James Debbah

{{Infobox football biography

| name = James Debbah

| image =

| fullname = James Salinsa Debbah

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|12|14|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Monrovia, Liberia

| height = 1.80 m

| position = Forward

| currentclub =

| years1 = 1984–1989

| years2 = 1989–1990

| years3 = 1990–1991

| years4 = 1991–1992

| years5 = 1992–1995

| years6 = 1995–1997

| years7 = 1997

| years8 = 1998

| years9 = 1998–1999

| years10 = 1999–2001

| years11 = 2001–2003

| years12 = 2003–2004

| years13 = 2008–2009

| years14 = 2009–2011

| clubs1 = Mighty Barrolle

| clubs2 = Union Douala

| clubs3 = Olympique Alès

| clubs4 = Monaco

| clubs5 = Lyon

| clubs6 = Nice

| clubs7 = Anderlecht

| clubs8 = Paris Saint-Germain

| clubs9 = Ankaragücü

| clubs10 = Iraklis

| clubs11 = Al-Jazira

| clubs12 = Al-Muharraq SC

| clubs13 = PKT Bontang

| clubs14 = Persiram Raja Ampat

| caps1 = ??

| caps2 = ??

| caps3 = 21

| caps4 = 12

| caps5 = 80

| caps6 = 57

| caps7 = 7

| caps8 = 12

| caps9 = 2

| caps10 = 45

| caps11 = 61

| caps12 = ??

| caps13 = 32

| caps14 = 16

| goals1 = ??

| goals2 = ??

| goals3 = 6

| goals4 = 2

| goals5 = 18

| goals6 = 22

| goals7 = 2

| goals8 = 0

| goals9 = 0

| goals10 = 17

| goals11 = 34

| goals12 = ??

| goals13 = 14

| goals14 = 5

| nationalyears1 = 1988–2018

| nationalteam1 = Liberia

| nationalcaps1 = 73

| nationalgoals1 = 42

| manageryears1 = 2013–2017

| managerclubs1 = Liberia

}}

James Salinsa Debbah (born 14 December 1969) is a Liberian professional football manager and former player who played as a forward. He was the manager of the Liberia national team from 2013 to 2017.{{Cite web|url=http://www.tff.org/Default.aspx?pageId=526&kisiID=29545|title=JAMES DEBBAH - Player Details TFF|website=www.tff.org|access-date=3 May 2018}}

Club career

Born in Monrovia, Debbah began his professional football career with the Liberian squad Mighty Barrolle in 1984. In 1989, he left Liberia for Union Douala off-season. In 1990, Debbah moved 1991, Debbah moved up to the Ligue 1 squad Monaco and played the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup finals, then the year later he moved to Olympique Lyonnais. In 1995, moved across Ligue 1 to OGC Nice, where he played until 1997, during which time he helped them win the 1996–97 Coupe de France. In that year, Debbah moved to Belgian League side Anderlecht. He moved back to Ligue 1 for one season with Paris Saint-Germain in 1998. After leaving Paris Saint-Germain, Debbah moved to Süper Lig side Ankaragücü for the 1998 and 1999 seasons then to Greek side Iraklis. Debbah moved to Al-Jazeera Club in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in 2001 and then to Muharraq Club in Muharraq, Bahrain, in 2003. In 2008, four years after leaving Muharraq Club, he moved to the Indonesia Super League with PKT Bontang for one season.

International career

Debbah was part of both the 1996 and 2002 Liberian national football squads in the African Cup of Nations. During a July 2004 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Togo in Monrovia, Debbah, as captain, refused to be substituted in the 53rd minute, instead waiting until the 68th minute to leave the pitch. The match resulted in a 0–0 draw, causing the team to leave the stadium under the protection of an armored personnel carrier.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/3866647.stm Liberia stoned by fans] BBC Sport, 5 July 2004

He made a final appearance for the national team in September 2018, at the age of 48, making him the third oldest international player on record.{{Cite news|title=Weah is 'oldest international' ever|language=en-GB|work=BBC Sport|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45511502|access-date=25 August 2021}}

Personal life

Debbah is the cousin of Liberian footballer George Weah.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/4138198.stm Debbah slams Weah's Liberia bid] BBC Sport, 10 August 2005

Career Statistics

===International===

:Scores and results list Liberia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Debbah goal.

class="wikitable sortable" \|+ List of international goals scored by James Debbah
scope="col"\|No. !scope="col"\|Date !scope="col"\|Venue !scope="col"\|Opponent !scope="col"\|Score !scope="col"\|Result !scope="col"\|Competition !scope="col" class="unsortable"\|{{Abbr\|Ref.\|Reference}}
style="text-align:center"\|1 \|{{dts\|11 July 1987}} \|National Stadium, Lagos, Nigeria \|{{fb\|Nigeria}} \|style="text-align:center"\|– \|style="text-align:center"\|1–4 \|1988 Summer Olympics qualification \|{{cite web\|title=Nigeria vs. Liberia\|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/34485/Nigeria_Liberia.html\|website=National Football Teams\|access-date=30 August 2024}}
style="text-align:center"\|2 \|{{dts\|21 August 1988}} \|Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex, Paynesville, Liberia \|{{fb\|Ghana}} \|style="text-align:center"\|2–0 \|style="text-align:center"\|2–0 \|1990 FIFA World Cup qualification \|{{cite web\|title=Liberia vs. Ghana\|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/33763/Liberia_Ghana.html\|website=National Football Teams\|access-date=30 August 2024}}
style="text-align:center"\|3 \|{{dts\|25 June 1989}} \|Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex, Paynesville, Liberia \|{{fb\|Egypt}} \|style="text-align:center"\|1–0 \|style="text-align:center"\|1–0 \|1990 FIFA World Cup qualification \|{{cite web\|title=Liberia vs. Egypt\|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/32260/Liberia_Egypt.html\|website=National Football Teams\|access-date=30 August 2024}}
style="text-align:center"\|4 \|{{dts\|22 October 1989}} \|Monrovia, Liberia \|{{fb\|Guinea}} \|style="text-align:center"\|– \|style="text-align:center"\|2–0 \|Friendly \|{{cite web\|title=Liberia vs. Guinea\|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/32987/Liberia_Guinea.html\|website=National Football Teams\|access-date=30 August 2024}}
style="text-align:center"\|5 \|rowspan="2"\|{{dts\|4 June 1995}} \|rowspan="2"\|Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex, Paynesville, Liberia \|rowspan="2"\|{{fb\|Mauritania}} \|style="text-align:center"\|1–0 \|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"\|2–0 \|rowspan="2"\|1996 African Cup of Nations qualification \|rowspan="2"\|{{cite web\|title=Liberia vs. Mauritania\|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/27757/Liberia_Mauritania.html\|website=National Football Teams\|access-date=30 August 2024}}
style="text-align:center"\|6 \|style="text-align:center"\|2–0
style="text-align:center"\|7 \|{{dts\|1 June 1996}} \|Independence Stadium, Bakau, The Gambia \|{{fb\|Gambia}} \|style="text-align:center"\|1–1 \|style="text-align:center"\|1–2 \|1998 FIFA World Cup qualification \|{{cite web\|title=Gambia vs. Liberia\|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/27012/Gambia_Liberia.html\|website=National Football Teams\|access-date=30 August 2024}}
style="text-align:center"\|8 \|{{dts\|23 June 1996}} \|Accra Sports Stadium, Accra, Ghana \|{{fb\|Gambia}} \|style="text-align:center"\|4–0 \|style="text-align:center"\|4–0 \|1998 FIFA World Cup qualification \|{{cite web\|title=Liberia vs. Ghana\|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/27015/Liberia_Gambia.html\|website=National Football Teams\|access-date=30 August 2024}}
style="text-align:center"\|9 \|rowspan="2"\|{{dts\|3 September 2000}} \|rowspan="2"\|Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex, Paynesville, Liberia \|rowspan="2"\|{{fb\|Mauritius}} \|style="text-align:center"\|2–0 \|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"\|4–0 \|rowspan="2"\|2002 African Cup of Nations qualification \|rowspan="2"\|{{cite web\|title=Liberia vs. Mauritius\|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/22956/Liberia_Mauritius.html\|website=National Football Teams\|access-date=30 August 2024}}
style="text-align:center"\|10 \|style="text-align:center"\|3–0
style="text-align:center"\|11 \|rowspan="2"\|{{dts\|14 January 2001}} \|rowspan="2"\|Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex, Paynesville, Liberia \|rowspan="2"\|{{fb\|Congo}} \|style="text-align:center"\|1–1 \|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"\|5–1 \|rowspan="2"\|2002 African Cup of Nations qualification \|rowspan="2"\|{{cite web\|title=Liberia vs. Congo\|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/21734/Liberia_Congo.html\|website=National Football Teams\|access-date=30 August 2024}}
style="text-align:center"\|12 \|style="text-align:center"\|4–1
style="text-align:center"\|13 \|{{dts\|4 August 2001}} \|Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, USA \|{{fb\|Colombia}} \|style="text-align:center"\|1–2 \|style="text-align:center"\|1–2 \|Friendly \|{{cite web\|title=Colombia vs. Liberia\|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/20986/Colombia_Liberia.html\|website=National Football Teams\|access-date=30 August 2024}}

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ List of international goals scored by James Debbah

scope="col"|No.

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Venue

!scope="col"|Opponent

!scope="col"|Score

!scope="col"|Result

!scope="col"|Competition

!scope="col" class="unsortable"|{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

style="text-align:center"|1

|{{dts|11 July 1987}}

|National Stadium, Lagos, Nigeria

|{{fb|Nigeria}}

|style="text-align:center"|–

|style="text-align:center"|1–4

|1988 Summer Olympics qualification

|{{cite web|title=Nigeria vs. Liberia|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/34485/Nigeria_Liberia.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=30 August 2024}}

style="text-align:center"|2

|{{dts|21 August 1988}}

|Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex, Paynesville, Liberia

|{{fb|Ghana}}

|style="text-align:center"|2–0

|1990 FIFA World Cup qualification

|{{cite web|title=Liberia vs. Ghana|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/33763/Liberia_Ghana.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=30 August 2024}}

style="text-align:center"|3

|{{dts|25 June 1989}}

|Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex, Paynesville, Liberia

|{{fb|Egypt}}

|style="text-align:center"|1–0

|1990 FIFA World Cup qualification

|{{cite web|title=Liberia vs. Egypt|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/32260/Liberia_Egypt.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=30 August 2024}}

style="text-align:center"|4

|{{dts|22 October 1989}}

|Monrovia, Liberia

|{{fb|Guinea}}

|style="text-align:center"|–

|style="text-align:center"|2–0

|Friendly

|{{cite web|title=Liberia vs. Guinea|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/32987/Liberia_Guinea.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=30 August 2024}}

style="text-align:center"|5

|rowspan="2"|{{dts|4 June 1995}}

|rowspan="2"|Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex, Paynesville, Liberia

|rowspan="2"|{{fb|Mauritania}}

|style="text-align:center"|1–0

|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|2–0

|rowspan="2"|1996 African Cup of Nations qualification

|rowspan="2"|{{cite web|title=Liberia vs. Mauritania|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/27757/Liberia_Mauritania.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=30 August 2024}}

style="text-align:center"|6

|style="text-align:center"|2–0

style="text-align:center"|7

|{{dts|1 June 1996}}

|Independence Stadium, Bakau, The Gambia

|{{fb|Gambia}}

|style="text-align:center"|1–1

|style="text-align:center"|1–2

|1998 FIFA World Cup qualification

|{{cite web|title=Gambia vs. Liberia|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/27012/Gambia_Liberia.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=30 August 2024}}

style="text-align:center"|8

|{{dts|23 June 1996}}

|Accra Sports Stadium, Accra, Ghana

|{{fb|Gambia}}

|style="text-align:center"|4–0

|1998 FIFA World Cup qualification

|{{cite web|title=Liberia vs. Ghana|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/27015/Liberia_Gambia.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=30 August 2024}}

style="text-align:center"|9

|rowspan="2"|{{dts|3 September 2000}}

|rowspan="2"|Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex, Paynesville, Liberia

|rowspan="2"|{{fb|Mauritius}}

|style="text-align:center"|2–0

|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|4–0

|rowspan="2"|2002 African Cup of Nations qualification

|rowspan="2"|{{cite web|title=Liberia vs. Mauritius|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/22956/Liberia_Mauritius.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=30 August 2024}}

style="text-align:center"|10

|style="text-align:center"|3–0

style="text-align:center"|11

|rowspan="2"|{{dts|14 January 2001}}

|rowspan="2"|Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex, Paynesville, Liberia

|rowspan="2"|{{fb|Congo}}

|style="text-align:center"|1–1

|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|5–1

|rowspan="2"|2002 African Cup of Nations qualification

|rowspan="2"|{{cite web|title=Liberia vs. Congo|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/21734/Liberia_Congo.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=30 August 2024}}

style="text-align:center"|12

|style="text-align:center"|4–1

style="text-align:center"|13

|{{dts|4 August 2001}}

|Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, USA

|{{fb|Colombia}}

|style="text-align:center"|1–2

|Friendly

|{{cite web|title=Colombia vs. Liberia|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/20986/Colombia_Liberia.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=30 August 2024}}

Honors

=Club=

OGC Nice

Coupe de France: 1997{{cite news

|url=https://www.deux-zero.com/coupe-de-france/fiche/edition/1996-1997/match/10021

|title=COUPE DE FRANCE 1996-1997 Finale

|publisher=deux-zero.com

|access-date=15 September 2022}}

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20070928122715/http://www.liberiansoccer.com/Debbeh20051.htm Interview with James Salinsa Debbah] LiberianSoccer.com
[http://www.zanziball.it/en/4/1b46.html James Debbah] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927035304/http://www.zanziball.it/en/4/1b46.html |date=27 September 2007 }} Zanziball.it
[http://psg70.free.fr/DEBBAH.htm James Debbah] psg70.free.fr

{{Navboxes colour

|title = Liberia squads

|bg = white

|fg = #D40000

|list1 =

}}

Category:1969 births

Category:Living people

Category:Footballers from Monrovia

Category:Men's association football forwards

Category:Liberian men's footballers

Category:Liberian expatriate men's footballers