Blaise Nkufo facts for kids
Nkufo playing for Switzerland in 2007
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Isetsima Blaise Nkufo | ||
| Date of birth | 25 May 1975 | ||
| Place of birth | Kinshasa, Zaire | ||
| Height | 1.86 m | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1993–1994 | Lausanne | 2 | (0) |
| 1994–1995 | Echallens | 16 | (9) |
| 1995–1996 | Al-Arabi | 12 | (6) |
| 1996–1997 | Yverdon | 35 | (12) |
| 1997–1998 | Lausanne | 34 | (18) |
| 1998–2000 | Grasshopper | 18 | (4) |
| 1999–2000 | → Lugano (loan) | 21 | (14) |
| 2000–2001 | Lucerne | 19 | (7) |
| 2001–2002 | Mainz 05 | 42 | (20) |
| 2002–2003 | Hannover 96 | 9 | (0) |
| 2003–2010 | Twente | 223 | (114) |
| 2010 | Seattle Sounders FC | 11 | (5) |
| Total | 442 | (209) | |
| National team | |||
| 2000–2010 | Switzerland | 34 | (7) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2017- | Rino's Tigers | ||
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Isetsima Blaise Nkufo (born on May 25, 1975) is a former professional footballer from Switzerland. He played as a striker, which means he was a forward player who focused on scoring goals. After his playing career, he became a coach. Currently, he coaches Rino's Tigers in the Vancouver Metro Soccer League.
Blaise Nkufo was born in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). When he was seven years old, his family moved to Switzerland, where he grew up. He played football professionally in several countries, including Switzerland, Qatar, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States. During his career, he scored 209 goals in 442 league games. Nkufo also played for the Swiss national team. He played 34 games for his country and scored seven goals, even playing in the 2010 World Cup.
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Club Football Career
Blaise Nkufo played for many different football clubs during his career. Some of these clubs included Lausanne Sport, FC Echallens, Al-Arabi, Yverdon-Sport FC, Grasshopper Club Zürich, AC Lugano, FC Lucerne, Mainz 05, Hannover 96, FC Twente, and Seattle Sounders FC.
In early 2010, Nkufo decided to leave his club, Twente. He was planning to join Seattle Sounders FC, a team in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States. On March 4, 2010, the Sounders officially announced that they had signed Nkufo. He joined the team on July 13, 2010, after his contract with Twente ended.
His last season with Twente was very successful. Nkufo scored 12 goals in the Eredivisie (the top Dutch league). His goals helped the club win their first league title ever in their 45-year history! Nkufo played 223 games for Twente in the Eredivisie and scored 114 goals. This was a club record. Because he was such an important player, Twente even built a statue of him outside their stadium after he left.
Nkufo's first game for the Seattle Sounders was on July 18, 2010. It was a friendly match against Celtic. On September 18, 2010, Nkufo became the first Sounders player to score a hat-trick in a league game. A hat-trick means scoring three goals in one match. He did this against the Columbus Crew. This was a big moment for him, as he hadn't scored in 415 minutes before that game. On October 5, 2010, Nkufo played in the final of the U.S. Open Cup. The Sounders won the cup by beating the Columbus Crew 2–1. On March 15, 2011, Seattle and Nkufo agreed to end his contract early. Thirteen days later, Nkufo announced that he was retiring from playing professional football.
Playing for Switzerland
Nkufo started playing for the Swiss national team in 2000. He was chosen to be part of the team for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. During the tournament, Nkufo played an important role. He helped the Swiss team surprise everyone by beating Spain in the group stage. Spain later went on to win the entire World Cup! Nkufo played 34 games for Switzerland and scored 7 goals.
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Blaise Nkufo started coaching. He used to own the Nkufo Academy Sports in the Vancouver area. He is also the managing director of Blaise Soccer Elite Training INC. Currently, he works as the Head Coach of Rino's Tigers. This team plays in the Premier Division of the Vancouver Metro Soccer League.
About His Life
Blaise Nkufo was born in Kinshasa, which is in Zaire. When he was seven, he moved to Switzerland with his family. He later became a Swiss citizen. Nkufo is married to a woman from Vancouver, British Columbia.
How to Say His Name
Blaise Nkufo has said in interviews that his last name is Nkufo. Sometimes, you might see it written incorrectly as N'Kufo in the media. The correct way to say his last name is Kufo, without making the "N" sound at the beginning.
Awards and Trophies
Blaise Nkufo won some important trophies during his career:
Twente
- Eredivisie: 2009–10 (This is the top football league in the Netherlands)
Seattle Sounders FC
- U.S. Open Cup: 2010 (This is a major football cup competition in the United States)
See also
In Spanish: Blaise Nkufo para niños
