Introduction
Saúl Basilio Coco-Bassey Oubiña (born 9 February 1999), better known as Saúl Coco, is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for La Liga club Las Palmas. Born and raised in Spain to an Equatoguinean father and a Spanish mother, he is a member of the Equatorial Guinea national team.
Early life
Coco was born in Lanzarote, Canary Islands, to Basilio Coco-Bassey Eyanga and a Spanish mother. His father is an Equatoguinean former footballer and current coach who played for Canarian club CDU Puerto del Carmen in the 1987–88 season, alongside his brother Luis (Coco's uncle). Coco is also of Nigerian descent through his paternal grandfather.
Club career
Coco joined RCD Espanyol's youth setup in July 2016, after representing CD Orientación Marítima (where he was trained by his father) and UD Las Palmas. In August 2018, after finishing his formation, he was loaned to Tercera División side UA Horta for the season.
Coco made his senior debut on 18 August 2018, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 3–1 home win against UE Figueres. The following 18 July, he returned to his former club Las Palmas, being assigned to the C-team also in the fourth division.
Promoted to the reserves in Segunda División B ahead of the 2020–21 campaign, Coco made his first team debut on 17 December 2020, replacing Álvaro Lemos in a 4–0 away win against CD Varea, for the season's Copa del Rey. On 15 June 2022, he renewed his contract until 2025, being definitely promoted to the main squad.
On 15 April 2023, Coco scored his first goal at any level for Las Palmas on his 69th appearance, consolation in a 2–1 loss at Granada CF. The team ended the season with promotion to La Liga, where he scored for the first time on 8 October to open a 2–1 victory away to Villarreal CF; his 30-yard direct free kick won the La Liga Goal of the Month award.
International career
Eligible to play internationally for Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria or Spain, Coco was called up to the senior squad of the former in August 2017. He made his full international debut on 3 September, replacing Pablo Ganet in a 1–2 friendly loss to Benin; by doing so, he became the first person from Lanzarote to get called up internationally in 67 years. The match was subsequently eliminated from FIFA records, as the referee and his assistants referees were from Equatorial Guinea.
Coco became cap-tied to Equatorial Guinea on 17 November 2018, when he appeared in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier match against Senegal. He scored his first international goal on his sixth appearance on 7 October 2021, opening a 2–0 home win over Zambia in 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification. He played all of his team's games in their run to the quarter-finals of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, scoring in the penalty shootout win over Mali in the last 16.
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 17 March 2024
| Club | Season | League | Copa del Rey | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| UD Las Palmas | 2020–21 | Segunda División | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 2021–22 | Segunda División | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | |
| 2022–23 | Segunda División | 36 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 1 | |
| 2023–24 | La Liga | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 1 | |
| Career total | 71 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 76 | 2 | ||
International
- Scores and results list Equatorial Guinea's goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 7 October 2021 | Estadio de Malabo, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea |  Zambia | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2. | 16 November 2021 | Stade Olympique de Nouakchott, Nouakchott, Mauritania |  Mauritania | 1–1 | 1–1 | |
| 3. | 24 March 2023 | Estadio de Malabo, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea |  Botswana | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
Honours
Individual
- La Liga Goal of the Month: October 2023