Happy Birthday to you!
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In our regular Sunday feature, FIFA.com presents you with some of the biggest names in football who will be celebrating their birthdays over the coming week.
16. Raouf Bouzaiene (45) scored Tunisia’s only goal at the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan 2002™, a strike which enabled the Africans to claim a point against Belgium during the group phase. The right-sided defender also starred at three CAF Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, in 1994, 2000, where he finished fourth, and 2002. After turning professional at French outfit Laval, he joined Chateauroux, with whom he won a Ligue 2 Championship. A move back to his homeland saw the Tunisian international lift the domestic cup with Club Africain. Two seasons at Genoa followed, as did a subsequent transfer to Etoile du Sahel, where Bouzaiene held aloft the African Cup Winners’ Cup and lost to Nigerian giants Enyimba in the CAF Super Cup.
17. Phil Jagielka (33) represented England during their unbeaten qualifying campaign for Brazil 2014 and at the tournament proper, where he made two appearances but could not prevent the Three Lions from exiting at the group stage. The reliable centre-back spent seven seasons at Sheffield United, helping the club to achieve promotion to the English Premier League. Following United’s first term back in the top flight, Jagielka signed for Everton in 2007. Since then, the solid defender has become one of the team’s key players, and has donned the captain’s armband for the past two campaigns.
18. Bryan Ruiz (30) helped Costa Rica to upset the odds at Brazil 2014, scoring twice as the Central Americans unexpectedly reached the quarter-finals. His international CV also features three CONCACAF Gold Cup experiences and a 2014 Copa Centroamericana triumph. The sprightly attacking midfielder started out at Alajuelense, where he won the Costa Rican League title and the CONCACAF Champions League. After exporting his skills to Europe, and to Gent in particular, he later turned out for Twente, where he landed an Eredivisie title, a Dutch Cup and two Dutch Super Cups, Fulham, PSV Eindhoven (on loan) and Sporting Lisbon, with whom he recently lifted the Portuguese Super Cup.
19. Augustine Eguavoen (50) was part of the Nigeria squad that appeared at France 1998, the second time the African nation had qualified for the World Cup. The influential defender had previously finished fourth at the 1995 FIFA Confederations Cup, and competed at the 1988 Men’s Olympic Football Tournament and two Africa Cup of Nations contests, lifting the trophy in 1994. Eguavoen began his career with ACB Lagos, where his performances attracted the interest of Gent, who secured his services in 1986. The Nigerian international would later pull on the jerseys of Kortrijk and Torpedo Moscow, among others. After moving into coaching, he took the reins of the Nigerian national side, guiding them to third place at Egypt 2006.
20. Joshua Kennedy (33) donned the colours of Australia at Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010, having previously played at the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Cup, where the Joeys reached the final, and at the 2001 FIFA U-20 World Cup. The towering front man turned professional at Carlton, prior to moving to Europe, where he starred for Wolfsburg, Stuttgart Kickers, Cologne, Dynamo Dresden and Nuremberg, with whom he captured the German Cup. Following a season with Karlsruhe, he put pen to paper with Japanese outfit Nagoya Grampus, where he clinched a J. League title and the Japanese Super Cup, and twice finished top of the Japanese scoring charts. Kennedy then spent half a season with Melbourne City, before retiring in June 2015.
21. Salih Sadir (33) won the 2007 AFC Asian Cup with Iraq, a success which enabled him to take part in the 2009 Confederations Cup. The attacking midfielder had already gained a taste of major international tournaments back in 2004, during which he participated in the Asian Cup and the Olympic Football Tournament in Athens, where the Lions of Mesopotamia finished fourth. After starting off at Iraqi clubs Najaf and Talaba, he went on to ply his trade for Egyptian giants Zamalek and Lebanese sides Al-Ansar and Al-Ahed, with whom he secured a total of two league titles and three national cups over a four-year period. The Iraqi playmaker later appeared for Rah Ahan (Iran), Safa Beirut (Lebanon), Duhok and Zakho (both Iraq).
22. Diego Lopez (41) played for Uruguay at two Copa America competitions, winning the continental crown in 1995 and losing in the final in 1999. Sandwiched in between those two adventures, the combative defender reached the semi-finals of the 1997 Confederations Cup. As a younger man, he took part in the 1991 U-17 World Cup and the 1993 U-20 World Cup. At club level, the South American centre-half initially rose to prominence at Montevideo-based River Plate, before trying his luck with Racing Santander and then Cagliari, where he spent 12 productive seasons. After his playing days came to an end, he first fulfilled the role of assistant coach with the Sardinian club, and then took charge in his own right in July 2013. With one campaign under his belt, he took the helm at Bologna the following year.