Boubacar Barry Explained

Boubacar Barry
Fullname:Boubacar Barry[1]
Birth Date:30 December 1979[2]
Birth Place:Marcory, Ivory Coast
Height:1.81 m[3]
Position:Goalkeeper
Years1:1999–2001
Clubs1:ASEC Mimosas
Caps1:17
Goals1:0
Years2:2001–2003
Clubs2:Rennes B
Caps2:23
Goals2:0
Years3:2003–2007
Clubs3:Beveren
Caps3:107
Goals3:0
Years4:2007–2017
Clubs4:Lokeren
Caps4:239
Goals4:1
Years5:2017–2018
Clubs5:OH Leuven
Caps5:0
Goals5:0
Totalcaps:386
Totalgoals:1
Nationalyears1:2000–2015
Nationalteam1:Ivory Coast
Nationalcaps1:82
Nationalgoals1:0
Manageryears1:2018–2019
Managerclubs1:OH Leuven (goalkeeping coach)
Manageryears2:2021–2022
Managerclubs2:Gent U21 (goalkeeping coach)
Manageryears3:2023–
Managerclubs3:Lokeren-Temse (goalkeeping coach)

Boubacar "Copa" Barry (born 30 December 1979) is an Ivorian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Having begun his career at ASEC Mimosas, he moved to France in 2001, where he played for Rennes' reserve team. In 2003, he joined Belgian side Beveren where he stayed four years. He then spent ten years at K.S.C. Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen amassing 239 league appearances. At international level, he played for the Ivory Coast national team before his retirement from international football in March 2015, but continued to play for his club, Lokeren. Exactly four years after his international retirement, Barry retired also professionally as a player in March 2019.

Club career

Barry scored a penalty for Lokeren in the 2011–12 season, in a 4–0 win against Westerlo. He won the Belgian Cup with Lokeren in the same season as well as in the 2013–14 season.[4]

When his contract at Lokeren ran out, he was signed by Belgian First Division B team Oud-Heverlee Leuven, where he was part of the squad during the 2017–18 and 2018–19 season as backup goalkeeper, but was effectively employed as goalkeeping coach.

He retired from playing on 2 March 2019, although at that point in time he had not played a match for over two years.[5] [6]

International career

Barry was called up to the 2006 World Cup as part of the Ivory Coast national team. He appeared in the final group match against Serbia and Montenegro on 22 June 2006, which Ivory Coast won 3–2.[7]

He started all three matches for the Ivory Coast in Group G in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.[8] He earned clean sheets against Portugal[9] and North Korea.[10]

He was the first-choice goalkeeper for the Elephants' 2014 FIFA World Cup campaign as they narrowly missed out on qualifying for the second round, following an injury-time defeat to Greece.[11]

2015 Africa Cup of Nations

Barry was called up to the Ivory Coast squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations held in Equatorial Guinea. He was benched for most of the tournament in favour of his younger teammate Sylvain Gbohouo, but went on to play in the final following Gbohouo's injury in the semi-final.[12] It was his second appearance in the showpiece event having been in goal in the 2012 final against Zambia; a match that the Ivory Coast lost 7–8 on penalties after the game finished 0–0.[13] The 2015 final finished goalless after normal and extra-time, and Barry emerged as the hero by saving two penalties and scoring the winning penalty, overcoming a cramp in the process.[4] [14] [15]

A month later, on 2 March 2015, he retired from international football.[16]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueCupEuropeOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Beveren2003–04[17] Belgian Pro League310310
2004–0512060180
2005–06270270
2006–07320320
Total10200060001080
Lokeren2007–08Belgian Pro League230230
2008–09[18] 310310
2009–1019010200
2010–1132010330
2011–1227150321
2012–132702030320
2013–1431060370
2014–151603060250
2015–16700070
2016–1726020280
Total239120090002681
Career total3411200150003761

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Ivory Coast200010
200110
200200
200300
200400
200520
200650
200770
2008130
200970
201090
201150
2012120
2013110
201480
201510
Total820

Honours

Lokeren[4]

Ivory Coast

Individual

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: List of Players. Confederation of African Football (CAF). 24 January 2013.
  2. Web site: 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil List of Players . FIFA . https://web.archive.org/web/20200201131956/https://www.fifadata.com/document/fwc/2014/pdf/fwc_2014_squadlists.pdf . 1 February 2020 . 11.
  3. Web site: Boubacar Barry. Soccerway. Global Sports Media. 24 January 2013.
  4. News: Rudin. David. Boubacar Barry, hero of the stupid game. 24 June 2022. Medium - Howler Magazine. 11 February 2015.
  5. News: Copa beëindigt carrière als doelman. Copa ends career as goalkeeper. 2 March 2019. ohleuven.com. 2 March 2019. 6 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190306042849/https://www.ohleuven.com/nieuws/1082907/copa-beindigt-carrire-als-doelman. dead.
  6. Web site: Boubacar Barry: Ivorian Nations Cup winning keeper retires from football. 3 March 2019. BBC Sport.
  7. Web site: CÔTE D'IVOIRE 3–2 SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO. https://web.archive.org/web/20150206093803/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/round=97410100/match=97410038/index.html. dead. 6 February 2015. FIFA. 2 January 2020.
  8. Web site: IVORY COAST. https://web.archive.org/web/20101206054033/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/southafrica2010/teams/team=43854/index.html. dead. 6 December 2010. FIFA. 2 January 2020.
  9. Web site: World Cup 2010: Ivory Coast and Portugal play out cagey stalemate. The Guardian. 15 June 2010. 2 January 2020.
  10. Web site: World Cup 2010: North Korea v Ivory Coast – as it happened. The Guardian. 25 June 2010. 2 January 2020.
  11. Web site: Greece qualified for the last 16 of a World Cup for the first time with a dramatic victory against Ivory Coast.. BBC. 24 June 2014. 2 January 2020.
  12. Web site: TP Mazembe's Ivorian keeper Gbohouo in Qatar for surgery. BBC. 8 March 2015. 3 January 2020.
  13. Web site: Zambia gain redemption to stun Ivory Coast in Africa Cup of Nations. The Guardian. 12 February 2012. 3 January 2019.
  14. News: Ivory Coast 0–0 Ghana (9–8 on penalties). BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  15. News: Africa Cup of Nations: Barry dedicates win to past players. BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  16. News: Ivory Coast hero Boubacar Barry announces international retirement . 7 February 2020 . The Guardian . 3 March 2015.
  17. Web site: Boubacar Barry » Club matches. World Football. 21 December 2015.
  18. Web site: B. Barry. Voetbal International. 21 December 2015. nl.
  19. Web site: Boubacar BARRY . Abidjan.net. 1 September 2019. fr.