Demba Ba facts for kids
Ba with Beşiktaş in 2014
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Demba Ba | ||
| Date of birth | 25 May 1985 | ||
| Place of birth | Sèvres, France | ||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1999–2000 | Port Autonome | ||
| 2000–2001 | Frileuse | ||
| 2001–2004 | Montrouge | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2005–2006 | Rouen | 26 | (22) |
| 2006–2007 | Mouscron | 12 | (8) |
| 2007–2011 | TSG Hoffenheim | 97 | (37) |
| 2011 | West Ham United | 12 | (7) |
| 2011–2013 | Newcastle United | 54 | (29) |
| 2013–2014 | Chelsea | 33 | (7) |
| 2014–2015 | Beşiktaş | 29 | (18) |
| 2015–2018 | Shanghai Greenland Shenhua | 29 | (20) |
| 2017 | → Beşiktaş (loan) | 2 | (1) |
| 2018 | Göztepe | 13 | (7) |
| 2018 | Shanghai Greenland Shenhua | 17 | (5) |
| 2019–2021 | İstanbul Başakşehir | 59 | (20) |
| 2021 | Lugano | 3 | (0) |
| Total | 386 | (181) | |
| International career | |||
| 2007–2015 | Senegal | 22 | (3) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Demba Ba (born on May 25, 1985) is a former professional football player from France. He played as a striker, which means he was mainly responsible for scoring goals. After retiring from playing, he became the chairman of National Independent Soccer Association team Albion San Diego.
Ba started his senior career in 2005 with the French team Rouen. He then moved to Mouscron in Belgium and later to TSG Hoffenheim in Germany in 2007. In 2011, he joined Premier League club West Ham United in England. Even though he was their top scorer, West Ham was relegated, and Ba moved to Newcastle United. In January 2013, he joined Chelsea. Eighteen months later, he moved to Beşiktaş in Turkey. After one season there, he went to Shanghai Shenhua in the Chinese Super League.
Born and raised in France, Ba also played for the Senegal national team from 2007 to 2015. He represented his country in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. Demba Ba announced his retirement from football on September 13, 2021.
Contents
Early Life and Youth Football
Demba Ba was born in Sèvres, France, and grew up in Saint-Valery-en-Caux. He was the sixth of seven children in his family.
He began playing football at a young age, joining the youth team of ES Mont-Gaillard in 1992. He then played for Port Autonome from 1999 to 2000, and Frileuse from 2000 to 2001. In 2001, Ba moved to Châtillon and played for Montrouge until 2004.
After trying out for big clubs like Lyon and Auxerre without success, Ba went to the United Kingdom. He hoped to get a professional contract there. He also had trials with English clubs like Watford, Barnsley, Swansea City, and Gillingham, but these did not lead to a contract.
Club Career Highlights
Starting in France and Belgium
Ba signed a one-year contract with French club Rouen in 2005. He had a very successful season, scoring 22 goals in 26 games.
In 2006, Belgian club Mouscron signed Ba. He scored in his first three games but then suffered a serious leg injury, which kept him out for eight months. After recovering, he scored seven goals in nine games and earned his first call-up to the national team.
Time at TSG Hoffenheim
On August 29, 2007, Ba joined 2. Bundesliga team TSG Hoffenheim in Germany. He was a key player in helping Hoffenheim get promoted to the Bundesliga, which is Germany's top football league.
In their first season in the Bundesliga, Hoffenheim finished seventh, even leading the league during the winter break. Ba scored 14 goals that season and only missed one game. He scored a hat-trick (three goals in one game) against Stuttgart in February 2009. Overall, Ba scored 40 goals in 103 games for Hoffenheim.
Moving to England
In January 2011, Demba Ba left Hoffenheim. He then moved to Premier League club West Ham United. He signed a three-year contract on January 28, 2011.
Ba made his Premier League debut on February 6, 2011. Six days later, he scored his first two goals for West Ham in a 3–3 draw against West Bromwich Albion. He finished the season as West Ham's top scorer with seven goals in 12 games. However, West Ham was relegated to the Championship, and Ba was able to leave for free.
Success at Newcastle United
On June 17, 2011, Ba signed a three-year deal with Newcastle United. He made his debut on August 13, 2011. His first goals for the club came on September 24, 2011, when he scored a hat-trick against Blackburn Rovers. He scored another hat-trick against Stoke City, helping Newcastle stay unbeaten for 11 games.
Ba's excellent goal-scoring form continued, and he was named Premier League Player of the Month for December 2011. By January 2012, he had scored 15 league goals. He finished the 2011–12 season as Newcastle's top scorer with 16 goals.
In the 2012–13 season, Ba continued to score important goals. He scored Newcastle's 1000th goal in the Premier League era against Everton.
Time at Chelsea
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On January 4, 2013, Demba Ba joined Chelsea. He signed a three-and-a-half-year contract. He made a great start, scoring two goals in his debut game against Southampton in the FA Cup. He also scored in his first home league game for Chelsea.
On April 1, 2014, Ba scored a crucial goal in the FA Cup quarter-final replay against Manchester United, helping Chelsea win 1–0. He was not able to play in Chelsea's winning 2012–13 UEFA Europa League campaign because he had already played for another team in the competition that season.
In the 2013–14 season, Ba scored his first goal in the Champions League against Schalke. He also scored important goals in the Premier League. On April 8, 2014, he scored a late goal against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals, which sent Chelsea through to the semi-finals. On April 27, he scored against Liverpool after Steven Gerrard slipped, helping Chelsea win 2–0 and stay in the title race.
Moving to Turkey and China
On July 16, 2014, Ba joined Beşiktaş J.K. in the Turkish Süper Lig. He quickly made an impact, scoring three goals in his first start against Feyenoord in a Champions League qualifying match. He had a strong first season in Turkey, scoring 18 goals in 29 league games.
On June 28, 2015, Ba signed a three-year deal with Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua. He scored his first goal for them four days after his debut. He finished his first season with six goals in 11 games, including a hat-trick. He was named the Most Valuable Player and Top Scorer of the 2015 Chinese FA Cup.
In 2016, Ba continued his strong form, scoring 14 goals in 18 Super League games. However, on July 17, he suffered a serious leg injury during a match. Doctors successfully performed surgery, and he was able to return to football.
Returns to Turkey and China
On January 31, 2017, Ba returned to Beşiktaş J.K. on loan. He then joined another Turkish club, Göztepe S.K., on January 31, 2018, scoring seven goals in 13 matches. After this, he rejoined Shanghai Shenhua in China on June 14, 2018.
Final Club: İstanbul Başakşehir
In January 2019, Ba joined Turkish club İstanbul Başakşehir. On July 19, 2020, he helped Başakşehir win the Süper Lig title, making him a champion of Turkey for the second time. He finished that season as the club's top league scorer with 13 goals.
In December 2020, during a Champions League match, Demba Ba and other players took a stand against discrimination. They left the field after an incident with a match official, showing that racism has no place in football.
Retirement from Football
On June 19, 2021, Ba signed with Swiss club Lugano. However, less than three months later, on September 13, 2021, Demba Ba announced his retirement from professional football.
International Career
Demba Ba played for the Senegal national team from 2007 to 2015. He played a total of 22 games for his country and scored three goals. He represented Senegal in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.
Personal Life
Demba Ba is a practicing Muslim. He observes fasting during the Islamic month of Ramadan. He also celebrates his goals by performing the Sujud, which is a bow towards Mecca.
In 2013, when he played for Newcastle United, Ba chose not to wear a sponsor's name on his shirt due to personal beliefs. In 2017, Demba Ba, along with other footballers like Eden Hazard, Yohan Cabaye, and Moussa Sow, co-founded a football club called San Diego 1904 FC in the United States. In 2021, this club merged with Albion San Diego, and Ba became the head owner of the new team.
Honours
Beşiktaş
- Süper Lig: 2016–17
İstanbul Başakşehir
- Süper Lig: 2019–20
Individual
- Premier League Player of the Month: December 2011
- Chinese FA Cup Most Valuable Player: 2015
- Chinese Super League Team of the Year: 2016
See also
In Spanish: Demba Ba para niños
