{{Short description|Ivorian footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Owen Kouassi | image = | caption = | full_name = Christ-Owen Kouassi Bathele | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2003|4|15|df=y}} | birth_place = Paris, France<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://africafoot.com/le-stade-brestois-cible-christ-owen-kouassi-pour-cet-hiver/|title=Le Stade Brestois cible Christ-Owen Kouassi pour cet hiver|first=John|last=Attisso|date=28 December 2024}}</ref> | height = 1.84 m<ref name="auto"/> | position = Centre-back | currentclub = Laval<br>(on loan from Lecce) | clubnumber = 7 | youthyears1 = 2015–2016 | youthclubs1 = ESD Montreuil | youthyears2 = 2016–2020 | youthclubs2 = US Fontenay | youthyears3 = 2020–2024 | youthclubs3 = Laval | years1 = 2024–2025 | clubs1 = Laval | caps1 = 33 | goals1 = 2 | years2 = 2025– | clubs2 = Lecce | caps2 = 4 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 2026– | clubs3 = → Laval (loan) | caps3 = 11 | goals3 = 1 | nationalyears1 = 2025– | nationalteam1 = Ivory Coast U23 | nationalcaps1 = 1 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | club-update = 12 May 2026 | ntupdate = 13:23, 10 June 2025 (UTC) }}
'''Christ-Owen Kouassi Bathele''' (born 15 April 2003) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for {{French football updater|Laval}} club Laval on loan from Italian club Lecce. Born in France, he is a youth international for the Ivory Coast.
==Club career==
===Laval=== Kouassi is a product of the youth academies of ESD Montreuil, US Fontenay, and Laval.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oxygeneradio.com/stade-lavallois-owen-kouassi-la-surprise-de-la-preparation-pour-qui-tout-commence|title=Stade lavallois. Owen Kouassi, "la surprise de la préparation" pour qui tout commence|website=www.oxygeneradio.com}}</ref> On 30 June 2024, he signed his first professional contract with Laval until 2027.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stade-lavallois.com/owen-kouassi-signe-son-premier-contrat-professionnel/|title=Owen Kouassi sera le numéro 21!|first=Chloé|last=BRUNEL|date=30 July 2024|website=Stade Lavallois Mayenne FC}}</ref> He made his senior and professional debut with Laval in a 2–1 Ligue 2 loss to Grenoble on 16 August 2024.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oxygeneradio.com/stade-lavallois-le-jeune-owen-kouassi-passe-professionnel-avec-laval|title=Stade lavallois. Le jeune Owen Kouassi passe professionnel avec Laval|website=www.oxygeneradio.com}}</ref>
===Lecce=== On 29 June 2025, Kouassi signed a 4-year contract with Serie A club Lecce.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://onefootball.com/en/news/serie-a-christ-owen-kouassi-joins-lecce-41306992|title=Serie A: Christ-Owen Kouassi joins Lecce|website=onefootball.com|date=29 June 2025}}</ref>
On 1 February 2026, Kouassi returned to Laval on loan until the end of the 2025–26 season.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Stade Lavallois|url=https://www.stade-lavallois.com/mercato-owen-kouassi-tango-a-nouveau/|title=MERCATO : Owen Kouassi, Tango à nouveau !|trans-title=TRANSFER NEWS: Owen Kouassi, Tango again!|date=1 February 2026|access-date=1 February 2026|language=fr}}</ref>
==International career== Born in France, Kouassi is of Ivorian descent.<ref name="auto"/> On 27 May 2025, he was called up to the Ivory Coast U23s for a friendly.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mondialsport.ci/amical-u23-issa-fofana-abakar-sylla-malick-yalcouye-richard-kone-la-liste-des-elephanteaux-face-a-la-hollande-28847.sport|title=Amical U23 : Issa Fofana, Abakar Sylla, Malick Yalcouyé, Richard Koné, … la liste des Eléphanteaux face à la Hollande|first=NAS|last=SARL|date=24 May 2025|website=Mondialsport.ci}}</ref> He debuted with the Ivory Coast U23s in a friendly 3–0 loss to the Netherlands U23s on 6 June 2025.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/clyg00y41get|title=Netherlands U21 vs Côte d'Ivoire U23: U21 National Team Friendlies stats & head-to-head|website=BBC Sport}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Soccerway|christ-owen-kouassi-bathele/983445}}
{{Stade Lavallois squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kouassi, Owen}} Category:2003 births Category:Footballers from Paris Category:Living people Category:21st-century Ivorian sportsmen Category:21st-century French sportsmen Category:French sportspeople of Ivorian descent Category:Men's association football defenders Category:French men's footballers Category:Ivorian men's footballers Category:Ivory Coast men's youth international footballers Category:Stade Lavallois players Category:US Lecce players Category:Ligue 2 players Category:Championnat National 3 players Category:Serie A players Category:Ivorian expatriate men's footballers Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Italy Category:Ivorian expatriate sportspeople in Italy