Franco Daryl Tongya Heubang (born 13 March 2002) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Danish club OB.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Franco Daryl Tongya Heubang[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (2002-03-13) 13 March 2002 (age 20) | ||
| Place of birth | Turin, Italy | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | OB | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2006–2009 | Brandizzo | ||
| 2009–2021 | Juventus | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2021 | Juventus U23 | 10 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | Marseille II | 14 | (4) |
| 2022– | OB | 7 | (1) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2017–2018 | Italy U16 | 14 | (1) |
| 2018–2019 | Italy U17 | 17 | (6) |
| 2019 | Italy U18 | 9 | (2) |
| 2020–2021 | Italy U19 | 2 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | Italy U20 | 7 | (1) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:01, 21 October 2022 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:01, 7 June 2022 (UTC) | |||
Born in Turin, Italy, to Cameroonian parents,[2] Tongya began his youth career at Brandizzo when he was about four years old,[3] before moving to Juventus' youth sector in 2009 aged seven.[3] In 2016–17 he captained the under-15 side, helping them win the league title.[3]
Tongya made his Serie C debut for Juventus U23 – the reserve team of Juventus – on 28 September 2020,[4] in a 2–1 win over Pro Sesto.[5] He played 10 league games in the first half of the 2020–21 season.[4]
On 28 January 2021, Tongya joined Ligue 1 Marseille in a deal worth €8 million, with Marley Aké moving to Juventus for the same fee.[6] He made his debut for the reserve team in the Championnat National 2 on 27 February, as a starter in a 0–0 draw against Rumilly-Vallières.[7]
On 30 August 2022, Tongya joined Danish side OB on a permanent deal, signing a three-year contract with the club.[8] He subsequently made his debut in the Danish Superliga on 4 September, starting the match against Viborg, which ended in a 2-1 defeat for his team.[9]
On 21 October, Tongya scored his first goal with the club, as well as his first professional goal, in a 3–1 league win against Lyngby.[10][11]
Tongya has represented Italy internationally from under-16 to under-19 levels.[2] He played for the under-17 side at the 2019 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, playing five games and scoring Italy's winning goal in the semi-finals against Portugal;[12] Italy eventually lost the final to the Netherlands.[13]
Tongya also took part at the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil; he played as a starter in all five games and scored a goal in the group stage against the Solomon Islands.[2] Italy were knocked out by hosts Brazil in the quarter-finals.[2]
Mainly a half-winger (Italian: mezzala), Tongya is also capable of playing as an attacking midfielder,[14] or as a winger.[15] He initially started out as a forward, before moving to the midfield.[14] Tongya is a dynamic player, with a good tactical intelligence and technical ability.[16]
Tongya cited Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo as a point of reference in 2020.[3]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[lower-alpha 1] | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Juventus U23 | 2020–21 | Serie C | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Marseille II | 2020–21 | National 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021–22 | National 2 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 4 | |
| OB | 2022–23 | Danish Superliga | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| Career total | 31 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 5 | ||
Juventus
Italy U17
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OB – current squad | |
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