Post by yenilira on Mar 30, 2011 17:22:51 GMT 1
With Richard Kingson gaining his 85th cap last night against England in his, and his country’s, first visit to Wembley, and their first international against England, it was an emotional game for the Africans, many of whom had flown in from Ghana.
Incidently, RK is known as ‘Olele’ in his home-country and by his peers.
To date, there have been now 17 games between the English team and an African nation:-
played Egypt three times, South Africa twice, Cameroon four times, Morocco, Nigeria, and Tunisia all twice each, Algeria once, and now, of course, Ghana.
England, who have never lost to African opposition, have a win-percentage of 64, with six drawn.
That raises the question – What other of Blackpool’s African players have played against England?
I think we will have to go back a few years, decades even, for the first African continent player to turn out for Blackpool.
Many of the ‘older generation’ will remember Bill Perry, who scored the injury-time winning goal in the 1953 FA Cup Final.
Although he will claim the credit for being the first from Africa to play for Blackpool, being born in Johannesburg in 1930 – despite that, he was capped for England three times, scoring two goals in the process. An outside left-cum-midfielder, he was with Blackpool from 1949 until 1962, making 394 appearances and scoring 119 goals in that time.
Brian Peterson, who was born in Victoria, USA, played at Blackpool from 1956 to 1962, after signing from Berea Park, a South African team. He is classed as a ‘South African footballer', but gained no caps during his football career.
Alois Bunjira played for Blackpool FC in 1994. Unfortunately, this ‘Blackpool FC’ was a team from Zimbabwe.
Then there was Danny Shittu the centre-back from Nigeria who was a Blackpool player for only 10 months – February to October in 2001.
He commenced playing for his country in the World Cup Qualifiers of 2006.
Sone Aluko – although born in Birmingham, opted to play for Nigeria. A centre-forward or left-midfielder, he did not gain any caps whilst signed for Blackpool in August 2008.
Presently plying his trade north of the Border with Aberdeen.
Al Bangura, the Sierra Leone midfielder, was a Blackpool player from July 2009 until January this year. He has been capped by his country in the WC Qualifiers whilst with the ‘Pool.
A man of many clubs – 11 all told – Hameur Bouazza – who was given the nickname of ‘Bazooka’ at Blackpool where he was either in mid-field or the forward roles, played for his country, Algeria, a number of times in the World Cup Qualifiers and the African Cup whilst he was signed for Blackpool between September 2009 and June 2010.
Our latest African acquisition, Salaheddine Sbai. A 31-year old left-back, signed on loan from Nimes of France in January this year, and despite gaining a number of caps for Morocco, he is yet to play an international match whilst at Bloomfield Road.
So, on the above evidence, only one ‘Pool player has played against England – Richard Kingson, and that looks like it, unless anyone else on the board can unearth another player or players.
YL.
Incidently, RK is known as ‘Olele’ in his home-country and by his peers.
To date, there have been now 17 games between the English team and an African nation:-
played Egypt three times, South Africa twice, Cameroon four times, Morocco, Nigeria, and Tunisia all twice each, Algeria once, and now, of course, Ghana.
England, who have never lost to African opposition, have a win-percentage of 64, with six drawn.
That raises the question – What other of Blackpool’s African players have played against England?
I think we will have to go back a few years, decades even, for the first African continent player to turn out for Blackpool.
Many of the ‘older generation’ will remember Bill Perry, who scored the injury-time winning goal in the 1953 FA Cup Final.
Although he will claim the credit for being the first from Africa to play for Blackpool, being born in Johannesburg in 1930 – despite that, he was capped for England three times, scoring two goals in the process. An outside left-cum-midfielder, he was with Blackpool from 1949 until 1962, making 394 appearances and scoring 119 goals in that time.
Brian Peterson, who was born in Victoria, USA, played at Blackpool from 1956 to 1962, after signing from Berea Park, a South African team. He is classed as a ‘South African footballer', but gained no caps during his football career.
Alois Bunjira played for Blackpool FC in 1994. Unfortunately, this ‘Blackpool FC’ was a team from Zimbabwe.
Then there was Danny Shittu the centre-back from Nigeria who was a Blackpool player for only 10 months – February to October in 2001.
He commenced playing for his country in the World Cup Qualifiers of 2006.
Sone Aluko – although born in Birmingham, opted to play for Nigeria. A centre-forward or left-midfielder, he did not gain any caps whilst signed for Blackpool in August 2008.
Presently plying his trade north of the Border with Aberdeen.
Al Bangura, the Sierra Leone midfielder, was a Blackpool player from July 2009 until January this year. He has been capped by his country in the WC Qualifiers whilst with the ‘Pool.
A man of many clubs – 11 all told – Hameur Bouazza – who was given the nickname of ‘Bazooka’ at Blackpool where he was either in mid-field or the forward roles, played for his country, Algeria, a number of times in the World Cup Qualifiers and the African Cup whilst he was signed for Blackpool between September 2009 and June 2010.
Our latest African acquisition, Salaheddine Sbai. A 31-year old left-back, signed on loan from Nimes of France in January this year, and despite gaining a number of caps for Morocco, he is yet to play an international match whilst at Bloomfield Road.
So, on the above evidence, only one ‘Pool player has played against England – Richard Kingson, and that looks like it, unless anyone else on the board can unearth another player or players.
YL.