Yohan Zetuna

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yohan Zetuna
Personal information
Full name Yohan Salwan Zetuna[1]
Date of birth (2000-05-31) 31 May 2000 (age 23)
Place of birth Tel Keppe, Nineveh, Iraq[1]
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Tlaxcala
Number 22
Youth career
2017–2020 Oaxaca
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020–2021 Oaxaca 4 (0)
2021 Atlante 0 (0)
2022 Municipal Grecia 1 (0)
2022 Oaxaca 0 (0)
2023 Al-Karkh
2024– Tlaxcala 0 (0)
International career
2021 Iraq U23 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 31 December 2023

Yohan Salwan Zetuna (Arabic: يوهان زيتونة; born 31 May 2000) is an Iraqi professional footballer of Assyrian ethnicity who currently plays for Tlaxcala.

Early life[edit]

Born in Tel Keppe in the Nineveh Governorate of Iraq, Zetuna is one of four brothers, including fellow footballer Yousuf Zetuna, and has one sister.[2][3] Due to the family being Catholic, they faced religious persecution in Iraq, and fled initially to Turkey, living in a United Nations refugee camp.[3] After ten months in Turkey, the family moved to Michigan in the United States on 15 May 2009.[4] In 2016, the family relocated to Oaxaca, Mexico, as one of Zetuna's uncles was living there.[2]

Club career[edit]

Alebrijes de Oaxaca[edit]

Having initially played football in the refugee camp in Turkey, and then in Sterling Heights, Michigan, Zetuna and his brother Yousuf joined the academy of professional side Alebrijes de Oaxaca in 2017, following their move to Mexico.[3][5] Having signed professional contracts in February 2019, both were added to the senior squad ahead of the Clausura 2019.[4][3]

He was given the chance to move to Spain, training with Águilas, but returned to Mexico shortly after, claiming that he did not enjoy the experience.[6] His return to Mexico coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Mexican second division league, the Ascenso MX, was renamed as the Liga de Expansión MX, with Oaxaca officials unsure what would happen to foreign players under the new structure.[6]

Zetuna would go on to make his debut the following year, playing seventy minutes in a 2–0 away win against Pumas Tabasco, before being replaced by César Aguirre [es]. Following his next game, a 2–1 home loss to Atlante, Oaxaca accused Atlante player Ronaldo González of racially abusing Zetuna, condemning the act on the club's official Twitter account.[7] Later in the season, he suffered a inflammation of the spleen, keeping him out of action after four appearances.[8]

Municipal Grecia[edit]

Having briefly played for Atlante without making a professional appearance, Zetuna was announced as a new player for Costa Rican side Municipal Grecia at the end of 2021.[9][10] After half a year with the side, in which he made one appearance, he was announced as one of four players to depart the club in May 2022.[11]

International career[edit]

Zetuna was called up to training camps with the Iraq under-17 side in 2017.[12] In late August 2021, he was called up to the Iraq under-23 side for a friendly tournament in Saudi Arabia.[13] He featured in one game for the side, but was sent off in the first half as Iraq lost 4–1 to the United Arab Emirates.[14]

Career statistics[edit]

Club[edit]

As of 31 December 2023.[15]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Oaxaca 2020–21 Liga de Expansión MX 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
Atlante 2021–22 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Municipal Grecia 2021–22 Liga FPD 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Oaxaca 2022–23 Liga de Expansión MX 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Tlaxcala 2023–24 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Career total 5 0 0 0 0 0 5 0
Notes

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Yohan Zetuna at WorldFootball.net
  2. ^ a b "Dos hermanos que tuvieron que escapar de Irak jugarán en el Ascenso MX" [Two brothers who had to escape from Iraq will play in Ascenso MX]. si.com (in Spanish). 8 February 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d Gómez, Eric (1 March 2019). "De Irak a Oaxaca, hermanos cumplen sueño en la cancha de fútbol" [From Iraq to Oaxaca, brothers fulfill their dream on the soccer field]. espn.com.co (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  4. ^ a b Sánchez, Mariano (6 February 2019). "Yousuf y Yohan Zetuna, los refuerzos iraquíes de Alrebrijes" [Yousuf and Yohan Zetuna, the Iraqi reinforcements of Alrebrijes]. mexico.as.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  5. ^ "يوهان زيتونه : موهبة على غير العادة من دوري الدرجة الأولى المكسيكي" [Yohan Zetuna: An unusual talent from the Mexican Primera Division]. iq-pro.net (in Arabic). 11 February 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  6. ^ a b Vargas, JC (24 April 2020). "Sueños rotos; defensa de los Alebrijes" [Broken dreams; defence of the Alebrijes]. excelsior.com.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Alebrijes de Oaxaca acusa de racismo a jugador del Atlante" [Alebrijes de Oaxaca accuses Atlante player of racism]. eluniversal.com.mx (in Spanish). 9 November 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  8. ^ "Ilusión iraquí" [Iraqi illusion]. elmanana.com (in Spanish). 18 March 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  9. ^ Gómez Muñoz, Keish (24 December 2021). "Municipal Grecia le abre la puerta a jugador de Irak refugiado por ser católico" [Municipal Greece opens the door to a player from Iraq who is a refugee for being Catholic]. espn.co.cr (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  10. ^ Acra, Eric (28 December 2021). "Yohan Zetuna se une a las panteras" [Yohan Zetuna joins the Panthers]. municipalgrecia.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  11. ^ Alpízar, Maria (18 May 2022). "El Municipal Grecia se sacude y anuncia la salida de todos sus jugadores extranjeros" [Municipal Grecia is shaken and announces the departure of all its foreign players]. elmundo.cr (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  12. ^ Aguilar Arroyo, Yenci (23 January 2022). "Joven iraquí llegó a Grecia con la esperanza de jugar en primera división" [Young Iraqi arrived in Greece with the hope of playing in the first division]. lateja.cr (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  13. ^ Diaz, Daniel (17 August 2021). "El jugador del Atlante que escapó de Irak y ahora jugará para esa selección" [The Atlante player who escaped from Iraq and will now play for that team]. deportsrece.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  14. ^ "منتخبنا الأولمبي يخسر ودياً أمام نظيره الاماراتي" [Our Olympic team lost in a friendly match to its Emirati counterpart]. tanawue.com (in Arabic). 4 September 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  15. ^ Yohan Zetuna at Soccerway
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yohan_Zetuna&oldid=1203955113"