Laurent Pokou

Laurent Pokou ( born October 8, 1947 in Abidjan ) is a former Ivorian football player.

Pokou was twice awarded as top scorer in the African Cup of Nations. 1968 in Ethiopia, he met six times in 1970 and eight times in the Sudan, he scored five goals in a single game as the Ivory Coast beat Ethiopia 6-1. This game has earned him the nickname " l' homme d' Asmara " ( "The Man from Asmara "). With 14 goals he remained for 38 years the leading scorer of the continental tournament to Samuel Eto'o of Cameroon during the African Cup of Nations 2008 in Ghana initially equaling the quantity of hits and then surpassed him with his gates 15 and 16 on 30 January 2008. He was one of the best strikers of Rennes and the Ivory Coast, roughly comparable with Didier Drogba today.

Today Pokou committed for various projects for the promotion of sport, youth and peace, such as the SOS Children's Villages.