Edmond Fayçal Tapsoba (born 2 February 1999) is a Burkinabé professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen and the Burkina Faso national team.
Early and personal life
Tapsoba grew up in the Karpala section of Ouagadougou where he played football in the streets, but he never played organized football until the age of fourteen. As a child, he would often skip school to play football. He is represented by former Portugal international Deco. Tapsoba can speak some English, as well as French. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tapsoba donated masks, gloves, and hand sanitiser to a market in Ouagadougou.
Club career
Early career
Tapsoba played for Salitas, US Ouagadougou, Leixões, Vitória de Guimarães B, and Vitória de Guimarães.
Bayer Leverkusen
On 31 January 2020, Tapsoba agreed to a five-and-a-half-year contract with Bayer Leverkusen for a fee of €18 million plus €7 million for objectives. On 21 February 2021, he scored his first Bundesliga goal for Bayer Leverkusen in the final seconds of stoppage time in a match against FC Augsburg, equalising for his side and extending Leverkusen's unbeaten streak against Augsburg to twenty matches.
International career
Tapsoba made his international debut for Burkina Faso in 2016.
Style of play
Tapsoba has been compared to Jérôme Boateng for his speed, strength, passing ability, and composure. He is also known for his ability to score goals, especially from the penalty spot. He cites players such as John Stones, Per Mertesacker, and Virgil van Dijk as inspirations.