Samassi Abou

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Samassi Abou

| image =

| caption =

| full_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1973|4|4|df=y}}{{cite news |url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/FootballFicheJoueur7858.html |title=Samassi Abou |newspaper=L'Équipe |location=Paris |language=fr |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112044741/https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/FootballFicheJoueur7858.html |archive-date=12 January 2012}}

| birth_place = Gagnoa, Ivory Coast

| height = 1.82 m

| position = Forward

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| totalcaps = 240

| totalgoals = 26

| nationalyears1 = 1993–1994

| nationalteam1 = France U21

| nationalcaps1 = 5

| nationalgoals1 = 1

}}

Samassi Abou (born 4 April 1973) is a former professional footballer who played as a forward. Born in Ivory Coast, he played internationally for the French under-21 team.

Life and career

Abou started playing in France for FC Martigues, before moving to Lyon. In October 1997, after a spell at AS Cannes, he made the move to English football, signing for West Ham United for £250,000. Signed by manager Harry Redknapp to give more options for strikers, Abou made his West Ham debut on 9 November 1997, in a 2–1 away defeat to Chelsea coming on as a substitute for John Moncur.{{cite book|author=Les Roopanarine|title=Harry Redknapp — The Biography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E0WUkWwx38AC&pg=PT88|date=7 November 2011|publisher=John Blake Publishing, Limited|isbn=978-1-84358-942-6|pages=88–}}{{cite web | url=http://www.westhamstats.info/westham.php?west=2&ham=1&united=Samassi_Abou | title=Welcome to the Wonderful World of West Ham United Statistics Samassi Abou | publisher=www.westhamstats.info | access-date=1 February 2015}} His opening West Ham goal came on 6 January 1998, in the League Cup. In a fifth-round game at the Boleyn Ground, Abou came on as a substitute for Paul Kitson to score their only goal in a 2–1 defeat. In the following game, on 10 January 1998, Abou scored twice as West Ham beat Barnsley 6–0.{{cite web | url=http://www.whufc.com/articles/20150110/on-this-day-10-january_2236884_3612367 | title=On this day 10 January | publisher=www.whufc.com | access-date=2 February 2015 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150202154610/http://www.whufc.com/articles/20150110/on-this-day-10-january_2236884_3612367 | archive-date=2 February 2015 }} Abou received his only red card in the next game, a 1–0 away defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. Fouling Ramon Vega in an off-the-ball incident, Abou was dismissed by referee David Elleray.{{cite web | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/48300.stm | title=Klinsmann sinks 10-man Hammers | publisher=BBC Sport | access-date=2 February 2015}} Abou finished the 1997–98 season with 6 goals from 26 games, including two on the last day of the season in a 4–3 home defeat of Leicester City.{{cite web | url=http://www.whufc.com/articles/20140510/on-this-day-10-may_2236884_3813293 | title=On this day – 10 May | publisher=www.whufc.com | access-date=2 February 2015 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150202154608/http://www.whufc.com/articles/20140510/on-this-day-10-may_2236884_3813293 | archive-date=2 February 2015 }} West Ham fans would boo Abou whenever he scored, upset by this he asked "why do they boo me?" His teammate replied "they say Abooooooooo" from that moment Samassi always had a big smile on his face when he heard 'Aboooooooooo'.{{cite book|author=Pete May|title=West Ham: Irons in the Soul|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t3OnApJadC8C&pg=PT177|date=23 March 2012|publisher=Mainstream Publishing|isbn=978-1-78057-451-6|pages=177–}} In 31 appearances in all competitions, he scored six times, before being released to Ipswich Town in December 1998, where he scored once against Sheffield United.{{cite web

|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-naylor-provides-suffolk-punch-1193771.html

|title=Naylor provides Suffolk punch

|work=The Independent

|date=20 December 1998 |access-date=27 February 2010}}

In October 1999, he signed for Walsall, an unsuccessful spell which lasted little over a month. He also spent time on loan at Troyes, and played in Scotland for three months at Kilmarnock. Abou then continued his career back in France, playing for Ajaccio and Lorient.

After retiring from playing, he returned to Ivory Coast and now runs a youth football academy in Abidjan.{{cite web

|url=https://www.claretandhugh.info/samassi-abou-is-not-a-bus-driver-in-basildon/

|title=Samassi Abou is not a bus driver in Basildon

|work=Claret & Hugh

|date=8 March 2020 |access-date=16 August 2023}}

Honours

West Ham United

UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/429277.stm|title=Intertoto win gives Hammers Uefa spot |publisher=BBC |date=24 August 1999 |access-date=12 September 2018}}