Blaise Nkufo

Blaise Nkufo

Nkufo playing for Switzerland in 2007
Personal information
Full name	Blaise Isetsima Nkufo
Date of birth	(1975-05-25) 25 May 1975
Place of birth	Kinshasa, Zaire
Height
Position(s)	Striker
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1993–1994	Lausanne	2	(0)
1994–1995	Echallens	16	(9)
1995–1996	Al-Arabi	12	(6)
1996–1997	Yverdon	35	(12)
1997–1998	Lausanne	34	(18)
1998–2000	Grasshopper	18	(4)
1999–2000	→ Lugano (loan)	21	(14)
2000–2001	Lucerne	19	(7)
2001–2002	1. FSV Mainz 05	42	(20)
2002–2003	Hannover 96	9	(0)
2003–2010	Twente	223	(114)
2010	Seattle Sounders FC	11	(5)
Total		442	(200)
International career
2000–2010	Switzerland	34	(7)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Blaise Isetsima Nkufo (born 25 May 1975) is a retired Congolese-born Swiss footballer. Nkufo played professionally in Switzerland, Qatar, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States.

Nkufo was also a member of the Swiss national team, having won 34 caps and scored seven goals. He played for them at the 2010 World Cup.

Career

Born in Kinshasa, Zaire, Nkufo emigrated to Switzerland with his family when he was seven and became naturalised as a Swiss citizen at the age of 20.

Club career

Nkufo began his professional career in 1993 with Lausanne Sport, where he spent one season. He later played with FC Echallens before moving to Qatar to play with Al-Arabi. After a year in the Gulf, he moved back to Switzerland, and played with Yverdon-Sport FC; he also re-signed for Lausanne Sports before moving to Grasshopper Club Zürich in 1998; his spell in Zürich included a loan spell to AC Lugano. He then played with FC Lucerne, before moving to Germany to play with Mainz 05 and Hannover 96. He signed for FC Twente in the Netherlands in 2003 and was their leading scorer in five of the six seasons he played there. FC Twente won their first Dutch title in the last season he played with the team.

Nkufo playing for Seattle Sounders FC.

In February 2010, Nkufo was linked to sign with the Major League Soccer team Seattle Sounders FC. On 4 March 2010, the Sounders confirmed that they had signed him. He joined the Sounders' squad on 13 July 2010. His first appearance for the Sounders was on 18 July 2010 during a friendly vs. Celtic. His first MLS start was on 25 July 2010 in a home match against the Colorado Rapids in which Seattle Sounders FC won 2–1. On 18 September 2010 in an away match against the Columbus Crew, he scored his first goal in the MLS which was the start to his hat-trick for the game, the first ever for the Seattle Sounders.

On 15 March 2011, Seattle and Nkufo agreed mutually to the termination of his deal. Nkufo announced his retirement thirteen days later.

International career

Nkufo made his international debut for Switzerland in 2002. He failed to make the squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, but he represented them at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Name confusion

Nkufo has himself said in interviews that his surname is Nkufo. The incorrect version N'Kufo is often found in media. The surname is pronounced Kufo, without the N. However, on the back of his shirt, he has been known variously as Nkufo, N'Kufo and Nkufu.

Honours

Club

Al-Arabi

• Qatar Stars League: 1995–96

Lausanne

• Swiss Cup: 1997–98

Twente

• Eredivisie: 2009–10

Seattle Sounders FC

• Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: 2010

External links

• Player profile at Voetbal International (Dutch)
• Blaise Nkufo at worldfootball.net
• Blaise Nkufo at National-Football-Teams.com