Arthur Boka facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Etienne Arthur Boka | ||
| Date of birth | 2 April 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Abidjan, Ivory Coast | ||
| Height | 1.66 m | ||
| Playing position | Left back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1996–2002 | ASEC Mimosas | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2002–2004 | Beveren | 59 | (4) |
| 2004–2006 | Strasbourg | 66 | (2) |
| 2006–2014 | VfB Stuttgart | 154 | (5) |
| 2014–2016 | Málaga | 37 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Sion | 3 | (0) |
| 2022 | Atlético de Marbella | 2 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2004–2015 | Ivory Coast | 82 | (1) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Etienne Arthur Boka (born 2 April 1983) is a former professional footballer from Ivory Coast. He played as a left back. He was known for his amazing speed, even though he was not a very tall player.
Arthur Boka was a key part of the Ivory Coast national team. He played in two FIFA World Cups and five Africa Cups of Nations between 2006 and 2013. His last club was Atlético de Marbella.
Contents
Arthur Boka's Club Career
Arthur Boka started his football journey at ASEC Abidjan in his home country. This club is famous for its youth system, which has helped many talented players become stars. Some famous players who also came from ASEC Abidjan include Kolo Touré and Emmanuel Eboué. Arthur Boka actually walked in from the streets of Abidjan and asked for a tryout!
Playing in Europe
After finishing his training at ASEC Abidjan, Arthur Boka moved to Europe. He joined the Belgian club K.S.K. Beveren in 2002. He played so well there that he soon moved to a bigger club, RC Strasbourg in France, for the 2004–05 season.
He continued to impress at Strasbourg. Even though the team was moved down to a lower league in 2006, Arthur Boka's skills were noticed. He then joined VfB Stuttgart, a top team in Germany. His fast and attacking style of play from the left-back position earned him the nickname "The African Roberto Carlos". Roberto Carlos was a very famous Brazilian left-back known for his powerful shots and speed.
Winning the Bundesliga
In the 2006–07 season, Arthur Boka achieved a big success. He helped VfB Stuttgart win the Bundesliga title, which is the top football league in Germany.
He stayed with VfB Stuttgart for many years, signing new contracts in 2009 and 2012. He mostly played as a left-back. However, in the middle of the 2012–13 Bundesliga season, he started playing a new role as a defensive midfielder.
In 2014, Arthur Boka moved to Spain to play for Málaga CF in La Liga, the top Spanish league. He played there for two years. After that, he joined the Swiss team FC Sion in 2016, but he left the club in 2017.
Arthur Boka's International Career
Arthur Boka played many games for the Ivory Coast. He earned 72 "caps," which means he played in 72 international matches for his country. He scored one goal for the national team.
He was part of the Ivory Coast squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He played in all three group games and showed great skill, even assisting a goal. He also played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where he helped his team with two assists in a match against North Korea.
Arthur Boka also represented Ivory Coast in five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. These include the 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2013 tournaments. The Ivory Coast team reached the finals of the Africa Cup of Nations in 2006 and 2012. However, they lost both times in penalty shootouts.
Arthur Boka's Achievements
Arthur Boka won several important titles and awards during his career.
Club Honours
- Beveren
- Belgian Cup runner-up: 2003–04
- Strasbourg
- Coupe de la Ligue (French League Cup) winner: 2004–05
- VfB Stuttgart
- Bundesliga (German League) winner: 2006–07
- DFB-Pokal (German Cup) runner-up: 2006–07, 2012–13
International Honours
- Ivory Coast
- Africa Cup of Nations runner-up: 2006, 2010
See also
In Spanish: Arthur Boka para niños
