Paul Kpaka

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Paul Kpaka
Personal information
Full name Paul Kpaka
Date of birth May 21, 1981 (1981-05-21) (age 27)
Place of birth    Kenema, Sierra Leone
Height 5'10
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current club K.S.V. Roeselare
National team
2002- Sierra Leone


* Appearances (Goals)

Paul Kpaka (English,pronounced Paul Parker) (born May 21, 1981 in Kenema, Sierra Leone) is Sierra Leonean international footballer. He is a striker, and plays for K.S.V. Roeselare in the Belgian Jupiler League. Kpaka is a regular starter for the Leone Stars, Sierra Leone national football team. He made his international debut for Sierra Leone as the Leone Stars defeated Gabon 2-0 on October 12, 2002 in a 2004 African Cup of Nations qualifier in Freetown. He scored the first of Sierra Leone's two goals and then got himself sent off for elbowing an opponent. Kpaka along with Mohamed Kallon form one of Africa's deadliest strike partnership on paper.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Paul Kpaka was born and raised in Kenema, the third largest city in Sierra Leone to Sherbro parents. He attended the Kenema Government Secondary. Senegal, as he is commonly known in Sierra Leone grew up playing street football in his hometown of Kenema. As a youngster, Kpaka was not only considered to be the best young footballer in Kenema but also one of the best in the entire country. After he completed his secondary education, his hometown club, Kamboi Eagles of the Sierra Leone National Premier League signed him.

[edit] Germinal Beerschot

In 2002, Belgian club Germinal Beerschot signed him from Kamboi Eagles. During his first season in Europe, Kpaka was the top scorer in the Belgian Jupiler League, hitting an impressive 28 league goals in the 2002-03 campaign. After such an impressive season, he won the Ebony Boot, an award giving to the top African footballer in Belgium. Some of Europe biggest clubs were interested in his service, including Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Ajax. Despite being link to the bigger clubs, non of the deals ever went through; he signed for fellow Belgian club Genk instead.

[edit] Genk

Kpaka was expected to lead Genk to the top two position in the Jupiler League, and take the club to the Uefa Champions league, but he suffered a cruciate ligament injury during beginning of the season which kept him out of football for six months. When he returned from injury, he could no longer secure a place in the startin eleven. He left the club in 2006-2007 season and signed for another Belgian club K.S.V. Roeselare.

[edit] International

Kpaka is a regular starter for Sierra Leone. He made his international debut for Sierra Leone as the Leone Stars defeated Gabon 2-0 on October 12, 2002 in a 2004 African Nations Cup qualifier. He scored the first of Sierra Leone's two goal and then got himself sent off for elbowing an opponent.

[edit] External links

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