Marco Zoro

Born in Anyama, Zoro started his career in Italy, first with U.S. Salernitana 1919, without however making his Serie A debut. The next season, he played with the Campania team in the second division and, in January 2003, he joined Sicily's F.C. Messina Peloro, helping them achieve promotion in June; the club eventually signed him permanently, on a three-year deal. Several months prior to the expiration of Zoro's deal with Messina, he and his agent Francis Kacou had been locked in talks for a contract extension. "For Zoro, his contract is coming up to expiration and there are difficulties in getting him to renew", said Messina president Pietro Franza in October 2006. "We will see over the coming days when we meet with his agent if we can find a possible understanding." Four months later, however, Zoro blasted, "I've read that some of the management won't talk to me about a new contract because they want to leave me hanging. I find this an insult to my professionalism. I have always trained hard and never let outside things influence me. I will also leave them hanging and see if the right club comes in for me." Two days later, he attempted to make amends: "When one of your family is treated poorly, it's normal for that person to be upset. I don't want to air our dirty linen in public. We'll talk about my contract at the end of the season. My priority right now is keeping Messina in Serie A." On 15 May 2007, Zoro signed a four-year deal with Portuguese club S.L. Benfica,…

Zoro represented the Ivory Coast national team since 2003, and appeared at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations (where the nation finished second) and the 2006 FIFA World Cup (no matches played). In the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, he scored his first international goal, in a 3–0 win over Mali as the side eventually finished the tournament in fourth position.

International goals

Ivory Coast

Africa Cup of Nations runner-up:2006