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 (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | 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) | |
| International career | |||
| 2000–2010 | Switzerland | 34 | (7) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2017- | Rino's Tigers | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
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 player whose main job was to score goals. After his playing career, he became a coach. He currently coaches Rino's Tigers in the Vancouver Metro Soccer League.
Blaise Nkufo was born in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). He moved to Switzerland when he was seven years old and grew up there. During his career, he played for teams in Switzerland, Qatar, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States. He scored an amazing 209 goals in 442 league games! He also played for the Swiss national team, appearing in 34 games and scoring seven goals. He even played for Switzerland in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Blaise Nkufo played for many different football clubs during his career. Some of these clubs include 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.
Success with FC Twente
Nkufo spent a big part of his career playing for FC Twente in the Netherlands, from 2003 to 2010. He became a club legend there. In his last season with Twente, he scored 12 goals in the Eredivisie, helping the team win their very first league title in 45 years! He played in 223 league games for Twente and scored 114 goals, which is a club record. Because of his amazing contributions, FC Twente even put up a statue of him outside their stadium after he left.
Time with Seattle Sounders FC
In early 2010, Nkufo decided to move to the United States to play for Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer. He joined the team in July 2010 after his contract with Twente ended.
On September 18, 2010, Nkufo made history for the Sounders. He scored a hat-trick (three goals in one game) against the Columbus Crew. This was the first time a Sounders player had scored a hat-trick in a league game. He also helped the Sounders win the U.S. Open Cup in 2010, beating the Columbus Crew 2–1 in the final. Nkufo and the Sounders decided to end his contract in March 2011, and he announced his retirement from playing football thirteen days later.
International Career
Blaise Nkufo started playing for the Swiss national team in 2000. He was chosen to be part of the team that went to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
At the World Cup, Nkufo played an important role in a famous game. Switzerland managed to beat Spain, who were the favorites and later became the world champions, during the group stage. This was a big surprise in the tournament!
International Goals
Here is a list of the goals Blaise Nkufo scored for the Switzerland national team. The "Score" column shows the score after Nkufo's goal, and the "Result" column shows the final score of the game.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 May 2002 | Espenmoos, St. Gallen, Switzerland |  Canada |
1–3 | Friendly | |
| 2 | 11 September 2007 | Wörthersee Stadion, Klagenfurt, Austria |  Japan |
3–4 | Friendly | |
| 3 | 6 September 2008 | Ramat Gan National Stadium, Tel Aviv, Israel |  Israel |
2–2 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier | |
| 4 | 10 September 2008 | Letzigrund, Zürich, Switzerland |  Luxembourg |
1–2 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier | |
| 5 | 11 October 2008 | Kybunpark, St. Gallen, Switzerland |  Latvia |
2–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier | |
| 6 | 15 October 2008 | Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece |  Greece |
2–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier | |
| 7 | 1 April 2009 | Stade de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland |  Moldova |
2–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier |
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Blaise Nkufo started a career in coaching and sports management. 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 for Rino's Tigers in the Premier Division of the Vancouver Metro Soccer League.
Personal Life
Blaise Nkufo was born in Kinshasa, which was then part of Zaire. When he was seven years old, he moved to Switzerland with his family. He later became a Swiss citizen. He is married to a woman from Vancouver, British Columbia.
Honours
Blaise Nkufo won several important titles during his playing career:
Twente
- Eredivisie: 2009–10 (Dutch League Champions)
Seattle Sounders FC
- U.S. Open Cup: 2010 (US National Cup Winners)
See also
In Spanish: Blaise Nkufo para niños
