01In brief
Joseph Ganda is an Israeli winger of Congolese background who has played professional football in Israel, Austria, and Germany. He played for five Israeli clubs, including Maccabi Netanya, Hapoel Kiryat Shmona, Hapoel Tel Aviv, M.S. Ashdod, and Bnei Sakhnin. He began his European career with Augsburg’s under-23 side and later moved from Admira to Sandhausen. In July 2026, he joined Ingolstadt after most recently playing for Hannover 96’s reserves; Sport5 credited him with 161 official career appearances.
02Early Life
Ganda has described his family background as Congolese and his upbringing as that of the son of immigrants in Israel. In an interview, he called himself “an Israeli who is more connected to the Congolese side.”[2]
He also described frustration over opportunities he believed he had missed as a teenager. Ganda said he should have been playing in Europe at that stage, was angry when he learned that his mother had not signed an unspecified document, and was later refused by Maccabi Tel Aviv.[2]
03Career in Israel
Ganda’s career in Israeli football included five clubs: Maccabi Netanya, Hapoel Kiryat Shmona, Hapoel Tel Aviv, M.S. Ashdod, and Bnei Sakhnin.[1] He joined Hapoel Tel Aviv from Hapoel Kiryat Shmona in January 2017.[5] A preview of the 2017/18 season described the 20-year-old midfielder-forward as receiving opportunities from Hapoel Tel Aviv coach Motti Ivanir in Toto Cup matches. It identified the campaign as a possible breakthrough season and suggested that league playing time could establish him as a prospect for the Israeli Premier League.[6]
His progress was interrupted by a knee injury suffered during Hapoel Tel Aviv’s 1–0 win over Hapoel Marmorek. An MRI confirmed a torn cruciate ligament, and he missed the remainder of the season.[5] After returning to action, he scored Hapoel Tel Aviv’s opening goal in a January 2019 league match away to Ashdod, finishing a pass from Ramzi Sfuri in the 59th minute. Guy Bardea equalized for the hosts in the 81st minute, and the match ended 1–1.[7]
In February 2024, Ganda signed for Bnei Sakhnin through the end of the season, with a club option for two additional years.[8]
04Move to Europe
In September 2019, Ganda signed a three-year contract with Bundesliga club FC Augsburg after the German side reached a compensation agreement with Hapoel Tel Aviv.[3] Although he held a first-team contract on paper, he began with Augsburg’s under-23 reserve side in the fourth-tier Regionalliga Bayern. Before joining Augsburg, he had trialled at Nuremberg and Mainz. Stuttgart had also sought to sign him, but that move collapsed over bureaucratic complications connected with his citizenship.[3]
Ganda subsequently joined Austrian club Admira. After playing there for two years, he transferred to SV Sandhausen in Germany’s second division.[4]
In July 2026, the 29-year-old winger signed for third-division FC Ingolstadt 04 on a free transfer after most recently playing for Hannover 96’s reserve team. Sport5 reported that he had recorded 161 official appearances during a career spanning clubs in Israel, Austria, and Germany.[1]
05Legacy
By July 2026, Sport5 counted 161 official appearances in Ganda’s career and five clubs in Israeli football.[1] His European path included Augsburg’s under-23 side in Germany’s fourth tier and a later move from Admira to second-division Sandhausen.[3][4] His 2026 signing with third-division Ingolstadt extended a career that had crossed the Israeli, Austrian, and German football systems.[1]
06Controversies
Public reporting about Ganda’s citizenship and legal recognition has been incomplete. In 2017, ONE mentioned him in a broader article about refugee children, reporting that he served in the Israeli military while the state “barely recognizes” him. The article did not specify his precise citizenship or immigration status.[9]
A 2019 report said Ganda had received an Israeli passport in 2018 and linked an earlier failed move to Stuttgart to bureaucratic issues involving his citizenship.[3] The available reports therefore establish that he encountered administrative difficulties, but they do not provide a full account of his earlier legal status.
Sources
- 1Sport5, New Destinations for Michael Chelaka and Joseph Ganda, accessed on September 27, 2026.
- 2Walla! Sport, accessed on September 27, 2026.
- 3ONE, Joseph Ganda Signed for Three Years at Augsburg, accessed on September 27, 2026.
- 4Maariv, Joseph Ganda, accessed on September 27, 2026.
- 5Mako, Bad News for Hapoel Tel Aviv: Ganda Is Done for the Season, accessed on September 27, 2026.
- 6Sport5, Hapoel Tel Aviv and 15 More?, accessed on September 27, 2026.
- 7The Jerusalem Post, Hozez, Hapoel Haifa too much for Sakhnin, accessed on September 27, 2026.
- 8Sport5, Minute by Minute - The Second-to-Last Day of the Transfer Window, accessed on September 27, 2026.
- 9ONE, Not Refugees: The Plight of Future Stars from Haifa, accessed on September 27, 2026.
IsraelPedia Question & Answers
Who is Joseph Ganda?
Joseph Ganda is an Israeli winger of Congolese background who has played professional football in Israel, Austria, and Germany. He played for five Israeli clubs, including Maccabi Netanya, Hapoel Kiryat Shmona, Hapoel Tel Aviv, M.S. Ashdod, and Bnei Sakhnin. His European career included a stint with Augsburg's under-23 side and a later move from Admira to Sandhausen, before he signed for Ingolstadt in July 2026.
How did Joseph Ganda describe his own background and identity?
Joseph Ganda has described his family background as Congolese and his upbringing as that of the son of immigrants in Israel. In an interview, he called himself "an Israeli who is more connected to the Congolese side."
What injury interrupted Joseph Ganda's career at Hapoel Tel Aviv?
Ganda suffered a knee injury during Hapoel Tel Aviv's 1–0 win over Hapoel Marmorek. An MRI confirmed a torn cruciate ligament, and he missed the remainder of that season.
How did Joseph Ganda move to Europe and what clubs expressed interest in him?
In September 2019, Ganda signed a three-year contract with Bundesliga club FC Augsburg after the German side reached a compensation agreement with Hapoel Tel Aviv. Before joining Augsburg, he had trialled at Nuremberg and Mainz. Stuttgart had also sought to sign him, but that move collapsed over bureaucratic complications connected with his citizenship.
What citizenship and legal difficulties did Joseph Ganda face?
Public reporting on Ganda's citizenship and legal status has been incomplete. In 2017, he was described as serving in the Israeli military while the state "barely recognizes" him, without any specification of his precise citizenship or immigration status. A 2019 report stated that he had received an Israeli passport in 2018 and linked an earlier failed move to Stuttgart to bureaucratic issues involving his citizenship.