He scored in the World Cup and imitated Ronaldo. And now the Red Star talent will go to Spartak?

He scored in the World Cup and imitated Ronaldo. And now the Red Star talent will go to Spartak?

Anatoly Romanov November 28, 2023, 08:30 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.

Bukari could end up in Russia, but first he must help his team win a key match in the Champions League.

The most “Russian” club in the Champions League, “Crvena Zvezda”, in which a whole group of former RPL players plays, will play a decisive match in the group stage of the tournament on Tuesday, November 28. The Serbian champion will play away from home against Young Boys. These teams are fighting for third place in the quartet with Manchester City and RB Leipzig and to reach the Europa League playoffs. Red Star and the Swiss have one point each, so the winner will ensure the continuation of the European season in the spring of 2024. One of the main figures of the match in Bern will be… the potential newcomer from Spartak.

The other day, the Serbian website MaxBet Sport published information that the most successful Red Star player in the group stage of the Champions League, Osman Bukari, could move to Spartak. According to the source, the Muscovites are interested in signing the Ghanaian striker, but will face competition for the 24-year-old from clubs in England and the MLS. The possible transfer fee has not been revealed, but Transfermarkt values ​​Boukari at €6.5 million.

Russian fans may remember Osman mainly from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The striker was included in the Ghana squad and came on as a substitute for the last 15 minutes of Matchday 1 against Portugal. In the end, with the score 1:3, he scored a goal that, however, did not help the Ghanaians avoid defeat. Bukari celebrated the goal in the style of the rival’s main star, Cristiano Ronaldo, for which he was highly criticized.

Osman Bukari

Red Star forward

“I realized that my celebration was considered disrespectful towards Ronaldo. This is not true. I was overcome with emotion because he scored in my country’s debut match in the World Cup. This led to this celebration. “My upbringing does not allow me to be disrespectful to my elders, and especially to one of my idols.”

Despite scoring a goal, in the second round match against South Korea (3-2) Bukari remained on the bench. In the third round match against Uruguay (0-2), he came on as a substitute at half-time, when the Ghanaians were already losing by two goals, but he did not help his team escape and reach the 2022 World Cup playoffs. Cup. In total, Osman has 14 games with the national team, three goals and two assists.

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In this Champions League, Bukari scored in the first round against the current winner of the trophy, Manchester City. And he did it in the first half with the score 0-0. After a penetrating pass, he ran towards the opponent’s goal and masterfully executed a one-on-one.

Video rights belong to National Sports Channel LLC. You can watch the video on the Match TV page on VKontakte.

However, in Manchester Red Star, as expected, lost 1:3. And in round 2, Osman’s goal and assist allowed the Serbians to draw at home with Young Boys (2-2). Bukari tied the score late with a tricky shot near the top corner.

Video rights belong to National Sports Channel LLC. You can watch the video on the Match TV page on VKontakte.

In the Champions League, Bukari was the one who made the most dribbles with Red Star: 10. He also shares first place in number of shots (8), although he only hit two on goal. Both ended in goals. Osman is second on the team in passes under attack (4), precise passes in the opposite third of the field (30) and fouls committed on himself (5).

Bukari is Red Star’s most productive player in all tournaments this season. The Ghanaian scored seven goals and provided four assists in 17 games. In addition to his speed, dribbling and aim, his asset can be considered his versatility, since he is capable of playing both on the flanks of the attack as a lateral and forward player.

After the 2022 World Cup, Osman apparently had a slight reassessment of his own capabilities. At least, Red Star boss Zvezdan Terzic allowed himself to criticize the Ghanaian:

“I think he needs to change his style of play and do what the coach asks of him. Bukari does everything for his own benefit. If he has the right attitude, he can overcome all of his opponents.”

For his part, the team’s then coach, Milos Milojevic, expressed the opinion that it was difficult for a Ghanaian to remain stable by playing two games a week.

“Bukari is a sprinter, he spends a lot of energy and cannot play in the Wednesday-Sunday mode,” Milojevic explained. – More precisely, he is capable of doing it, but he needs to prepare better. Overall, this is a player who needs free space. He’s not in our league. That is why Osman is the most dangerous in the European Cup matches.”

But Bukari appears to be making progress. With Red Star he won the championship and the Serbian Cup last season. And Osman won his first trophy in Europe in a club in the top 5 European leagues. The Ghanaian played the 2021/2022 season on loan at Nantes and won the French Cup. In the final against Nice (1-0) he came on as a substitute. In Ligue 1, Boukari scored 2+4 in 24 games, contributing with an assist in the 3-1 victory over PSG. So this guy definitely doesn’t miss out on big games.