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 | ||
| Playing position | 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 Shenhua | 29 | (20) |
| 2017 | → Beşiktaş (loan) | 2 | (1) |
| 2018 | Göztepe | 13 | (7) |
| 2018–2019 | Shanghai Shenhua | 17 | (5) |
| 2019–2021 | İstanbul Başakşehir | 59 | (20) |
| 2021 | Lugano | 3 | (0) |
| Total | 386 | (181) | |
| National team | |||
| 2007–2015 | Senegal | 22 | (3) |
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Demba Ba (born 25 May 1985) is a former professional footballer from France and Senegal. He played as a striker, which means he was a forward player who focused on scoring goals. After retiring from playing, he became the chairman of National Independent Soccer Association team Albion San Diego.
Demba Ba started his senior career in 2005 with the French team Rouen. He then moved to Mouscron in Belgium and TSG Hoffenheim in Germany. In 2011, he joined Premier League club West Ham United in England. Even though he scored many goals, West Ham was relegated, so he moved to Newcastle United. In 2013, he joined Chelsea, a big club in England. Later, he played for Beşiktaş in Turkey and Shanghai Shenhua in China.
Born in France, Demba Ba also played for the Senegal national team from 2007 to 2015. He even represented Senegal in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. He announced his retirement from football on 13 September 2021.
Contents
Early Football Journey
Demba Ba was born in Sèvres, France, and grew up in Saint-Valery-en-Caux. He started playing football in youth teams like ES Mont-Gaillard in 1992. He also played for Port Autonome and Frileuse before joining Montrouge in 2001.
By 2004, Ba decided to focus completely on football. He tried out for several professional clubs but didn't get a contract right away. He even went to the United Kingdom for trials with teams like Watford and Barnsley. After some challenges, he returned to France to continue his journey.
Club Career Highlights
Rouen and Mouscron
In 2005, Demba Ba signed a one-year contract with French club Rouen. He had a very successful season there, scoring many goals.
The next year, in 2006, Belgian club Mouscron signed him. He scored in his first three games! However, he then got a serious leg injury that kept him from playing for eight months. After recovering, he came back strong, scoring seven goals in nine games.
TSG Hoffenheim
On 29 August 2007, Ba moved to 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, and Ba scored 14 goals. This included a hat-trick (three goals in one game) against Stuttgart in February 2009. Overall, he scored 40 goals in 103 games for Hoffenheim.
West Ham United
In January 2011, Demba Ba joined Premier League club West Ham United. He signed a three-year contract. He made his Premier League debut on 6 February 2011. Just six days later, he scored his first two goals for the club in a 3–3 draw against West Bromwich Albion.
Even though he only played 12 games, Ba was West Ham's top scorer that season with seven goals. However, West Ham was relegated to the Championship (the league below the Premier League). This meant Ba could leave for free, and he decided to stay in the Premier League.
Newcastle United
On 17 June 2011, Ba signed a three-year deal with Newcastle United. He made his debut on 13 August 2011. His first goals for Newcastle came on 24 September 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 goal-scoring form was amazing. By January 2012, he had scored 15 league goals, making him one of the top scorers in the league. He even scored in a big 3–0 win over Manchester United. He finished the season as Newcastle's top goal scorer with 16 goals.
Chelsea
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On 4 January 2013, Demba Ba joined Chelsea. He signed a three-and-a-half-year contract. He made a fantastic debut, scoring two goals in a 5–1 win against Southampton in the FA Cup. He also scored on his home league debut.
One of his most famous goals for Chelsea came on 8 April 2014. He scored an 87th-minute goal against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals, which sent Chelsea through to the next round. He also scored a crucial goal against Liverpool that helped Chelsea stay in the race for the Premier League title.
Beşiktaş
On 16 July 2014, Demba Ba moved to Beşiktaş J.K. in Turkey. He was given the number 9 shirt. He made a great start, scoring three goals in his first start for the club in a Champions League qualifier against Feyenoord. He continued to score many goals in the Turkish league and the UEFA Europa League.
Shanghai Shenhua
On 28 June 2015, Ba signed a three-year deal with Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua. He scored his first goal for them on 15 July. He finished his first season with six goals in 11 games, including a hat-trick in the final game. He was named the Most Valuable Player and Top Scorer of the 2015 Chinese FA Cup.
In his second season, he scored 14 goals in 18 games. However, on 17 July 2016, he broke his leg during a match. This was a very serious injury, but doctors said he would be able to play football again.
Return to Turkey and Retirement
After recovering from his injury, Demba Ba returned to Beşiktaş on loan in January 2017. He then joined Göztepe S.K. in January 2018, scoring seven goals in 13 matches. Later that year, he rejoined Shanghai Shenhua.
In January 2019, Ba moved back to Turkey to play for İstanbul Başakşehir. On 19 July 2020, he helped Başakşehir win the Süper Lig title, making him a champion of Turkey for the second time. He was the club's top league scorer that season with 13 goals.
In June 2021, Ba signed with Lugano in Switzerland. However, less than three months later, on 13 September 2021, Demba Ba announced his retirement from professional football.
International Career
Demba Ba played a total of 22 games for the Senegal national team and scored three goals. He represented his country in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.
Personal Life
Demba Ba is a 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.
After his playing career, Demba Ba became involved in football ownership. In 2017, he co-founded a football club called San Diego 1904 FC in the United States. In 2021, this club merged with Albion San Diego, and Demba 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
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