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Saúl Coco

Saúl Basilio Coco-Bassey Oubiña (born 9 February 1999), better known as Saúl Coco, is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Serie A club Torino.[4] Born in Spain, he represents Equatorial Guinea at international level.

Early life

Coco was born in Lanzarote, Canary Islands, to Basilio Coco-Bassey Eyanga and a Spanish mother. His father is an Equatoguinean former footballer and current coach[5] who played for Canarian club CDU Puerto del Carmen in the 1987–88 season, alongside his brother Luis (Coco's uncle).[6] Coco is also of Nigerian descent through his paternal grandfather.[7]

Club career

Coco joined RCD Espanyol's youth setup in July 2016, after representing CD Orientación Marítima (where he was trained by his father) and UD Las Palmas.[8][9] In August 2018, after finishing his formation, he was loaned to Tercera División side UA Horta for the season.[10]

Coco made his senior debut on 18 August 2018, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 3–1 home win against UE Figueres.[11] The following 18 July, he returned to his former club Las Palmas, being assigned to the C-team also in the fourth division.[2]

Promoted to the reserves in Segunda División B ahead of the 2020–21 campaign, Coco made his first team debut on 17 December 2020, replacing Álvaro Lemos in a 4–0 away win against CD Varea, for the season's Copa del Rey.[12] On 15 June 2022, he renewed his contract until 2025, being definitely promoted to the main squad.[13]

On 15 April 2023, Coco scored his first goal at any level for Las Palmas on his 69th appearance, consolation in a 2–1 loss at Granada CF.[14] The team ended the season with promotion to La Liga, where he scored for the first time on 8 October to open a 2–1 victory away to Villarreal CF; his 30-yard direct free kick won the La Liga Goal of the Month award.[15]

On 17 July 2024, Coco signed for Serie A club Torino FC on a four-year contract.

International career

Eligible to play internationally for Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria or Spain, Coco was called up to the senior squad of the former in August 2017.[16] He made his full international debut on 3 September, replacing Pablo Ganet in a 1–2 friendly loss to Benin;[17][18] by doing so, he became the first person from Lanzarote to get called up internationally in 67 years.[19] The match was subsequently eliminated from FIFA records,[20] as the referee and his assistants referees were from Equatorial Guinea.[21][22]

Coco became cap-tied to Equatorial Guinea on 17 November 2018, when he appeared in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier match against Senegal.[23] He scored his first international goal on his sixth appearance on 7 October 2021, opening a 2–0 home win over Zambia in 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification.[24] He played all of his team's games in their run to the quarter-finals of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, scoring in the penalty shootout win over Mali in the last 16.[25]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 17 March 2024[26]

International

Scores and results list Equatorial Guinea's goal tally first.[27]

Honours

Individual

References

  1. ^ "Federació Catalana de Futbol". fcf.cat.
  2. ^ a b "Saúl Coco regresa para reforzar Las Palmas C" [Saúl Coco returns to bolster Las Palmas C] (in Spanish). UD Las Palmas. 18 July 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  3. ^ "Saúl Coco" (in Spanish). UD Las Palmas. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  4. ^ "Coco al Toro | Torino FC". Coco al Toro | Torino FC (in Italian). 26 May 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  5. ^ "Comité de Competición. Sesión 20 de febrero de 2013" [Competition committee. Session of 20 February 2013] (in Spanish). Lanzarote Deportiva. 21 February 2013.
  6. ^ "Temporada 87-88" [87-88 season] (in Spanish). Historia de Tías. 22 May 2015.
  7. ^ "Coco-Bassey: The third defender of Nigerian descent in Equatorial Guinea's AFCON squad and their MVP". All Nigeria Soccer. 2 January 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  8. ^ "El centrocampista Saúl Coco ficha por el equipo juvenil del RCD Espanyol" [Central midfielder Saúl Coco signs for the juvenil squad of RCD Espanyol] (in Spanish). Lanzarote Deportiva. 17 July 2016.
  9. ^ "El joven lanzaroteño Saúl Coco ficha por el RCD Espanyol" [Young lanzaroteño Saúl Coco signs for RCD Espanyol] (in Spanish). Lancelot Digital. 18 July 2016.
  10. ^ "Pelegrín no seguirá" [Pelegrín will not continue] (in Spanish). RCD Espanyol. 2 August 2018. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  11. ^ "El At. Horta ganó en casa al Figueres" [At. Horta defeated Figueres at home] (in Spanish). nvfocus.com. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  12. ^ "Las Palmas se da un brindis y no se complica en la Copa" [Las Palmas give themselves a toast and do not complicate things in the Cup] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 18 December 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  13. ^ "Saúl Coco amplía su vinculación con la UD Las Palmas" [Saúl Coco extends his link with UD Las Palmas] (in Spanish). UD Las Palmas. 15 June 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  14. ^ León, Rafa (17 April 2023). "Saúl Coco: "Nos pasaron por encima en intensidad; estamos pasando por un momento complicado"" [Saúl Coco: "They surpassed us in intensity, we are going through a complicated moment"] (in Spanish). Cadena SER. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  15. ^ a b "Saúl Coco wins LALIGA EA SPORTS October Goal of the Month". La Liga. 30 October 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  16. ^ Betancort, Rubén (28 August 2017). "Saúl Coco convocado con la selección absoluta de Guinea Ecuatorial" [Saúl Coco called up to the full national team of Equatorial Guinea] (in Spanish). Lanzarote Deportiva.
  17. ^ "Saúl Coco se quedó sin victoria en la noche de su debut con Guinea Ecuatorial" [Saúl Coco ended up without a win in the night of his debut with Equatorial Guinea] (in Spanish). Lanzarote Deportiva. 3 September 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  18. ^ "Malawi stun Togo, Benin edge past Equatorial Guinea". ESPN. 4 September 2017.
  19. ^ "Saúl Coco puso fin a 67 años sin un futbolista internacional absoluto de Lanzarote" [Saúl Coco ended a 67-year spell without an international footballer from Lanzarote] (in Spanish). Lanzarote Deportiva. 4 September 2017.
  20. ^ "Live Scores - Equatorial Guinea - Matches". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 5 June 2016.
  21. ^ "Mismo error, la misma posición y el mismo árbitro" [Same mistake, the same position and the same referee] (in Spanish). P.Sports. 6 September 2017.
  22. ^ "Joaquín ELA, el árbitro de los partidos eliminados por la FIFA" [Joaquín Elá, the referee of the matches eliminated by FIFA] (in Spanish). P.Sports. 6 September 2017.
  23. ^ "Saúl Coco y Jordan ya juegan con la absoluta de Guinea" [Saúl Coco and Jordan already play with the full side of Guinea] (in Spanish). Ahora EG. 16 April 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  24. ^ "El lanzaroteño Saúl Coco se estrena como goleador de Guinea Ecuatorial" [Lanzarote-born Saúl Coco scores first goal for Equatorial Guinea] (in Spanish). Lanzarote Deportivo. 8 October 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  25. ^ "Africa Cup of Nations: Who made WhoScored.com's Team of the last 16?". Sky Sports. 28 January 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  26. ^ "Saúl Coco". Soccerway. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  27. ^ "Saúl Coco". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 14 October 2021.

External links