Saúl Basilio Coco-Bassey Oubiña (born 9 February 1999), better known as Saúl Coco, is a professional footballer who plays as a central defender or a defensive midfielder for Spanish club UD Las Palmas. Born in Spain, he represents the Equatorial Guinea national team.
Personal information | |||
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Full name | Saúl Basilio Coco-Bassey Oubiña[1] | ||
Date of birth | (1999-02-09) 9 February 1999 (age 23)[2] | ||
Place of birth | Lanzarote, Spain | ||
Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[3] | ||
Position(s) | Centre back, midfielder | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | Las Palmas | ||
Number | 23 | ||
Youth career | |||
Orientación Marítima | |||
2013–2016 | Las Palmas | ||
2015–2016 | → Orientación Marítima (loan) | ||
2016–2018 | Espanyol | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2018–2019 | Espanyol B | 0 | (0) |
2018–2019 | → Horta (loan) | 22 | (0) |
2019–2020 | Las Palmas C | 13 | (0) |
2020–2021 | Las Palmas B | 9 | (0) |
2020– | Las Palmas | 14 | (0) |
National team‡ | |||
2018 | Equatorial Guinea U23 | 1 | (0) |
2017– | Equatorial Guinea | 6 | (1) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13 August 2022 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 7 October 2021 |
Coco was born in Lanzarote, Canary Islands, to Basilio Coco-Bassey Eyanga and a Spanish mother. His father is an Equatoguinean former footballer and current coach[4] who played for Canarian club CDU Puerto del Carmen in the 1987–88 season, alongside his brother Luis (Coco's uncle).[5] Coco is also of Nigerian descent through his paternal grandfather.
Coco joined RCD Espanyol's youth setup in July 2016, after representing CD Orientación Marítima (where he was trained by his father) and UD Las Palmas.[6][7] In August 2018, after finishing his formation, he was loaned to Tercera División side UA Horta for the season.[8]
Coco made his senior debut on 18 August 2018, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 3–1 home win against UE Figueres.[9] The following 18 July, he returned to his former club Las Palmas, being assigned to the C-team also in the fourth division.[2]
Promoted to the reserves in Segunda División B ahead of the 2020–21 campaign, Coco made his first team debut on 17 December 2020, replacing Álvaro Lemos in a 4–0 away win against CD Varea, for the season's Copa del Rey.[10] On 15 June 2022, he renewed his contract until 2025, being definitely promoted to the main squad.[11]
Eligible to play internationally for Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria or Spain, Coco was called up to the senior squad of the former in August 2017.[12] He made his full international debut on 3 September, replacing Pablo Ganet in a 1–2 friendly loss to Benin;[13][14] by doing so, he became the first person from Lanzarote to get called up internationally in 67 years.[15] The match was subsequently eliminated from FIFA records,[16] as the referee and his assistants referees were from Equatorial Guinea.[17][18]
Coco became cap-tied to Equatorial Guinea on 17 November 2018, when he appeared in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier match against Senegal.[19]
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
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1. | 7 October 2021 | Estadio de Malabo, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea | ![]() | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
UD Las Palmas – current squad | |
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Equatorial Guinea squad – 2021 Africa Cup of Nations | ||
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