Benik Tunani Afobe
Date of Birth: 12 February 1993
Place of Birth: Leyton, London, England
Nationality: Congolese 🇨🇩 English 🏴
Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Position(s): Striker
Arsenal Youth Career: 2001-2010
Arsenal Senior Career: 2010-2015
Senior Apps/Goals: 0/0
General Information
Benik Afobe (born February 12, 1993) is an English-born Congolese striker who developed through Arsenal’s youth academy and went on to build a strong professional career across various clubs in England and abroad.
Early Life
Born in Leyton, London, Afobe joined Arsenal’s academy at the age of six. From a young age, he was seen as a top prospect, regularly leading the scoring charts at youth level and representing England at every youth level up to U21.
Arsenal Career (2001–2015)
Afobe signed professional terms with Arsenal in 2010 but never made a senior competitive appearance for the club. His time at Arsenal was marked by several loan spells designed to give him first-team experience. These included stints at Huddersfield Town, Reading, Bolton Wanderers, Millwall, Sheffield Wednesday, and MK Dons.
His breakout came during a prolific loan at MK Dons in the 2014–15 season, where his form earned him a permanent move to Wolverhampton Wanderers in January 2015.
Post-Arsenal Career
After leaving Arsenal, Afobe enjoyed spells at Wolves, Bournemouth, and Stoke City, among others. He maintained a reputation as a hard-working, athletic striker with an eye for goal, especially in the Championship.
He also had loan stints in Turkey with Trabzonspor and in the UAE, continuing his career internationally.
International Career
Though he represented England at youth level, Afobe switched allegiance to the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2016 and made appearances for the senior national team.
Playing Style
Afobe is a strong, pacey forward known for his directness, intelligent movement, and powerful finishing. Comfortable playing as a lone striker or in a two, he thrived on exploiting space behind defences.
Legacy
While Afobe never made a senior appearance for Arsenal, he remains one of the club’s most prolific academy graduates and has built a respectable career in professional football. He’s also been open about personal challenges, earning admiration for his resilience on and off the pitch.
| Season | Appearances | Goals |
| 2010-11 | (35 Loan) | (8 Loan) |
| 2011-12 | (3 L) | (0 L) |
| 2012-13 | (28 L) | (3 L) |
| 2013-14 | (13 L) | (2 L) |
| 2014-15 | (30 L) | (19 L) |
