Stevy Okitokandjo

Stevy Okitokandjo
Personal information
Date of birth	18 June 1994 (age 30)
Place of birth	Haarlem, Netherlands
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Forlì
Number	19
Senior career*
Years	Team
0000–2014	Gent
2014–2016	Mechelen
2014–2015	→ Roeselare (loan)
2015–2016	→ Patro Eisden (loan)
2016–2017	Virton
2017–2018	Leixões
2018	→ Olhanense (loan)
2018–2019	Olhanense
2019–2020	Castelo Branco
2020–2022	Mafra
2022–2023	Trofense
2023–2024	Puerto Cabello
2024–	Forlì
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 November 2024

Stevy Okitokandjo (born 18 June 1994) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a forward for Italian Serie D club Forlì.

Career

Born in Haarlem, North Holland, to a family of Congolese descent, Okitokandjo played in his youth for Olympia Haarlem. At the age of 8, he was accepted into the academy of Ajax, but his family moved to Belgium, telling him at first that it was only on holiday; he was then not allowed to join high level youth academies due his parents' emphasis on education. When he was 17, his club Dender went bankrupt and he moved to Gent.^[1]

Okitokandjo did not make a top-flight appearance in Belgium for Gent or for Mechelen, and was loaned to Roeselare and Patro Eisden in the second tier. He trialled with Beerschot in 2016 but on the day that he was due to sign, he suffered a car crash, which he alleged to be due to sabotage by an envious neighbour.^[1]

After Beerschot postponed signing him, Okitokandjo signed for third-tier Virton, where he was scouted by Leixões after scoring twice and assisting another goal in 20 minutes; the Portuguese second division club were in Belgium to watch one of his teammates. Struggling with the new language and climate, he was loaned to Olhanense in the league below. After trials at FC Eindhoven and for Slovak club Trenčín, he joined Olhanense permanently.^[1]

Olhanense's main financial backer died, putting the club into financial turmoil and making Okitokandjo sleep in a room in the stadium for four months rather than in the apartment he had been promised in his contract. He then moved to Castelo Branco in the same league.^[1] He was the top scorer in the 2019–20 Taça de Portugal with six goals, four of which in a 7–0 win at Eléctrico in the first round.^[2]

On 30 June 2020, Okitokandjo moved up a league to Mafra.^[3] He scored 7 goals in 27 games in his first season, including a penalty on his debut on 13 September in a 4–0 opening win at Cova da Piedade and two on 20 December as they came back to draw 2–2 at home to U.D. Oliveirense.^[4]^[5]

Okitokandjo moved to Trofense, also in the Portuguese second tier, on 9 July 2022.^[6] He scored on his debut on 6 August, as the season began with a 3–2 home win over Belenenses SAD.^[7]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Meijer, Chris (23 April 2020). "De thriller van Stevy Okitokandjo: 'Ik zou niet twijfelen als Ajax komt'" [Stevy Okitokandjo's thriller: 'I wouldn't hesitate if Ajax came'] (in Dutch). Voetbal Zone. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
^ Costa, Daniel (23 December 2019). "O melhor marcador da Taça de Portugal é do Benfica (de Castelo Branco)" [The Taça de Portugal top scorer plays for Benfica (de Castelo Branco)] (in Portuguese). Zap. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
^ "Avançado Stevy Okitokandjo reforça plantel do Mafra" [Forward Stevy Okitokandjo bolsters Mafra's squad] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
^ "Mafra vence o Cova da Piedade por 4 a zero na arranque da II Liga" [Mafra defeat Cova da Pieade 4–0 on II Liga opening day]. Jornal de Mafra (in Portuguese). 13 September 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
^ "Mafra-Oliveirense, 2–2: Recuperação de dois golos de desvantagem 'vale' empate" [Mafra-Oliveirense, 2–2: Recovery from two goals down 'worth' draw]. Record (in Portuguese). 20 December 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
^ dos Santos, Marques (9 July 2022). "Okitokandjo é reforço do Trofense" [Okitokandjo is Trofense addition]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 12 September 2022.
^ "Trofense-BSAD, 3-2: Bruno Almeida garante vitória dramática ao cair do pano" [Trofense-BSAD, 3–2: Bruno Almeida guarantees dramatic victory at the death]. Record (in Portuguese). 6 August 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.

External links

Stevy Okitokandjo at Soccerway

[nl-1] Meijer, Chris (23 April 2020). "De thriller van Stevy Okitokandjo: 'Ik zou niet twijfelen als Ajax komt'" [Stevy Okitokandjo's thriller: 'I wouldn't hesitate if Ajax came'] (in Dutch). Voetbal Zone. Retrieved 12 September 2022.

[2] Costa, Daniel (23 December 2019). "O melhor marcador da Taça de Portugal é do Benfica (de Castelo Branco)" [The Taça de Portugal top scorer plays for Benfica (de Castelo Branco)] (in Portuguese). Zap. Retrieved 12 September 2022.

[3] "Avançado Stevy Okitokandjo reforça plantel do Mafra" [Forward Stevy Okitokandjo bolsters Mafra's squad] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2022.

[4] "Mafra vence o Cova da Piedade por 4 a zero na arranque da II Liga" [Mafra defeat Cova da Pieade 4–0 on II Liga opening day]. Jornal de Mafra (in Portuguese). 13 September 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2022.

[5] "Mafra-Oliveirense, 2–2: Recuperação de dois golos de desvantagem 'vale' empate" [Mafra-Oliveirense, 2–2: Recovery from two goals down 'worth' draw]. Record (in Portuguese). 20 December 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2022.

[6] s Santos, Marques (9 July 2022). "Okitokandjo é reforço do Trofense" [Okitokandjo is Trofense addition]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 12 September 2022.

[7] "Trofense-BSAD, 3-2: Bruno Almeida garante vitória dramática ao cair do pano" [Trofense-BSAD, 3–2: Bruno Almeida guarantees dramatic victory at the death]. Record (in Portuguese). 6 August 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.

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