Nemanja Čović

Nemanja Čović
Personal information
Full name Nemanja Čović
Date of birth (1991-06-18) 18 June 1991 (age 33)
Place of birth Novi Sad, SR Serbia,
SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Henan FC
Number 20
Youth career
Cement Beočin
Vojvodina
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2008 Cement Beočin 19 (5)
2008–2010 Proleter Novi Sad 35 (11)
2010–2011 Parma 0 (0)
2011 Vojvodina 1 (0)
2011–2013 Spartak Subotica 32 (3)
2013 Donji Srem 6 (0)
2014 Spartak Semey 9 (3)
2014 Proleter Novi Sad 11 (4)
2015 Shakhtyor Soligorsk 15 (3)
2016 Proleter Novi Sad 4 (0)
2016 Minsk 24 (8)
2017 Lamia 3 (1)
2017 Minsk 22 (3)
2018–2019 Proleter Novi Sad 48 (17)
2019–2022 Vojvodina 63 (16)
2022 Kunshan FC 32 (16)
2023– Henan FC 37 (18)
International career
2010 Serbia U19 3 (1)
2012 Serbia U21 1 (1)
2021 Serbia 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 30 May 2024

Nemanja Čović (Serbian Cyrillic: Немања Човић; born 18 June 1991) is a Serbian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Chinese Super League club Henan FC.

Club career

Early years

Čović came through the Vojvodina youth categories, and began his professional career at the age of 16 at Cement Beočin, making 19 league appearances and scoring 5 goals.[1] He said: "The goal was to continue the tradition, since all the men from my closest family started their careers in Cement. It is interesting that all of them were defenders, I am the only forward".[2]

Vojvodina

During the summer of 2011, Čović was signed to Vojvodina by a free transfer. He scored against Vaduz in a game that Vojvodina lost 3–1 in the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League qualifying phase.[3] Subsequently, having spent only a month with Vojvodina, Čović was traded to Spartak Zlatibor Voda. He made his league debut for his new club on 10 September 2011 in a 2–0 away victory over Novi Pazar.[4]

China

Kunshan

On 2 May 2022, Čović joined China League One club Kunshan.[5] He scored 16 goals in the 2022 China League One season, helped the team win the league title and get promoted to the Chinese Super League for the first time, however the club was dissolved in March 2023.[6]

Henan

On 7 April 2023, Čović signed with Chinese Super League club Henan, reuniting with former Kunshan manager Sergio Zarco.[7] He scored 15 goals in his first season in the top division, surpassing Leandro Netto's record in 2011 (14 goals) of most goals scored by a Henan player in a Chinese Super League season.[8]

International career

Youth level

Čović appeared for under-19 and scored a goal in three games. On 29 February 2012, Čović scored a goal in a friendly for Serbia's U21 team against Bosnia and Herzegovina U21.[9]

Senior national team

Čović got his first call up to the senior Serbia side for the friendly games against Dominican Republic and Panama.[10] He made his debut on 25 January 2021, as a substitution during halftime.[11] In the second half of a draw game against Panama he took captain's armband.[12]

Career statistics

As of 2 November 2024[13]
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Cement Beočin 2007–08 Vojvodina League West 19 5 — — — 19 5
Proleter Novi Sad 2008–09 Serbian League Vojvodina 19 4 — — — 19 4
2009–10 Serbian First League 16 7 — — — 16 7
Total 35 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 35 11
Parma 2010–11 Serie A 0 0 — — — 0 0
Vojvodina 2011–12 Serbian SuperLiga 1 0 — 2[a] 1 — 3 1
Spartak Subotica 2011–12 Serbian SuperLiga 13 1 3 0 — — 16 1
2012–13 Serbian First League 19 2 — — — 19 2
Total 32 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 35 3
Donji Srem 2013–14 Serbian SuperLiga 6 0 1 0 — — 7 0
Spartak Semey 2014 Kazakhstan First Division 9 3 — — — 9 3
Proleter Novi Sad 2014–15 Serbian First League 11 4 2 0 — — 13 4
Shakhtyor Soligorsk 2015 Belarusian Premier League 15 3 7 1 2[a] 0 1[b] 0 25 4
Proleter Novi Sad 2015–16 Serbian First League 4 0 — — — 4 0
Minsk 2016 Belarusian Premier League 24 8 3 0 — — 27 8
Lamia 2016–17 Super League Greece 2 3 1 — — — 3 1
Minsk 2017 Belarusian Premier League 22 3 3 1 — — 25 4
Proleter Novi Sad 2017–18 Serbian First League 14 7 — — — 14 7
2018–19 Serbian SuperLiga 34 10 — — — 34 10
Total 48 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 48 17
Vojvodina 2019–20 Serbian SuperLiga 9 2 3 1 — — 12 3
2020–21 30 9 4 3 1[a] 0 — 35 12
2021–22 24 5 2 1 4[c] 1 — 30 7
Total 63 16 9 5 5 1 0 0 77 22
Kunshan 2022 China League One 32 16 1 0 — — 33 16
Henan 2023 Chinese Super League 24 15 0 0 — — 24 15
2024 26 7 1 0 — — 27 7
Total 50 22 1 0 0 0 0 0 51 22
Career total 374 112 30 7 9 2 1 0 414 121
  1. ^ a b c Appearances in UEFA Europa League Qualifying rounds
  2. ^ Appearances in Belarusian Super Cup
  3. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League Qualifying rounds

International

Serbia
Year Apps Goals
2021 2 0

Honours

Club

Proleter Novi Sad

Shakhtyor Soligorsk

Vojvodina

Kunshan

Individual

References

  1. ^ "Nemanja Čović, novo lice u redovima novosadskog superligaša". FK Vojvodina website (in Serbian). Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  2. ^ "Parma me je kupila posle dva treninga". Blic (in Serbian). Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  3. ^ Vojvodina 1 Vaduz 3 – uefa.com
  4. ^ "Novi Pazar vs. Spartak Subotica – 10 September 2011 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  5. ^ "昆山队官宣：尼曼贾·科维奇、李松益、于睿等12人加盟球队" (in Chinese). Sina Sports. 2 May 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  6. ^ "2023职业联赛准入名单：广州城、昆山、陕西未在列" (in Chinese). Dongqiudi. 29 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  7. ^ "球员加盟公告" (in Chinese). dongqiudi. 7 April 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  8. ^ "创造历史！科维奇打破河南队尘封12年单赛季个人进球纪录" (in Chinese). Dongqiudi. 21 October 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  9. ^ "Mladi Srbije bolji od vršnjaka iz BiH". Novosti. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  10. ^ "ИЛИЈА СТОЛИЦА ПОЗВАО 25 ИГРАЧА ЗА УТАКМИЦЕ ПРОТИВ ДОМИНИКАНСКЕ РЕПУБЛИКЕ И САД" (in Serbian). 13 January 2021.
  11. ^ "БЕЗ ГОЛОВА У САНТО ДОМИНГУ" (in Serbian). 26 January 2021.
  12. ^ "СА ПАНАМОМ НАМ СУЂЕНО НЕРЕШЕНО" (in Serbian). 29 January 2021.
  13. ^ Nemanja Čović at Soccerway
  14. ^ "2022中甲联赛圆满落幕 昆山强势打破两项记录". sports.sina.com.cn (in Chinese). 8 December 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  15. ^ "Novogodišnji koktel FSV". Dnevnik. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  16. ^ "Nemanja Čović is the best player of Vojvodina last season". FK Vojvodina website. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  17. ^ "Navijači nagradili: Nemanja Čović igrač sezone Vojvodine". Portal 021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.