{{short description|Ghanaian footballer|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Abu Francis | image = | image_size = | caption = | fullname = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|4|27|df=y}} | birth_place = Accra, Ghana | height = 1.82 m<ref>{{WorldFootball.net|francis-abu}}</ref> | position = Midfielder | currentclub = Toulouse | clubnumber = 17 | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Right to Dream | youthyears2 = 2019–2021 | youthclubs2 = Nordsjælland | years1 = 2019–2022 | clubs1 = Nordsjælland | caps1 = 55 | goals1 = 8 | years2 = 2022–2025 | clubs2 = Cercle Brugge | caps2 = 82 | goals2 = 2 | years3 = 2025– | clubs3 = Toulouse | caps3 = 8 | goals3 = 0 | nationalyears1 = 2024– | nationalteam1 = Ghana | nationalcaps1 = 6 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | club-update = 19 May 2026 | ntupdate = 14:39, 11 October 2025 (UTC) }} '''Abu Francis''' (born 27 April 2001) is a French-Ghanaian<ref>{{Cite web |last=Demba |first=Varore |date=24 April 2024 |title=Abu Francis : «Depuis tout petit, j'ai baigné dans la culture ghanéenne» - Football |url=https://sportnewsafrica.com/news-football/montpellier-modibo-sagnan-depuis-tout-petit-jai-baigne-dans-la-culture-malienne/ |access-date=7 August 2025 |website=Sport News Africa |language=fr-FR}}</ref> professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for French {{French football updater|Toulouse}} club Toulouse and the Ghana national team.
==Club career==
=== Nordsjælland === Francis was born in Ghana and was a part of the academy at Right to Dream and joined FC Nordsjælland in the summer 2019. Before his move to Nordsjælland in the summer 2019, Francis had already played a reserve team game for the club in July 2017 and three games for the U19's in the Torneo di Viareggio in March 2019. While playing at Right to Dream, Francis among other things was named as the best player at a J-League Youth tournament in Japan, scoring two goals in the final and helping his team lift the title.<ref>[https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/SportsArchive/Right-to-Dream-academy-s-Francis-Abu-wins-best-player-award-at-J-League-tournament-711223 Right to Dream academy's Francis Abu wins best player award at J-League tournament], ghanaweb.com, 25 December 2018</ref>
He got his FC Nordsjælland debut on 14 July 2019 in the first league game of the 2019/20 season. Francis was in the starting line up in a 3–0 victory against AC Horsens in the Danish Superliga and played 74 minutes.<ref>{{ cite web | title = HORSENS VS. NORDSJÆLLAND 0 - 3 | url = https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2019/07/14/denmark/superliga/ac-horsens/fc-nordsjalland/3026884/ | publisher = soccerway.com | date = 14 April 2019 }}</ref> On 25 July 2019 Nordsjælland announced, that they had extended Francis' contract until June 2023.<ref>[https://www.bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/fcn-forlaenger-med-midtbanekomet/ FCN forlænger med midtbanekomet], bold.dk, 25 July 2019</ref>
=== Cercle Brugge === With a year left of his contract with Nordsjælland, the club confirmed on 19 August 2022, that Abu Francis had been sold to Belgian First Division A side Cercle Brugge, with the player signing a deal until June 2025 with an option for an additional season.<ref>[https://www.cerclebrugge.be/en/news/abu-francis-joins-cercle-brugge ABU FRANCIS JOINS CERCLE BRUGGE], cerclebrugge.be, 19 August 2022</ref> Francis got his debut for the Belgian side on 27 August 2022 against Zulte Waregem.<ref>[https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2022/08/27/belgium/pro-league/cercle-brugge-ksv/sv-zulte-waregem/3807790/ CERCLE BRUGGE VS. ZULTE WAREGEM 1 - 1], soccerway.com, 27 August 2022</ref>
=== Toulouse === On 6 August 2025, Francis joined French Ligue 1 club Toulouse FC on a deal until June 2029.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Toulouse FC|url=https://www.toulousefc.com/play/blog/2025/08/l-international-ghaneen-abu-francis-est-toulousain|title=L’international ghanéen Abu Francis est toulousain !|trans-title=International Ghanaian Abu Francis is in Toulouse !|date=6 August 2025|access-date=6 August 2025|language=fr}}</ref> Francis also became the first Ghanaian player in the clubs history. Francis made his debut on 14 September 2025 against Lille.<ref>[https://www.skysports.com/football/lille-vs-toulouse/534938 Lille-Toulouse 14 September 2025], skysports.com</ref>
== International career == Francis made his debut for Ghana in March 2024, in a friendly match against Uganda.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-26 |title=Cercle Brugge midfielder Abu Francis makes Ghana debut in friendly against Uganda |url=https://ghanasoccernet.com/cercle-brugge-midfielder-abu-francis-makes-ghana-debut-in-friendly-against-uganda |access-date=2025-11-14 |website=GhanaSoccernet |language=en}}</ref> On 14 November 2025, Francis suffered a serious injury while playing for Ghana in a friendly match against Japan, ending his season and causing him to miss the 2026 FIFA World Cup.<ref>{{Cite web |last=à 19h18 |first=Par Le Parisien Le 14 novembre 2025 |date=2025-11-14 |title=« Tous avec toi dans cette épreuve » : les images de l’effroyable blessure du milieu toulousain Abu Francis avec le Ghana |url=https://www.leparisien.fr/sports/football/tous-avec-toi-dans-cette-epreuve-les-images-de-leffroyable-blessure-du-milieu-toulousain-abu-francis-avec-le-ghana-14-11-2025-3Y5X4NAPL5GQ5NHAEBWDXPSUL4.php |access-date=2025-11-14 |website=leparisien.fr |language=fr-FR}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Soccerway|abu-francis/617043}} * {{WorldFootball.net|francis-abu}} * {{NFT player|94555}}
{{Toulouse FC squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Francis, Abu}} Category:2001 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Accra Category:21st-century Ghanaian sportsmen Category:Ghanaian men's footballers Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Right to Dream Academy players Category:FC Nordsjælland players Category:Cercle Brugge KSV players Category:Toulouse FC players Category:Danish Superliga players Category:Belgian Pro League players Category:Ligue 1 players Category:Ghana men's international footballers Category:Ghanaian expatriate men's footballers Category:Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in Denmark Category:Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in Belgium Category:Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in France Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Denmark Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium Category:Expatriate men's footballers in France
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