Yahia Fofana
Yahia Fofana is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Turkish Süper Lig club Çaykur Rizespor. Born in France, he plays for the Ivory Coast national football team.
Club career
Le Havre
A product of Le Havre's academy, Fofana signed his first professional contract on 4 July 2019, with the deal lasting until 2022. His debut came not long after, as he started a Coupe de la Ligue match against Clermont on 13 August. The match ended in a 4–3 victory for Clermont on penalties after a 1–1 draw.Fofana's Coupe de France debut came on 19 January 2021, as his side lost to Paris FC by a score of 1–0. On 30 January, he played his first match in Ligue 2, coming on as a substitute after Mathieu Gorgelin had been handed a red card in a 0–0 draw away to Chamois Niortais. In the 2021–22 season with Le Havre, he broke into the first team as the starting goalkeeper, surpassing Gorgelin in the pecking order.
Angers
On 30 May 2022, Fofana signed a four-year contract with Ligue 1 side Angers, joining the club upon the expiration of his Le Havre contract.International career
Born in France, Fofana is of Ivorian descent. He has represented France at U16, U17, U18, and U19 level over the years.Fofana was called up to the Ivory Coast national team for a set of 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches in September 2023. He debuted in a 1–0 win over Lesotho on 9 September 2023.
In December 2023, Fofana was named to the Ivory Coast's squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. He played in all matches but the opening one. Ivory Coast ended up winning the tournament.