Italy U17
- UEFA European Under-17 Championship runners-up: 2019[16]
- "FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil 2019: List of Players: Italy" (PDF). FIFA. 31 October 2019. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 December 2019.
- Attanasio, Christian (10 July 2020). "Juve Primavera: Franco Tongya, il prototipo del trequartista moderno". Juventus News 24 (in Italian). Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- Juventus.com. "U19 | Franco Tongya tells his story between past and present - Juventus TV". Juventus.com. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- Franco Tongya at Soccerway. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- "Juventus II vs. Pro Sesto - 28 September 2020 - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- Juventus.com. "UFFICIALE | Marley Akè è bianconero. Tongya al Marsiglia - Juventus". Juventus.com (in Italian). Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- "Olympique Marseille II vs. Rumilly Vallières - 27 February 2021 - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
- "OB henter Franco Tongya i Marseille". OB (in Danish). 30 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
- "Viborg FF kunne rejse hjem med sejren". OB (in Danish). 4 September 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- "Endnu engang bød Oktoberfesten på sejr". www.ob.dk (in Danish). 21 October 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
- Rotondaro, Vittorio (22 October 2022). "Tongya conquista la Danimarca: primo goal con la maglia dell'Odense". Goal.com (in Italian). Retrieved 22 October 2022.
- "Franco Tongya scorede Månedens Mål i marts". Superligaen (in Danish). 24 March 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
- Torrisi, Antonio (25 March 2023). "Rete in rovesciata e digiuno spezzato: Tongya vince il premio "Goal del mese" in Danimarca". Goal.com (in Italian). Retrieved 25 March 2023.
- "Υπογραφή συμφωνίας για τον δανεισμό του Franco Daryl Tongya Heubang". AEK Larnaca (in Cypriot Greek). 2 September 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
- "L'Italia vola in semifinale. Tongya gol, Portogallo battuto 1-0, ora la Francia". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 13 December 2020.
- UEFA.com. "Olanda-Italia | Under 17". UEFA.com (in Italian). Retrieved 13 December 2020.
- "Raduno dei giocatori di interesse nazionale, iniziato il lavoro del secondo gruppo azzurro". FIGC (in Italian). 25 May 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
- "Stage a Coverciano dal 20 al 22 dicembre, convocati due gruppi di calciatori di interesse nazionale". FIGC (in Italian). 15 December 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- "Gli Under 17 azzurri: la scheda di Franco Tongya". TuttiTalenti (in Italian). 7 December 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- "Franco Tongya rejoint l'OM". OM (in French). Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- "Franco Tongya: talento italiano classe 2002". World Football Scouting (in Italian). 5 May 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- Franco Tongya at Soccerway
- Franco Tongya at WorldFootball.net
- Franco Tongya – French league stats at Ligue 1 – also available in French