Raphaël Messi Bouli
Cameroonian forward with stints in China, Iran, and India.
Raphaël Éric Messi Bouli (born 23 April 1992) is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a forward. He has made six appearances for the Cameroon national team and currently plays for Indian Super League club Punjab. Bouli's career has taken him through clubs in Cameroon, China, Iran, and India, with notable stints including a Cameroonian Cup win with APEJES in 2016 and a brace for Kerala Blasters against Jamshedpur in December 2019.
Quick Facts
- Full name
- Raphaël Éric Messi Bouli
- Born
- 23 April 1992
- Birthplace
- Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Height
- 1.86 m / 6 ft 1 in
- Position
- Striker
- Current club
- Punjab
Facts from the source article.
Club career
Bouli started his career in Cameroon with FAP Yaoundé in 2013. A year later, he signed for Canon Yaoundé, where he played the 2014 and 2015 Elite One seasons. In 2016, he joined APEJES and won the Cameroonian Cup that year. During the 2017 season, he scored fourteen goals in twenty-four league fixtures.
On 1 March 2018, Bouli moved to China League One side Yanbian Funde. He made his debut against Nei Mongol Zhongyou on 1 April, then netted in back-to-back matches in May versus Qingdao Huanghai and Zhejiang Greentown. In 2019, he played for Foolad in the Persian Gulf Pro League, scoring one goal (against Esteghlal Khuzestan) in twelve games. He left Foolad in June 2019 and later threatened to complain to FIFA over unpaid wages, alongside then-manager Afshin Ghotbi and former teammate Takafumi Akahoshi.
On 24 August 2019, Bouli joined Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters, scoring eight goals including a brace over Jamshedpur on 13 December. In September 2020, he returned to Chinese football with Heilongjiang Lava Spring. He joined Nanjing City on loan in April 2021, making the move permanent in April 2022. As of the 2023 season, he scored 42 goals and provided 4 assists in 93 appearances for Nanjing City.
On 29 February 2024, Bouli joined fellow China League One club Shijiazhuang Gongfu. After a six-month stint back in the ISL with East Bengal, he joined Jamshedpur on 4 October 2025, signing a contract for the 25–26 season.
International career
Bouli made his international debut on 10 August 2013, playing in a 2014 African Nations Championship qualifier with Gabon. Years later, he scored his first goal in 2018 African Nations Championship qualifying in a game with São Tomé and Príncipe. In November 2017, he was selected for a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Zambia but remained on the bench for a 2–2 draw. Months later, he was called up for the 2018 African Nations Championship in Morocco, featuring against Congo, Angola, and Burkina Faso as Cameroon were eliminated at the group stage.
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