Raphael Assibey-Mensah

Raphael Assibey-Mensah (born 31 August 1999) is a German professional footballer who plays as a left winger for Regionalliga West club 1. FC Bocholt.

Assibey-Mensah is a product of the Mainz 05 academy. Following two seasons as a professional with Brentford B in England, he returned to his native Germany. Since 2018, Assibey-Mensah has played lower-league football for TSV Schott Mainz, SC Freiburg II, FSV Zwickau and 1. FC Bocholt.

Youth years
A left winger or attacking midfielder, Assibey-Mensah began his career in his native Germany with Fontana Finthen, before entering the Mainz 05 academy. He progressed through the ranks to the club's U17 team and scored three goals in 14 U17 Bundesliga appearances before his release at the end of the 2015–16 season. Assibey-Mensah moved to England to sign his first professional contract to be a part of the B team at Championship club Brentford on 31 August 2016. He made 62 B team appearances and scored six goals before his release at the end of the 2017–18 season.

TSV Schott Mainz
In mid-September 2018, Assibey-Mensah returned to Germany to join Oberliga Rheinland-Pfalz/Saar club TSV Schott Mainz on a contract running until the end of the 2018–19 season. During a season interrupted with a pulmonary embolism, he finished with 15 appearances and two goals. He scored prolifically for the reserve team, with 10 goals in seven Bezirksliga Rheinhessen appearances. During the club's 2019–20 Oberliga Rheinland-Pfalz/Saar championship-winning season, which was ended prematurely by the COVID-19 pandemic, Assibey-Mensah made 20 appearances and scored eight goals. He was retained for 2020–21 and scored 12 goals in 39 appearances during a Regionalliga Südwest season in which the club narrowly avoided relegation. Assibey-Mensah departed TSV Schott Mainz at the end of the campaign and made 76 appearances and scored 23 goals during his three-season spell with the club.

SC Freiburg II
In May 2021, Assibey-Mensah agreed to transfer to newly-promoted 3. Liga club SC Freiburg II, on a contract effective 1 July 2021, for a €100,000 fee. During an illness-affected 2021–22 season, he made eight appearances without scoring. In June 2022, Assibey-Mensah joined Swiss Challenge League club FC Schaffhausen on trial, but did not win a contract. Assibey-Mensah departed the club on the penultimate day of the summer transfer window.

FSV Zwickau
On 31 August 2022, Assibey-Mensah transferred to 3. Liga club FSV Zwickau and signed a one-year contract, with a one-year option. He made 20 appearances and scored three goals during a 2022–23 season which culminated in the club's relegation to the Regionalliga Nordost. Assibey-Mensah was released when the club neglected to take up the option on his contract.

Return to TSV Schott Mainz
Assibey-Mensah spent time during the 2023 off-season training with the VDV and former club TSV Schott Mainz. Following a failed trial with Regionalliga Südwest club Kickers Offenbach, Assibey-Mensah signed a contract with TSV Schott Mainz on 8 September 2023. After four goals in 15 appearances, he departed the club during the 2023–24 winter break.

1. FC Bocholt
On 5 January 2024, Assibey-Mensah transferred to Regionalliga West club 1. FC Bocholt. He made seven appearances and scored one goal during what remained of the 2023–24 season, prior to being frozen out of the squad in April 2024.

International career
Assibey-Mensah was named as a standby for a Germany U16 training camp in Barsinghausen in May 2015.

Personal life
Assibey-Mensah is of Ghanaian descent.

Career statistics


Honours
TSV Schott Mainz
 * Oberliga Rheinland-Pfalz/Saar: 2019–20