Ibrahima Sonko facts for kids
Sonko playing for Akhisar Belediyespor in 2014
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 22 January 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Bignona, Senegal | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1995–1996 | Olympique Noisy-le-Sec | ||
| 1997–1999 | Saint-Étienne | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1999–2002 | Grenoble | 47 | (2) |
| 2002–2004 | Brentford | 80 | (8) |
| 2004–2008 | Reading | 127 | (8) |
| 2008–2011 | Stoke City | 14 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | → Hull City (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | → Portsmouth (loan) | 23 | (1) |
| 2011–2012 | Ipswich Town | 22 | (1) |
| 2012–2015 | Akhisar Belediyespor | 58 | (0) |
| 2015–2018 | Harlow Town | 110 | (10) |
| Total | 490 | (30) | |
| International career | |||
| 2008 | Senegal | 5 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Ibrahima Sonko (born on January 22, 1981) is a former professional footballer from Senegal. He played as a centre back, which is a defensive position in the middle of the field.
Ibrahima moved from Senegal to France when he was young. He started his football journey with youth teams like Olympique Noisy-le-Sec and AS Saint-Étienne. Later, he became a professional player with Grenoble. In 2002, Ibrahima moved to England to play for Brentford. After two seasons there, he joined Reading in 2004.
He spent four seasons with Reading, helping them get promoted to the top league, the Premier League, in the 2005–06 season. After Reading was relegated, Ibrahima joined Stoke City in 2008. He also played on loan for Hull City and Portsmouth. Later, he played for Ipswich Town and then for the Turkish team Akhisar Belediyespor until 2015. He finished his career playing for Harlow Town in England.
Contents
Ibrahima Sonko's Club Career
Ibrahima Sonko was born in Bignona, Senegal. He moved to France as a child. He played for youth teams before joining Grenoble in 1999. He helped Grenoble get promoted in the 2000–01 season.
Playing for Brentford
In 2002, Ibrahima left Grenoble to join the English team Brentford. He played 45 games for Brentford in the 2002–03 season and scored six goals. Brentford finished 16th in their league that year. In the 2003–04 season, he played 46 games. His strong performances for Brentford caught the attention of bigger clubs.
Time at Reading F.C.
Ibrahima joined Reading in the summer of 2004. He played 42 games in the 2004–05 season. Reading finished 7th, just missing out on a play-off spot.
Promotion to the Premier League
In the 2005–06 season, Ibrahima was a key player. Reading won their league with a record 106 points, earning promotion to the Premier League. During this amazing season, he won the Player of the Month award for October. He was also chosen for the PFA Team of the Year, which means he was one of the best players in the league.
Premier League Challenges
Ibrahima's first season in the Premier League was full of action. He received a red card in a game against Aston Villa. He also had a tough moment in a match against Chelsea in October 2006. He signed a new contract with Reading in December 2006, keeping him at the Madejski Stadium until 2010. However, in January 2007, he injured his knee. This meant he missed the rest of the 2006–07 season. Ibrahima played 23 games that season as Reading finished 8th.
He returned to play on October 20, 2007. He played 16 matches for Reading in the 2007–08 season. Unfortunately, Reading was relegated from the Premier League that year. Ibrahima started the first three games of the 2008–09 season. He scored two goals against Plymouth Argyle and also scored against Charlton Athletic.
Moving to Stoke City
On August 29, 2008, Ibrahima Sonko signed with Stoke City, another Premier League team. He made his debut for Stoke on September 14, 2008. However, he found it hard to keep a regular spot in the team. He was often used as a substitute. Stoke finished 14th in the 2008–09 season.
Loan Spells
On September 1, 2009, Ibrahima joined Hull City on loan for the 2009–10 season. He played nine games for Hull, but the team was relegated from the Premier League. He then spent the 2010–11 season on loan at Portsmouth. He played 27 games for Portsmouth and scored one goal. After his loan, he was released by Stoke City.
Playing for Ipswich Town
After leaving Stoke, Ibrahima tried out for his old club Reading, but he did not get a contract.
On August 26, 2011, Ibrahima signed a one-year deal with Ipswich Town, a team in the Championship league. He scored his first goal for Ipswich in a 3–1 win in October 2011. Ibrahima faced some challenges with his fitness and injuries while at Portman Road. He was released by Ipswich at the end of the 2011–12 season.
Time in Turkey with Akhisar Belediyespor
Ibrahima joined Akhisar Belediyespor, a newly promoted team in the Turkish Süper Lig, on August 15, 2012. He played for Akhisar for three seasons, appearing in 63 games.
Playing for Harlow Town
On August 6, 2015, it was announced that Ibrahima Sonko had returned to England. He signed with Harlow Town, a club in the Isthmian League. In September of that year, Ibrahima shared that he turned down an offer from a bigger Scottish team to stay with Harlow Town. He wanted to be close to his family. Ibrahima retired from football at the end of the 2017–18 season.
International Career
Ibrahima Sonko was born in Senegal. He moved to France when he was very young. Even though he grew up in France, he chose to play for the Senegal national team. He played for Senegal's Under-23 team. He was called up for the African Cup of Nations in 2006, but he decided to stay with Reading to help them get promoted to the Premier League. He later said he would play for France if they selected him. However, if Senegal called him first, he would play for them.
Ibrahima was named in Senegal's team for the African Cup of Nations in 2008. He was the only player in the squad who had not played for the national team before. He finally made his debut for Senegal on January 12, 2008, in a 3–1 win against Namibia in Dakar. He played the whole game as a central defender.
International Goals
Ibrahima Sonko scored one goal for the Senegal national team.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 June 2008 | Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor, Dakar, Senegal | 4 |  Liberia |
1–0 | 3–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Personal Life
Ibrahima Sonko's cousin, Bacary Sagna, is also a professional footballer.
Honours and Awards
Ibrahima Sonko achieved several honours during his football career:
Grenoble
- Championnat National: 2000–01 (This means his team won the league title)
Reading
- Football League Championship: 2005–06 (His team won this league title, which led to promotion)
Harlow Town
- Isthmian League First Division North play-offs: 2016 (His team won the play-offs to get promoted)
Individual Awards
- Football League Championship Player of the Month: October 2005 (He was recognized as the best player in the league for that month)
- PFA Team of the Year: 2005–06 Championship (He was chosen as one of the best players in his position for the entire season)
See also
In Spanish: Ibrahima Sonko para niños
