Didier Zokora facts for kids
Zokora playing for Trabzonspor in 2012
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Déguy Alain Didier Zokora | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 14 December 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Abidjan, Ivory Coast | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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AFAD Djékanou (assistant manager) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1999 | Académie MimoSifcom | ||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | ASEC Mimosas | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2004 | Racing Genk | 124 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2006 | Saint-Étienne | 66 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2009 | Tottenham Hotspur | 88 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | Sevilla | 49 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2014 | Trabzonspor | 78 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Akhisarspor | 25 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Pune City | 13 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | North East United | 14 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Semen Padang | 18 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | 468 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2014 | Ivory Coast | 123 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||
Déguy Alain Didier Zokora (born on December 14, 1980) is a former professional footballer from Ivory Coast. He played as a defensive midfielder, a position that helps protect the team's defense. Didier Zokora played for the Ivory Coast national team for 14 years, starting in 2000. He holds the record as the nation's most capped player, meaning he has played the most games for his country. Today, he works as an assistant manager at AFAD Djékanou.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Starting His Football Journey
Didier Zokora was born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. He began his football journey at the Académie MimoSifcom, a famous youth academy. He and his younger brother, Armando, were offered professional contracts with the Ivorian club ASEC Mimosas. Sadly, Armando passed away in a tragic accident. To remember his brother, Didier has "Armand" tattooed on his right arm.
In 2000, Zokora moved to Europe to play for the Belgian team Genk. He helped Genk win the Jupiler League in the 2001–02 season. He played 126 matches for Genk. A memorable moment was a 1–1 draw against Real Madrid in 2002. In 2004, he joined Saint-Étienne in France's Ligue 1.
Time at Tottenham Hotspur
After showing his skills at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, Zokora joined Tottenham Hotspur in England in 2006. The transfer was reported to be worth about £8.2 million. Soon after joining, he became ill with malaria but recovered quickly and returned to training.
Zokora helped Tottenham win the League Cup in 2008. This was a big win for the club, their first major trophy in nine years. They beat their London rivals Chelsea 2–1 in extra time. He also played in the League Cup final the next year against Manchester United, but Tottenham lost that game on penalties.
In 2008, Zokora signed a new four-year contract with Tottenham. However, in 2009, the club signed another defensive midfielder, Wilson Palacios. This meant Zokora played less often.
Moving to Sevilla
In the summer of 2009, Zokora moved to Spain to play for La Liga team Sevilla. He made his first appearance for Sevilla in August 2009. In his first season, he helped Sevilla finish fourth in La Liga, which meant they qualified for the UEFA Champions League. He also helped his team win the Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) by beating Atlético Madrid 2–0 in the final.
Playing in Turkey and India
Zokora joined the Turkish club Trabzonspor in June 2011, signing a four-year deal. He played his first game for them in September 2011. During his time there, an opposing player, Emre Belözoğlu, was found guilty of using insulting language towards him during a match. Emre received a suspended prison sentence and a two-match ban for the incident. Zokora left Trabzonspor in April 2014.
In July 2015, Zokora signed with Indian Super League team FC Pune City. He then joined another Indian club, NorthEast United, in August 2016. He often played as a central defender and captained his team in many games.
Final Club: Semen Padang
In April 2017, Zokora joined the Indonesian club Semen Padang. He was one of several famous players who moved to Indonesia that season. He signed a one-year contract but was released four months later in August.
Playing for His Country
Didier Zokora has played 123 international matches for the Ivory Coast. This makes him their most capped player ever. He scored his only international goal in a 4–0 win against Botswana in June 2008.
During his 12 years with the national team, Zokora helped the Ivory Coast, known as Les Éléphants, reach their first two FIFA World Cup tournaments in 2006 and 2010. In both tournaments, the Ivory Coast was placed in a very tough group and finished in third place. In the 2010 World Cup, Zokora played as a central defender against Portugal to strengthen the defense, helping his team achieve a 0–0 draw.
During the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, Zokora said he would retire from international football if the Ivory Coast won the title. Although he did retire on February 28, 2012, his team lost the final to Zambia in a penalty shootout.
Despite his earlier retirement announcement, Zokora was included in the Ivory Coast's squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He announced his second retirement from the national team on September 8, 2014.
Football Achievements
Didier Zokora won several important titles during his career:
- ASEC Mimosas
* CAF Super Cup: 1999
- Genk
* Belgian First Division A: 2001–02
- Tottenham Hotspur
* Football League Cup: 2007–08 * Runner-up: 2008–09
- Sevilla
* Copa del Rey: 2009–10
- Ivory Coast
* Africa Cup of Nations runner-up: 2006, 2012
- Individual Awards
* CAF Team of the Year: 2005, 2006
Images for kids
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Zokora playing for Trabzonspor in 2012
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Zokora playing for the Ivory Coast in 2007
See also
In Spanish: Didier Zokora para niños
