Azerbaijani Premier League side Shamakhi FK FC has officially announced the signing of Lubeni Haukongo on a one-year deal ahead of the 2024/25 season.

The 23-year-old Namibian center back will ply his trade in Azerbaijan after leaving Cape Town Spurs at the end of the 2023/24 season, following their relegation to the Motsepe Foundation Championship.

Haukongo, who previously played for Chippa United, returns to Europe having spent time with the reserve side of French club Lille OSC between 2019 and 2021.

Following his stint at Lille, Haukongo spent three years in South Africa. He had a standout season with Cape Town Spurs before suffering a season-ending injury in a 3-1 victory over AmaZulu.

Earlier this year, Haukongo was part of the history-making Namibian national team that reached the knockout stages of the AFCON 2024 for the first time. Their journey ended in a 3-0 defeat to Angola.