 Zokora playing forTrabzonspor in 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Déguy Alain Didier Zokora[1] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1980-12-14)14 December 1980 (age 44)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Abidjan, Ivory Coast | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)[2] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder[3] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | AFAD Djékanou (assistant manager) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1999 | Académie MimoSifcom | |||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | ASEC Mimosas | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2004 | Racing Genk | 124 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2006 | Saint-Étienne | 66 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2009 | Tottenham Hotspur | 88 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | Sevilla | 49 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2014 | Trabzonspor | 78 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Akhisarspor | 25 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Pune City | 13 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | North East United | 14 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Semen Padang | 18 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||
| Total | 468 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2014 | Ivory Coast | 123 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||
Déguy Alain Didier Zokora (born 14 December 1980) is an Ivorian former professionalfootballer who played as adefensive midfielder. He represented theIvory Coast national team for 14 years, beginning in 2000, and is currently the nation's most capped player. He now serves as an assistant manager atAFAD Djékanou.[4]
Zokora was born inAbidjan,[3] and started his career atAcadémie MimoSifcom.[5] He was offered a professional contract along with his younger brother, Armando, with Ivorian clubASEC Mimosas. Tragedy struck though as Armando drowned to death celebrating at the beach inGrand-Bassam; in memory of his brother and hero, Zokora hasArmand tattooed on his right forearm.[6]
In 2000, Zokora moved abroad to play for Belgian sideGenk, where he won theJupiler League during the2001–02 campaign, as managerSef Vergoossen was named Coach of the Year andWesley Sonck won top goal-scorer honors in the league. Zokora went on to feature in 126 matches for the club and was memorably part of the squad that recorded a 1–1 home draw withReal Madrid on 12 November 2002.[6][7] In the summer of 2004, he joinedSaint-Étienne in the FrenchLigue 1.[citation needed]
Zokora joinedTottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2006 following his performances for the Ivory Coast at the2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. The deal was reported by media as being worth£8.2 million.[6][8][9] Shortly after joining thePremier League club, it was announced on 24 October 2006 that Zokora had contractedmalaria after falling ill on the morning of aUEFA Cup group match againstBeşiktaş inIstanbul.[10] Zokora was in the hospital for four days and then spent a period of two weeks recovering,[citation needed] missing the win over Beşiktaş, twoPremier League matches and aLeague Cup fixture as well. It was announced on 31 October that Zokora had returned to training with first-team.[11]
Zokora won the2007–08 League Cup with Tottenham, their first major title in nine years, as a header fromJonathan Woodgate's face secured a 2–1 extra time victory overLondon rivalsChelsea.[12] He was also part of the Tottenham side which returned toWembley Stadium the following year to play in theLeague Cup final, this time againstManchester United. Tottenham lost this game on penalties after the sides drew 0–0 after extra time, with Zokora playing the full 120 minutes.[13] Zokora managed to score a penalty in the shoot-out againstPSV in theUEFA Cup.[14]
On 30 August 2008, Zokora signed a new four-year deal with Spurs that tied him toWhite Hart Lane until the summer of 2012.[15] In January 2009, however, the club signedHonduran defensive midfielderWilson Palacios fromWigan Athletic; the signing relegated Zokora to the substitutes' bench, and he played the full 90 minutes just three times after January.[16] On 15 March, Zokora started at right back for Spurs to try and curtail the pace and trickery ofAston Villa wingerAshley Young. In the match, Zokora picked up an early booking and was substituted off after 30 minutes for natural defenderVedran Ćorluka.[17]
During the 2009 summer transfer window, Zokora signed for SpanishLa Liga sideSevilla for an undisclosed fee, including a reported €30 million release clause.[18][19][20][21] He made his debut for the club on 30 August 2009 in the first round of the2009–10 La Liga season in a 2–0 loss toValencia, entering as a 21st-minute substitute for the injuredRomaric.[22] In his first season inAndalusia, Zokora managed to help take Sevilla back into theUEFA Champions League after finishing La Liga in fourth position. In addition to the Liga success, he helped his side claim their fifthCopa del Rey title by defeating2010 UEFA Europa League winnersAtlético Madrid 2–0 in the final atCamp Nou.[23][24]
On 29 January 2011, Zokora came on as a 77th-minute substitute forFederico Fazio and provided his only assist of the season toÁlvaro Negredo, as Sevilla battled back from 2–0 down to claim a 3–3 draw withDeportivo de La Coruña.[25]
Zokora joined Turkish sideTrabzonspor on 2 June 2011 on a four-year deal.[26][27] The Turkish club announced that the transfer fee was €5 million,[28] with the player earning €1.625 million per season.[29] He made his debut on 10 September 2011 againstManisaspor.[citation needed]
During a 2–0 loss on 15 April 2012 to reigning league championsFenerbahçe, Zokora was racially abused by their midfielderEmre Belözoğlu. Zokora was quoted as saying that Emre called him a "fucking nigger!"; national papers, includingHürriyet, criticised Emre and he later received a two-match ban by theTurkish Football Federation following the incident.[30][31] Zokora dished out his own retribution against the formerNewcastle United midfielder when the two clubs met again on 6 May in Trabzonspor's 3–1 loss,[citation needed] kicking Emre "with the full force of his right boot" into his crotch with Zokora receiving a yellow card for the challenge.[32]
On 29 April 2014, Zokora left Trabzonspor.[33]
In July 2015, Zokora signed forIndian Super League sideFC Pune City.[34] He debuted for the side againstDelhi Dynamos FC.
Zokora signed for theIndian Super League sideNorthEast United in August 2016.[35] He made his debut coming on as a substitute againstKerala Blasters in a 1–0 win in October 2016. He had his first assist againstDelhi Dynamos on 30 November 2016. He has also received 3 yellow cards in 14 matches his first against Delhi Dynamos then vsMumbai City FC and lastly againstFC Pune City. He played mainly as a centre back that season and also captained his side to up to 8 games of the season out of 14.
Zokora joined Indonesian club side,Semen Padang as a marquee signing on Monday, 24 April 2017. He signed a one-year deal contract. Zokora was one of the biggest transfers in Indonesian football during the2017 season, afterMichael Essien,Carlton Cole,Peter Odemwingie,Shane Smeltz andMohamed Sissoko all joined the competition.[36] In moving to Indonesia, Zokora became one of a growing number of high-profile players to opt for the Liga 1 late in their career.[37] He was released in August, four months later.[38]
Zokora has played 123 international matches for theIvory Coast and is their most capped player of all time.[39] He scored his only goal at the international level in a 4–0 defeat ofBotswana on 22 June 2008 that moved the Ivory Coast to the top of their group in2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.[40]
During his 12 years with the national side, Zokora helpedLes Éléphants to their first twoFIFA World Cup finals appearances, in2006 and2010.[41][42] On both occasions, the Ivory Coast were drawn into the so-called "Group of Death", bowing out in third place each time.[43][44][45][46] In the 2010 edition of the tournament, Zokora was forced to play in a new position, centre back, againstPortugal to bolster and compact the defence against the strong attacking side; Zokora helped his side earn a 0–0 draw.[47]
During the2012 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon andEquatorial Guinea, Zokora said he would retire from international football should the Ivory Coast win the title.[48] Zokora did in fact retire from international football on 28 February 2012,[49] following the end of the tournament, butLes Elephants went down in an 8–7 penalty shoot-out loss toZambia in theAfrica Cup of Nations final.[50]
Despite earlier announcing his retirement, on 1 June 2014 Zokora was included by managerSabri Lamouchi in the Ivory Coast's 23-man squad for the2014 World Cup in Brazil.[citation needed]
On 8 September 2014, Zokora announced his second retirement from the national team.[51]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2006–07 | Premier League | 31 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9[c] | 0 | – | 47 | 0 | |
| 2007–08 | Premier League | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10[c] | 0 | – | 43 | 0 | ||
| 2008–09 | Premier League | 29 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7[c] | 0 | – | 44 | 0 | ||
| Total | 88 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 26 | 0 | – | 134 | 0 | |||
| Sevilla | 2009–10 | La Liga | 26 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 8[d] | 0 | – | 37 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11 | La Liga | 23 | 0 | 8 | 0 | – | 9[e] | 0 | 2[f] | 0 | 42 | 0 | ||
| Total | 49 | 0 | 11 | 0 | – | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 79 | 0 | |||
| Trabzonspor | 2011–12 | Süper Lig | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 9[g] | 0 | – | 37 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | Süper Lig | 27 | 0 | 6 | 0 | – | 2[h] | 0 | – | 35 | 0 | |||
| 2013–14 | Süper Lig | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 9[h] | 0 | – | 33 | 0 | |||
| Total | 78 | 0 | 7 | 0 | – | 20 | 0 | – | 105 | 0 | ||||
| Akhisarspor | 2014–15 | Süper Lig | 25 | 0 | 5 | 0 | – | – | – | 30 | 0 | |||
| Pune City | 2015 | Indian Super League | 13 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 13 | 0 | ||||
| NorthEast United | 2016 | Indian Super League | 14 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 14 | 0 | ||||
| Semen Padang | 2017 | Liga 1 | 11 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 11 | 0 | ||||
| Career total | 278 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 63 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 386 | 0 | ||
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 June 2008 | Abidjan, Ivory Coast |  Botswana | 4–0 | Won | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
ASEC Mimosas
Genk[54]
Tottenham Hotspur[54]
Sevilla[54]
Ivory Coast
Individual
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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