Arthur Boka
 Boka in 2007 |
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Etienne Arthur Boka[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 2 April 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire | ||
| Height | 1.66 m (5 ft 5 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Left back / Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | VfB Stuttgart | ||
| Number | 15 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1996–2002 | ASEC Mimosas | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2002–2004 | Beveren | 59 | (4) |
| 2004–2006 | Strasbourg | 66 | (2) |
| 2006– | VfB Stuttgart | 129 | (4) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2004– | Côte d'Ivoire | 72 | (1) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19 May 2013. † Appearances (Goals). |
|||
Etienne Arthur Boka (born 2 April 1983 in Abidjan) is an Ivorian football defender who plays for VfB Stuttgart in Germany and the Côte d'Ivoire national team. He was a part of the Côte d'Ivoire squads at two FIFA World Cups and five Africa Cups of Nations between 2006 and 2013. Boka is known for his lightning pace even though he is a man of a very small build.
Contents |
Career[edit]
Club career[edit]
Like many successful players from Côte d'Ivoire, he started his career at homeland club ASEC Abidjan, after coming through their much famed youth system, that has also produced players such as Kolo Touré, Emmanuel Eboué, and Aruna Dindane. He joined the club after walking in from the streets of Côte d'Ivoire capital Abidjan and asking for a trial. Following his graduation from the academy he moved on to Belgian club K.S.K. Beveren in 2002, where impressive performances earned him a transfer to the then Ligue 1 club RC Strasbourg in France for the 2004–05 season. He impressed further at Strasbourg, but following their relegation at the end of the 2005–06 season he left to join German top-flight club VfB Stuttgart.[2] His impressive attack minded play from his left-back position have earned him the nickname of "The African Roberto Carlos". In the 2006–07 season Boka won the Bundesliga title with VfB Stuttgart.
On 14 January 2009 he extended his contract at VfB Stuttgart until the summer of 2012.[3]
On 30 May 2012, Boka signed a new one-year contract with an option for a further year at VfB Stuttgart.[4] Boka used to be playing as left back, but in den middle of 2012–13 Bundesliga season he began playing as defensive midfielder.
International career[edit]
He has 72 caps for the national team, scored one goal, and was called up to the 2006 World Cup, where he played all three group games for the Elephants, where he performed impressively, gaining one assist. He was also called up to the 2010 World Cup, where he played the final group match against North Korea gaining two assists.
He represented Côte d'Ivoire in the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations and was also part of the Ivorian squad at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana. Boka was also called up for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. With Côte d'Ivoire, Boka reached the finals of the Africa Cup of Nations in 2006 and 2012, but they were beaten on penalties on both occasions.
Career statistics[edit]
- As of 19 May 2013
| Season | Club | Division | League | Cups | Europe | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| 2002–03 | Beveren | Jupiler Pro League | 30 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 3 |
| 2003–04 | 29 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 1 | ||
| Beveren Total | 59 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 65 | 4 | ||
| 2004–05 | Strasbourg | Ligue 1 | 34 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 0 |
| 2005–06 | 27 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 38 | 1 | ||
| 2006–07 | Ligue 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | |
| Strasbourg Total | 66 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 83 | 3 | ||
| 2006–07 | Stuttgart | Bundesliga | 19 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 |
| 2007–08 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 23 | 0 | ||
| 2008–09 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 29 | 0 | ||
| 2009–10 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 22 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11 | 23 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 30 | 2 | ||
| 2011–12 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | 25 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 37 | 3 | ||
| Stuttgart Total | 129 | 4 | 17 | 1 | 31 | 1 | 177 | 6 | ||
| Career Total | 254 | 10 | 32 | 1 | 39 | 2 | 325 | 13 | ||
Honours[edit]
- With K.S.K. Beveren
- Belgian Cup runner-up: 2003–04
- With RC Strasbourg
- League Cup winner: 2005
- With VfB Stuttgart
- Bundesliga winner: 2006–07
- DFB-Pokal runner-up: 2006–07
- With Côte d'Ivoire
- Africa Cup of Nations runner-up: 2006, 2010
References[edit]
- ^ "List of Players" (PDF). Confederation of African Football (CAF). Retrieved 24 January 2013.
- ^ Picard, Laurent. "Stuttgart capture Boka". skysports.com. Retrieved 31 August 2006.
- ^ "Boka staying until 2012". vfb.de. VfB Stuttgart. 14 January 2009. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
- ^ "Arthur Boka extends contract with VfB". vfb.de. VfB Stuttgart. 30 May 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
External links[edit]
- Arthur Boka at National-Football-Teams.com
- Profile at l'Equipe (French)
- Profile at Sky Sports
- Profile on Eurosport
- Profile on ESPN
- Arthur Boka – FIFA competition record
- Arthur Boka at fussballdaten.de (German)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||
- 1983 births
- Living people
- Ivorian footballers
- K.S.K. Beveren players
- RC Strasbourg players
- VfB Stuttgart players
- 2006 FIFA World Cup players
- 2006 Africa Cup of Nations players
- 2008 Africa Cup of Nations players
- Ivorian expatriates in Belgium
- 2010 Africa Cup of Nations players
- 2010 FIFA World Cup players
- Bundesliga players
- Ivorian expatriate footballers
- Expatriate footballers in Belgium
- Expatriate footballers in France
- Expatriate footballers in Germany
- Association football defenders
- People from Abidjan
- Ivory Coast international footballers
- ASEC Mimosas players
- Ligue 1 players
- Belgian Pro League players
- Ivorian expatriates in Germany
- 2012 Africa Cup of Nations players
- 2013 Africa Cup of Nations players
