Good Player Guide #3 - Arthur Boka

Arthur Boka

(VfB Stuttgart / Côte d’Ivoire)

The obligations of a full back in the modern game have fundamentally changed. No longer is it enough to simply defend well, contain the opposing winger and prevent crosses coming into the box. Nowadays the top players in this position must show the ability to do more, which has led to an increasing demand for full backs that can not only defend but also attack. They must now have the endless stamina to maraud up and down the touchline, in order to support offensive moves when the team is in possession and retreat back into an effective defensive position when not on the ball. They must have the vision and control to be able to distribute the ball, whether down the wing or in-field, in order to help maintain possession. And, importantly, they must be able to overlap their team-mates on whichever side of the pitch they occupy and deliver crosses with pinpoint accuracy.

Arthur Boka can do it all.

A pacy, attack-minded left back, Boka started all but one game for Côte d’Ivoire in the 2008 African Cup of Nations, and over the course of the tournament added not only to his number of caps for the Elephants but also to his growing reputation within the game thanks to some superb performances. A product of ASEC Abidjan’s youth academy, the 24-year old was clearly very determined to make it in football and showed as much when, just a young boy, he confidently marched into ASEC Mimosa’s famous academy and asked for a trial. Having impressed enough to win a contract there, years later Boka moved on to Belgian side Beveren, a path treaded by many graduates of the academy in Abidjan. He played there for two years before RC Strasbourg spotted his prodigious talents and signed him in 2004.

It was during his two seasons at Strasbourg that he really started to show his vast potential, and when the club were relegated from the French Ligue Une in 2006, several clubs showed interest in the Ivorian. Eventually it was VfB Stuttgart that won the race to sign him, and in his first season he helped guide the Southern German outfit to their first league title in 15 years.

A highly determined defender, Boka marries skill with direct running and is an outstanding dribbler of the ball. Throw in a wicked left foot and dangerous precision from crosses (He was Côte d’Ivoire’s main set piece taker) and it is clear to see why, at just 24, he is so highly rated. What most impresses though is that he possesses in abundance both the necessary athleticism to get forward and support attacks down the left hand side as well as the energy to get back and defend solidly if and when his team’s attacks break down. This means that, more or often than not, counter attacks are rarely successful down his flank because he is quickly back into position – an invaluable attribute for any side.

At just 5ft 5in (1.66m) heading is not particularly a strong point, but what the Ivorian lacks in aerial ability he makes up for with impressive positioning and a surprisingly capable spring. With clubs like Liverpool and Inter Milan said to have sent scouts to the Gottlieb-Daimler Stadion regularly this season, and having putting in several majestic displays in Ghana, it is clear that Arthur Boka has a very bright future in the game should he continue to progress in the manner he already has.