Arthur Boka

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Arthur Boka

| fullname = Etienne Arthur Boka{{cite web|title=List of Players|url=http://www.cafonline.com/userfiles/file/Comp/CAN2013/The%20list%20of%2016finals_not_confirmed.pdf|publisher=Confederation of African Football (CAF)|access-date=24 January 2013}}

| image = Colombia and Ivory Coast match at the FIFA World Cup 2014-06-19 (17).jpg

| image_size = 250px

| caption = Boka playing for Ivory Coast against Colombia at the 2014 FIFA World Cup

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1983|4|2|df=y}}

| birth_place = Abidjan, Ivory Coast

| height = 1.66 m

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| position = Left back

| youthyears1 = 1996–2002

| youthclubs1 = ASEC Mimosas

| years1 = 2002–2004

| clubs1 = Beveren

| caps1 = 59

| goals1 = 4

| years2 = 2004–2006

| clubs2 = Strasbourg

| caps2 = 66

| goals2 = 2

| years3 = 2006–2014

| clubs3 = VfB Stuttgart

| caps3 = 154

| goals3 = 5

| years4 = 2014–2016

| clubs4 = Málaga

| caps4 = 37

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2016–2017

| clubs5 = Sion

| caps5 = 3

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2022

| clubs6 = Atlético de Marbella

| caps6 = 2

| goals6 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2004–2015

| nationalteam1 = Ivory Coast

| nationalcaps1 = 82

| nationalgoals1 = 1

| pcupdate = 03:30, 22 March 2017 (UTC)

| ntupdate = 00:00, 17 November 2015 (UTC)

}}

Etienne Arthur Boka (born 2 April 1983) is an Ivorian former professional footballer who played as a left back for the Ivory Coast national team. At club level, he last played for Atlético de Marbella in the seventh-tier Primera Andaluza.{{cite web | url = https://www.marca.com/futbol/mas-futbol/2022/02/24/621767cfca4741a0458b45b8.html | title = Arthur Boka, campeón de la Bundesliga y mundialista, ahora juega en la Primera Andaluza | language = es | website = Marca | date = 24 February 2022 | access-date = 26 February 2022 | first = Junanje | last = Fernández R.}}

He was a part of the Ivory Coast 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.

Club career

Like many successful players from Ivory Coast, 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 Ivory Coast 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.{{cite web | url = http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11889_2388261,00.html | title = Stuttgart capture Boka | publisher = skysports.com | access-date = 31 August 2006 | first = Laurent |last = Picard}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://vfb.de/archiv/en/aktuell/news/2008/28973.php |title=Boka staying until 2012 |work=vfb.de |publisher=VfB Stuttgart |access-date=14 January 2009 |date=14 January 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318204102/http://www.vfb.de/archiv/en/aktuell/news/2008/28973.php |archive-date=18 March 2012 }} On 30 May 2012, Boka signed a new one-year contract with an option for a further year at VfB Stuttgart.{{cite web | url = http://www.vfb.de/en/aktuell/meldungen/news/2012/boka-vertragsverlaengerung/page/1485-0-1-1338399934.html | title = Arthur Boka extends contract with VfB | work = vfb.de | publisher = VfB Stuttgart | access-date = 30 May 2012 | date = 30 May 2012}} Boka used to be playing as left back, but in the middle of 2012–13 Bundesliga season he began playing as defensive midfielder. On 1 May 2014, Boka agreed a transfer to Spanish La Liga side Málaga CF, signing a two-year deal with the Andalusians.{{cite web | url = http://www.sportal.de/arthur-boka-wechselt-von-stuttgart-nach-malaga-1-2014042837340800000 | title = Arthur Boka changes from Stuttgart to Malaga | work = Sportal.de | publisher = Sportal | access-date = 1 May 2014 | date = 1 May 2014}} He made his debut in the competition on 29 August, starting in a 0–3 away loss against Valencia CF.{{cite web|url=http://www.espnfc.com/spanish-primera-divisi%C3%B3n/match/402615/valencia-malaga/report|title=Valencia manager Nuno Santo gets first home win vs. Malaga|publisher=ESPN FC|date=29 August 2014|access-date=3 September 2014}} He joined Swiss team FC Sion in July 2016 but left in February 2017 after just three Super League appearances.{{cite web|url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Suisse-arthur-boka-resilie-avec-le-fc-sion/779776|title=Suisse : Arthur Boka résilie avec le FC Sion|publisher=L'Équipe|date=20 February 2017|access-date=22 March 2017}}

International career

Boka has 72 caps for the Ivory Coast, 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 Ivory Coast 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 Ivory Coast, 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

rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Division !rowspan="2"\|Season !colspan="2"\|League !colspan="2"\|Cups !colspan="2"\|Europe !colspan="2"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
rowspan="3"\|Beveren \|rowspan="2"\|Jupiler Pro League \|2002–03 \|30	3	1	0	0	0	31	3
2003–04 \|29	1	5	0	0	0	34	1
colspan="2"\|Total !59	4	6	0	0	0	65	4
rowspan="4"\|Strasbourg \|rowspan="2"\|Ligue 1 \|2004–05 \|34	0	6	0	0	0	40	0
2005–06 \|27	0	3	0	8	1	38	1
Ligue 2 \|2006–07 \|5	2	0	0	0	0	5	2
colspan="2"\|Total !66	2	9	0	8	1	83	3
rowspan="9"\|VfB Stuttgart \|rowspan="8"\|Bundesliga \|2006–07 \|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	5	1	8	1	38	3
2013–14 \|25	1	0	0	4	0	29	1
colspan="2"\|Total !154	5	18	1	35	1	207	7
rowspan="3"\|Málaga \|rowspan="2"\|La Liga \|2014–15 \|23	0	3	0	0	0	26	0
2015–16 \|1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
colspan="2"\|Total !24	0	3	0	0	0	27	0
colspan="3"\|Career total !303	11	36	1	43	2	382	14

=International goals=

{{Updated|9 March 2017}}{{cite web | url = https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/aboka-intl.html | title = Arthur Etienne Boka - International Appearances | website = RSSSF | date = 10 August 2017 | access-date = 12 September 2019 | first = Robert | last = Mamrud}}

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
class="wikitable"
1	18 August 2004	Parc des Sports, Avignon, France	{{fb\|SEN}}	2–1	Win	Friendly match

Honours

=Club=

Beveren

Belgian Cup runner-up: 2003–04

Strasbourg

Coupe de la Ligue: 2004–05{{cite web |url=https://racingstub.com/games/2572/ |title=Caen - RCS 1-2 | website = racingstub.com |date=30 April 2005 |access-date=7 January 2020}}

VfB Stuttgart