Éli Verges Napoles Kroupi Zahi (born 18 October 1979), simply known as Élie Kroupi, is a former Ivorian footballer who played as a forward. He played for, among others, Rennes, Valence, Lorient, Angers and Al-Wahda FC.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Éli Verges Napoles Kroupi Zahi | ||
| Date of birth | (1979-10-18) 18 October 1979 (age 42) | ||
| Place of birth | Sassandra, Ivory Coast | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1997–1998 | Rennes | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–1998 | Rennes | 2 | (0) |
| 1998–2000 | Valence | 22 | (3) |
| 2000–2004 | Lorient | 93 | (29) |
| 2004 | Angers | 4 | (0) |
| 2004–2006 | Nancy | 43 | (23) |
| 2007 | → Al-Wahda (loan) | ||
| 2007 | Arezzo | 6 | (2) |
| 2007–2008 | Levadiakos | 8 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | Nîmes | 7 | (1) |
| 2010 | Al Urooba | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Kroupi was born in Sassandra, Ivory Coast.
Whilst at Lorient, Kroupi played in the 2002 Coupe de France Final, in which they beat SC Bastia.[1]
He spent the 2006–07 season on loan at United Arab Emirates side Al-Wahda FC. In July 2007, it was announced that Kroupi would not return to AS Nancy, after the club decided to cancel his contract. Then, Kroupi signed with Greek club Levadiakos F.C. in 2008. After 8 appearances for Levadiakos, he returned to France. This time, he signed with Nîmes Olympique in Ligue 2.[2] On 18 March 2010, Al Urooba signed the Ivorian striker from Nîmes.[3]
Kroupi is known for his speed, his ability to shoot accurately with both feet, and his supreme scoring ability. He was also one of the top scorers in Ligue 1 during the 2005–06 season.[4]
Kroupi holds a French passport. His cousin is Cleveland City Stars player Arsène Oka.[5]