The Ivorian and African football legend played for the Les Éléphants from 1967 to 1980, scoring 21 goals in just 30 appearances for his national side.
Pokou is revered and remembered as one of the finest strikers produced on the African continent.
He featured for Ivory Coast in four AFCON editions while winning the top scorer award in two. He scored six goals in the 1968 tournament in Ethiopia and eight in the 1970 edition in Sudan, including five in one match against Ethiopia, which Ivory Coast won 6-1.
Laurent Pokou remains the second-highest scorer in AFCON history with 14 goals, just two goals behind all-time top scorer Samuel Eto’o of Cameroon.
On September 8, 2023, the Laurent Pokou Stadium was officially inaugurated in San Pedro. This new stadium was named in honor of Laurent Pokou.
CAF and PUMA, on October 23, 2023, announced the official match ball for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, named “POKOU” in honor of Laurent Pokou.
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