Zoumana Bakayogo
Encyclopedia
Zoumana "Zoom" Bakayogo (born 11 August 1986 in Paris
) is a French
-born Ivorian
football defender
, who currently plays for English club Tranmere Rovers.
giants Paris Saint-Germain before moving to England
in 2006. The young left-back originally joined Brighton & Hove Albion
for a two week trial in the summer of 2006, but was not offered a contract due to a persistent knee injury.
Millwall
after impressing then-manager Nigel Spackman
, and was awarded a contract with the club.
He featured in seven games under Spackman in the first half of the 2006-07
season, making his competitive debut on 22 August 2006, in a 2-1 win over Gillingham
at The New Den
in the League Cup
First Round. Following Willie Donachie
's appointment on 22 November, he was only to make three further appearances that season. In January 2007 he was sent on loan to Brighton & Hove Albion
. He suffered a nightmare season on the south coast where, despite staying at the Withdean
for the rest of the season, he played no first team games due to an ankle injury and international call-ups.
He played thirteen games of the 2007–08
campaign, eleven of these coming after Kenny Jackett
's appointed in November.
Bakayogo made his final appearances for the Lions on 4 October 2008, in a 4-0 home drubbing to MK Dons
, coming on as a half time substitute. He was released from the club in early 2009 and returned to France, joining UJA Alfortville.
at the end of his short term deal with several clubs showing an interest in him. Leeds United and Southampton were clubs that had been mentioned as supposedly wanting to sign the defender, however at the end of December 2009 it was announced that the player had agreed a new deal until the end of the season. He signed in time to be included in the squad for the 3rd round of the English FA Cup, playing against Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers. He played well at left back in a game Tranmere lost 1–0.
Impressive performances earned him a new contract offer in May 2010 He signed a new one year contract on 6 July 2010. Parry added: "I'm delighted Zoom has decided to stay at the club. He was one of our most consistent performers last season and he has a fantastic attitude in training and around the ground."
In March 2011 he scored his first goal for the club in a match against Exeter City. In May 2011 he signed a further two year contract which will run until 2013.
descent and is thus eligible to play for their national side
. He was part of the Côte d'Ivoire under-23 Olympic side and played again Africa
n rivals Senegal on 22 August 2007 in a qualifier for the 2008 Summer Olympics
.
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
) is a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
-born Ivorian
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
football defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
, who currently plays for English club Tranmere Rovers.
Early career
Bakayogo started his career at French Ligue 1Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
giants Paris Saint-Germain before moving to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 2006. The young left-back originally joined Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
for a two week trial in the summer of 2006, but was not offered a contract due to a persistent knee injury.
Millwall
Bakayogo had a successful trial at League OneFootball League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
after impressing then-manager Nigel Spackman
Nigel Spackman
Nigel James Spackman is an English football manager and former player. He was formerly a midfield player who was an integral part of the much-admired Liverpool team of 1988...
, and was awarded a contract with the club.
He featured in seven games under Spackman in the first half of the 2006-07
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
season, making his competitive debut on 22 August 2006, in a 2-1 win over Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
at The New Den
The New Den
The Den , is a football stadium and the home of Millwall FC. It is situated in South Bermondsey, South East London, almost directly adjacent to the railway line between London Bridge and New Cross Gate, plus the SELCHP incinerator. It is under a quarter of a mile away from original Den...
in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
First Round. Following Willie Donachie
Willie Donachie
William Donachie is a Scottish former professional footballer. He won 35 full caps for Scotland, playing in the 1978 World Cup.-Career:...
's appointment on 22 November, he was only to make three further appearances that season. In January 2007 he was sent on loan to Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
. He suffered a nightmare season on the south coast where, despite staying at the Withdean
Withdean Stadium
Withdean Stadium is an athletics stadium in Withdean, a suburb of Brighton. Between 1999 and 2011 it was the home ground of football team Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.....
for the rest of the season, he played no first team games due to an ankle injury and international call-ups.
He played thirteen games of the 2007–08
2007-08 in English football
The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
campaign, eleven of these coming after Kenny Jackett
Kenny Jackett
Kenny Jackett is a former Wales international football player, who has since moved into management. He is the current manager of Millwall, the longest serving manager in the Football League Championship and eleventh longest serving manager in England.A skilful player, equally at home in defence or...
's appointed in November.
Bakayogo made his final appearances for the Lions on 4 October 2008, in a 4-0 home drubbing to MK Dons
Milton Keynes Dons F.C.
.Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 2004 and based since 2007 at Stadium mk, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire...
, coming on as a half time substitute. He was released from the club in early 2009 and returned to France, joining UJA Alfortville.
Tranmere Rovers
On 1 September 2009 it was announced that Tranmere Rovers had signed Bakayogo on a free transfer until January 2010. He had a successful start at Tranmere with two man-of-the-match performances. Speculation was rife that Bakayogo would leave Prenton ParkPrenton Park
Prenton Park is an association football stadium in Birkenhead, England. It is the home ground of Tranmere Rovers F.C. The club moved to the current Prenton Park in 1912. The ground has had several rebuilds, with the most recent occurring in 1995 in response to the requirement of the Taylor Report...
at the end of his short term deal with several clubs showing an interest in him. Leeds United and Southampton were clubs that had been mentioned as supposedly wanting to sign the defender, however at the end of December 2009 it was announced that the player had agreed a new deal until the end of the season. He signed in time to be included in the squad for the 3rd round of the English FA Cup, playing against Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers. He played well at left back in a game Tranmere lost 1–0.
Impressive performances earned him a new contract offer in May 2010 He signed a new one year contract on 6 July 2010. Parry added: "I'm delighted Zoom has decided to stay at the club. He was one of our most consistent performers last season and he has a fantastic attitude in training and around the ground."
In March 2011 he scored his first goal for the club in a match against Exeter City. In May 2011 he signed a further two year contract which will run until 2013.
International career
Although born in the French capital Paris, Bakayogo is of IvorianCôte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
descent and is thus eligible to play for their national side
Côte d'Ivoire national football team
The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...
. He was part of the Côte d'Ivoire under-23 Olympic side and played again Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n rivals Senegal on 22 August 2007 in a qualifier for the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
.