Vincent Laban

Vincent Fabien Laban Bounayre (born 9 September 1984) is a French-Cypriot professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder.

Vincent Laban
Personal information
Full name Vincent Fabien Laban Bounayre
Date of birth (1984-09-09) 9 September 1984
Place of birth Pau, France
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001–2005 FC Nantes B 62 (6)
2005–2007 Digenis Morphou 42 (8)
2007–2013 Anorthosis 192 (19)
2013–2015 Astra Giurgiu 51 (0)
2015–2019 AEK Larnaca 82 (0)
2019–2020 Ethnikos Achna 15 (2)
National team‡
2012–2019 Cyprus 36 (3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19:00, 16 June 2020 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 25 May 2018

Laban began his career at the reserves of FC Nantes, where he played for three years,[1] before moving to Digenis Akritas Morphou.[2] In 2007, he transferred to Anorthosis Famagusta and won his first championship title in his debut season.[3]

Born in France, after playing for over seven years in Cyprus, became a Cypriot citizen in 2012 and subsequently began playing for the Cyprus national football team.[4]

Career

Season 2007–08

Laban signed with Anorthosis in the summer of 2007 from Digenis Akritas Morphou.[5] In his first season with Anorthosis he won the First Division, scoring three league goals in 25 matches.

Season 2008–09

Laban scored a goal in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League tie against Rapid Vienna, which Anorthosis won 4–3 on aggregate.[6] He also scored two goals, the first and third, of the 3–0 win against Olympiacos at Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium in Cyprus,[7] and despite Anorthosis' defeat in Piraeus by 1–0, with a goal by Fernando Belluschi, he contributed to Anorthosis' playing in the Champions League. Laban finished the season with 25 appearances out of 32 league matches.

Season 2009–10

Anorthosis started their season with a 5–0 win against UN Käerjéng 97. In the second qualification round Anorthosis won a home match against OFK Petrovac, with a 2–1 score, with a goal from Laban.[8] Anorthosis lost an away match 3–1 and subsequently left the Europa League. In the First Division he contributed 2 goals in 26 matches. Anorthosis finished third in the league with a loss of 10 points to the eventual champions AC Omonia.[9]

Season 2010–11

Laban played two matches against Banants for the First qualifying round of the Europa League. Anorthosis won both matches and Laban scored the only goal in Hanrapetakan Stadium in Yerevan. Laban scored his second European goal of the season in a match against Sibenik in Stadion Hrvatski vitezovi. Anorthosis, which, despite being defeated in Larnaca 0–2, defeated Sibenik in Dugopolje 3–0 and progressed to the next round. Laban also scored in Anorthosis' the first game of 2011 against the Cypriot championship leader APOEL, by scoring the first goal of the game, which Anorthosis won 2–0.[10] Laban also scored a goal in the next match against Olympiakos Nicosia after a penalty kick in the 86th minute: the final score of the game was 2–2.[11] Laban scored again in the game against AEL, marking the team's first goal in the 43rd minute, as Anorthosis won 4–0.[12] The French midfielder also scored against Enosis Paralimni, in the eighth minute by a header[13][14] and in the 11th minute after a penalty kick; he helped Anorthosis win with a 3–1 score at Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium.[15] He also scored in the away match against APEP in the 20th minute, helping to gain another Anorthosis win. He also scored in the home game against APEP, this time in the 64th minute. Laban has scored again, against Doxa in the sixth minute but that match ended as a 2–2 draw. He ended the 2010–2011 regular season as the second highest scorer of the team, with 9 goals, after Anorthosis' striker, Semedo Cafu, who scored 13 goals.[16]

Season 2011–12

In the summer of 2011, Laban renewed his contract with Anorthosis for another five years.[17] Laban scored his first goal of the season against Ethnikos Achna on 16 December 2011.[18] He scored several other goals in the 2011–2012 season, including one in the cup match against PAEEK FC, which his club won 6–0,[19] as well as one during the home championship match against Ethnikos, won by Anorthosis 2–0. Laban scored the first goal against Ermis, in the "friendly" 2–0 win, on 30 December 2011.[20] He scored the winning goal against ENP, with a 77th-minute penalty kick. On Saturday 14 January 2012, Laban scored his second penalty goal of the season against Enosis Paralimni in a 1–0 Anorthosis victory.[21]

Season 2013–14

On 13 June 2013, after eight years in Cyprus, Laban moved to Romania and signed a two-year contract with Astra Giurgiu.[22]

International career

Laban being born in France and of ethnic French heritage made him eligible to represent France but after seven years playing football in Cyprus he applied and gained Cypriot citizenship which made him eligible to represent Cyprus at International level. When the opportunity came up, he decided to represent his adopted nation and made his debut for Cyprus on 15 August 2012, in the 0-1 loss against Bulgaria in a friendly match. He scored his first ever International goal for the Cypriots in a 3-1 away defeat to Albania in the opening game of a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification group game on 7 September 2012. His second ever Cypriot goal came in a 2-1 away defeat to Wales in a UEFA Euro 2016 qualification group game on 13 October 2014. Aware of the need to convince the rest of the country that he belonged in the national side, Laban admitted to feeling a great deal of pressure.

"I was scared of being out of place, of not being accepted by the fans and the team, of being seen as a foreigner who was taking the place of local players," he recalled. "Every time I went to the national side, I had to prove that I deserved to wear the shirt. I also felt a little self-conscious about the fact I don’t speak Greek very well, even though I understand it."

Typically, however, Laban was determined to win the fans over: "I asked myself how I might be able to reach out to them, so I decided to learn the national anthem. It was an important symbolic gesture as far as I was concerned, because it’s a sign of your attachment to your country. That’s why I learned it. I was so nervous, though. I focused hard on the words and did all I could not to make a mistake." The impact was immediate, as Cyprus’ 1.2 million fanatical football fans took Laban to their hearts. Three years on from his international debut, Laban has become one of the most popular players in the side and an inspirational force in Cyprus’ surprisingly strong start to their UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying campaign.

The Galanolefki lie third in Group B, behind Israel and Wales but ahead of Belgium, who have a match in hand. Also trailing in their wake are Bosnia and Herzegovina, who appeared at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil and then lost at home to the unfancied Cypriots last September.

"We put in a terrific performance there, because they’ve got the likes of Edin Dzeko and Miralem Pjanic and they’re a very good side," said Laban, who celebrated his 30th birthday that day and is hoping for another dream result against Belgium in Brussels on Saturday.

Acknowledging just how hard that task will be, he said: "We’ve made a good start to the qualifiers and I’m hoping we can keep it going. It’s going to be very tough, though. In football you have to be realistic and know your place."

International goals
Scores and results list Cyprus' goal tally first.[23]
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.7 September 2012Qemal Stafa Stadium, Tirana, Albania Albania1–11–32014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2.13 October 2014Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales Wales1–21–2UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
3.31 August 2017GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus Bosnia and Herzegovina2–23–22018 FIFA World Cup qualification

Career statistics

As of 25 May 2018:
Source

Club Season League Cup Europe Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
FC Nantes B 2001–02 0000––00
2002–03 10000––100
2003–04 28200––282
2004–05 25400––254
Digenis Morphou 2005–06 22120––241
2006–07 20730––237
Anorthosis 2007–08 2539020363
2008–09 25000122372
2009–10 2623041333
2010–11 25931723512
2011–12 2824040362
2012–13 2103040280
Astra Giurgiu 2013–14 2903040360
2014–15 2204080340
AEK Larnaca 2015–16 2400010250
2016–17 2700030300
2017–18 2801070360
Total 3903035156547636

Honours

Anorthosis Famagusta

Astra Giurgiu

AEK Larnaca

References
  1. "Nantes B squad 2002/03". footballdatabase.eu.
  2. "Laban moved to Digenis". angelfire.com. Retrieved 26 September 2005.
  3. "Laban to Anorthosis". sentragoal.com.cy. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "Το μεγάλο άλμα του Γάλλου". shootandgoal.com. Retrieved 18 February 2008.
  6. "Rapid Wien 3–1 Anorthosis". sport-xn.com. Retrieved 6 August 2008.
  7. "Anorthosis 3–0 Olympiakos pireus". scoresway.com. Retrieved 13 August 2008.
  8. "Anorthosis 2–1 Petrovac". soccerway.com. Retrieved 16 July 2009.
  9. "Cyprus: First Division Standings". sportstats.com. Retrieved 2009–2010. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  10. "Anorthosis 2–0 Apoel". footballscores.com. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
  11. "Anorthosis 2–2 Olympiakos". wsn.com. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
  12. "Anorthosis 4–0 AEL". footballscores.com. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
  13. "Anorthosis 3–1 ENP Laban Header(1)(Greek)". sport.gr. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
  14. "Anorthosis 3–1 ENP Laban Header(2)(Greek)". 24sports.com.cy. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
  15. "Anorthosis 3–1 Enosis Paralimni". footballscores.com. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
  16. "Anorthosis Top Scorers". anorthosis.com. Retrieved 20010-2011. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  17. "Ανανέωσε μέχρι το 2015 ο Λαμπάν". kathimerini.com.cy. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
  18. "Anorthosis 2–0 Ethnikos Achna". wincomparator.com. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  19. "Anorthosis 6–0 PAAEK Kyrinia". livestream24.tv. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
  20. "Anorthosis 2–0 Ermis(Friendly)". sigmalive.com. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  21. "Anorthosis 1–0 Enosis Paralimni". footballscores.com. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
  22. "Astra a făcut primul transfer pentru cupele europene. Iată-i cartea de vizită și ce a spus!" (in Romanian). Dolce Sport. 13 June 2013. Archived from the original on 20 December 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  23. "Laban, Vincent". National Football Teams. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
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