Joseph Paintsil

Joseph Paintsil

File:Joseph Paintsil.2020.jpg Joseph Paintsil in his 2020 vídeo presentation
Personal information
Full name	Joseph Paintsil
Date of birth	(1998-02-01) 1 February 1998
Place of birth	Accra, Ghana
Height
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Genk
Number	28
Youth career
0000–2014	Red Bull Ghana
2015–2017	Tema Youth
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2016–2017	Tema Youth	22	(10)
2017–2018	→ Ferencváros (loan)	25	(10)
2018–	Genk	95	(18)
2020–2021	→ Ankaragücü (loan)	33	(11)
International career‡
2017–	Ghana	5	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:10, 5 March 2023 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 December 2022 (UTC+1)

Joseph Paintsil (born 1 February 1998) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Belgian club Genk, and the Ghana national team.

Club career

Tema Youth

Paintsil made his Ghana Premier League debut with Tema Youth 12 February 2017 after the club were promoted from Division One the previous season. He scored 10 goals in 22 games during his only season, before leaving Ghana for Europe during the season's month-long break in August. Paintsil was fifth in the Golden Boot race at the time of his departure, and finished the season joint-eighth, top scorer for Tema.

Ferencvárosi

On 31 August, Paintsil signed with top Hungarian club Ferencváros, playing in the country's top-flight, the NBI. Initially signed on loan, Paintsil had an option with the club to be signed permanently at the end of the season. Paintsil made his debut on 9 September against Vasas, scoring the first goal in a 5–2 win, taking the place of Rui Pedro in the lineup. He scored four goals in his first five games, and was a mainstay in the lineup of manager Thomas Doll. On 2 December, Paintsil scored a goal on the counter-attack against Videoton that showcased his pace and ball control, and would later be voted as the Goal of the Year for 2017 by Hungarian football fans. At the halfway point of the season, Paintsil had six goals and four assists, and was rated by Nemzeti Sport as the league's top player. Paintsil split his time starting on the left and in the middle, as a #10. He finished the season with 10 goals in 25 games, good for third on the team and ninth in the league. Ferencváros finished the league in second, and after rumours of a winter transfer that was not allowed to go through by the club, Paintsil left the club after the season.

Genk

On 3 July 2018, Paintsil was unveiled as a player of Belgian club Genk, a few weeks after a contract had been agreed with the club. Paintsil began the season with an injury, missing three league games and four Europa League qualifiers. His debut came on 19 August in the First Division A against R. Charleroi S.C., and his full debut came the following week against Waasland-Beveren. His first goals came when he scored a brace against Gent on 7 October. His continental debut came when Paintsil was used off the bench in both legs of the play-off round against Danish side Brøndby. He came off the bench at half-time against Sarpsborg on 4 October, replacing Dieumerci Ndongala. After that, he started the remaining four group stage games, scoring in the last two, as Genk won their group. Genk drew Slavia Prague in the knockout stage, and Paintsil didn't start either leg as Genk were eliminated 1–4 on aggregate. Paintsil also started all three games of Genk's campaign in the Belgian Cup, which ended in the quarterfinals with a penalty shootout defeat in which Paintsil scored to Union SG. His form in the league wasn't as strong, and the goals against Gent were his only goals during the regular season. Paintsil scored in the first match of the play-offs, a 3–0 win over Anderlecht on 30 March 2019. His first start in three months came on the final day of the season, after Genk had already clinched their first title in eight seasons. In the league, Paintsil made 25 appearances, scoring three times.

Paintsil was on the bench for the club's win in the Belgian Super Cup, but didn't enter the game. Following the sale of Leandro Trossard to England in the off-season, Paintsil was given an opportunity to claim the left wing position, and scored his first goal on 17 August against Waasland-Beveren. He had a run of six games in the team to start the season until leaving the game on 13 September against Charleroi in the first half with an injury. Paintsil returned after nearly two months out with injury, starting against Mouscron on 23 November. His Champions League debut came on 2 October against Italian side Napoli, receiving the final minutes off the bench. He played twice more in the group stage, including starting the final game against Napoli, as the club were already eliminated from further continental play, impressing in the 4–0 defeat. Paintsil would only make two starts the rest of the season, which was suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium, his spot mostly taken by Théo Bongonda.

Personal life

Born and raised in Fadama, a suburb of Accra, Paintsil models his game after his idol, Andrés Iniesta. His older brother Seth is also a footballer, currently playing in Austria with Admira Wacker

Career statistics

As of match played 5 March 2023

Club	Season	League			National cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Tema Youth	2017	Ghana Premier League	22	10	2	0	–		–		24	10
Ferencváros	2017–18	Nemzeti Bajnokság I	25	10	0	0	0	0	–		25	10
Genk	2018–19	Belgian Pro League	25	3	3	0	9	2	–		37	5
	2019–20	Belgian Pro League	18	1	2	0	3	0	0	0	23	1
	2021–22	Belgian Pro League	28	3	2	3	5	1	1	0	36	7
	2022–23	Belgian Pro League	24	11	3	1	–		–		27	12
	Total		95	18	10	4	17	3	1	0	123	25
MKE Ankaragücü (loan)	2020–21	Süper Lig	33	11	0	0	–		–		33	11
Career total			175	49	12	4	17	3	1	0	205	56

Honours

Genk

• Belgian First Division A: 2018–19
• Belgian Super Cup: 2019

External links

• Joseph Paintsil at Soccerway