George Elokobi: Meet Cameroonian Who Helped Maidstone Reach FA Cup Fifth Round for the First Time

• Maidstone United secured a spot in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday
• This was the first time the club had reached the fifth round of the cup in history
• Elokobi led the side to the historic qualification after a 2-1 win over Ipswich Town

George Elokobi was the man in the dugout when Maidstone United qualified for the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history.

The semi-professional football club based in Kent sailed through after a historic victory in the fourth round of the tournament.

Maidstone stunned Ipswich Town 2-1 on Saturday, January 27, at Portman Road to join Premier League giants Manchester City in the next phase of the tournament.

According to BBC, goals from Lamar Reynolds and Sam Corne helped Maidstone secure the win, with Jeremy Sarmiento scoring Ipswich Town's consolation.

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Speaking after the match, The Mirror reports that an ecstatic Elokobi conceded that his players struggled to fight back tears after making FA Cup history.

Who is George Elokobi?

Born in Mamfe, Cameroon, Elokobi moved to England for his studies aged just 16.

Upon his arrival, he entered non-League football with Dulwich Hamlet before he joined Colchester United after a successful trial.

He made his professional debut in 2005 with Chester City, where he was on loan from Colchester United.

In 2008, he joined Wolves, with the Molineux-based club playing in the Championship, before moving to Nottingham Forest on loan.

Elokobi, who played as a centre-back, later had stints with Bristol City, Oldham Athletic, Braintree Town, Leyton Orient, and Aldershot Town.

Following his departure from Hakan Hayrettin, Elokobi was appointed caretaker manager of Maidstone United in January 2023.

He landed the role on a permanent basis two months later, taking charge of the club into the 2023/24 season.