Happy Birthday to you! - WORLD FOOTBALL
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| AFP |
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.
1. Saori Ariyoshi (28) represented Japan in six matches at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™ - including their Final defeat, where she managed to notch a goal despite fulfilling a defensive role. The Saga native also competed for the Nadeshiko side that emerged victorious from the 2014 AFC Women’s Asian Cup. At club level, Ariyoshi presently stars for NTV Beleza, with whom she has captured several national trophies in Japan.
2. Charles Itandje (33) made three appearances for Cameroon at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, but could not prevent his team from suffering an early exit. The towering goalkeeper had previously played a key role in Les Lions Indomptables’ successful qualifying campaign for the competition. After starting out at French outfit Red Star, he spent several seasons at Lens, before signing for Liverpool, who then loaned him out to Greek club Kavala. Itandje subsequently remained in Greek football to defend the colours of Atromitos and PAOK, who also loaned him out for a season, this time to Turkish team Konyaspor. This year, Itandje joined another Turkish side, Rizespor.
3. Cho Yonghyung (32) appeared in all four of Korea Republic's 2010 World Cup encounters, including their Round-of-16 defeat by Uruguay. The following year, he was part of the South Korean team that finished third at the AFC Asian Cup. The solid centre-back began his career in his homeland, where he turned out for Seongnam and Jeju United, prior to exporting his defensive skills to Qatari sides Al-Rayyan, where he lifted two Emir Cups and a Crown Prince Cup, and Al-Shamal. Yonghyung currently plays in China for Shijiazhuang Ever Bright.
4. Enner Valencia (26) scored three goals for Ecuador at Brazil 2014 and netted two more at the 2015 Copa America in Chile. The dynamic forward started off at Emelec, with whom he claimed the 2013 Ecuadorian League title. A transfer to Mexican outfit Pachuca followed, as did a subsequent move to his current club, West Ham United.
5. Christoph Metzelder (35) helped Germany to reach the Final of the 2002 World Cup and to finish third on home soil four years later. In addition, the imposing centre-back attained the final of UEFA EURO 2008. He made his name at Borussia Dortmund, bagging a Bundesliga crown in 2002. Metzelder later starred for Real Madrid, where he clinched a Liga title and a Spanish Super Cup, and for Schalke.
6. Jozy Altidore (26) is something of a veteran of the USA national sides, having participated in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, South Africa 2010 and Brazil 2014. As a younger man, he took part in the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Cup and the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, as well as the 2008 Men’s Olympic Football Tournament. The bustling striker also appeared at two CONCACAF Gold Cups, reaching the final in 2011. After turning professional with New York Red Bulls, he put pen to paper with Villarreal, who then loaned him out to several teams, including Hull City and Bursaspor. Altidore was eventually transferred to AZ Alkmaar, where he held aloft the Dutch Cup and attracted the interest of Sunderland, who secured his signature in 2013. In search of a new challenge, the New Jersey-born attacker committed himself to Toronto FC in January 2015.
7. Norbert Eder (60) donned the jersey of West Germany at Mexico 1986, playing in seven matches, including the Final against Argentina. The confident defender spent ten years at Nurnberg, where he landed the German second division championship, but he enjoyed his greatest moments at Bayern Munich, where he earned winners’ medals in three Bundesliga campaigns and a German Cup final. Eder was also part of the Bayern XI that lost the 1987 European Cup final to Porto. The centre-back later enjoyed a one-season swansong at FC Zurich.