The legend of Nouhou continues.
The Seattle Sounders defender has been a fan-favorite since his 2016 arrival to the club, thanks to his all-out, entertaining playing style while locking down opposing attackers, as well as his light-hearted personality off the field. On Wednesday, it was officially announced that Nouhou has signed a three-year contract extension with Seattle, keeping him in his adopted city.
With his new contract now in ink, it’s a perfect time to re-live some of Nouhou’s best moments throughout his decorated career in Seattle.
“Big performance, spicy win!”
Nouhou’s love for teriyaki chicken has become widely known over the past couple of years, and he’s been quite public about his affinity for his favorite dish. That storyline was encapsulated nicely when he debuted a new victory line after Seattle’s season-opening victory over the Colorado Rapids.
AFCON domination
Nouhou has parlayed his success in MLS to a breakthrough at the international level, where he’s become a regular for Cameroon. He’s racked up 22 senior caps since his 2017 debut, becoming a key cog for the Indomitable Lions at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Before his World Cup adventures though, Nouhou first made real waves on the international stage at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, which allowed him to face off against some world-class talent. Most memorably, Nouhou went toe-to-toe with Liverpool superstar and Egypt international Mo Salah, widely considered one of the best players in the world. He was up to the task, mixing it up in several 1-v-1 battles with the legendary striker and helping hold Egypt off the scoresheet in a 0-0 draw (Egypt would advance on penalties).
First goal
The hunt for Nouhou’s elusive first MLS goal took nearly 9,000 MLS minutes and 150 appearances counting the postseason, but the wait was well worth it when he finally found the back of the net at Lumen Field in a September 2022 matchup with Houston Dynamo FC.
It was a class finish with his weaker right foot, set up by a botched clearance that landed right at his feet in the area before he deposited home the milestone finish. It set off a wild celebration at Lumen, where the home crowd was nothing but delighted to see the energetic defender finally open his MLS account after years of close calls and near-misses.
The beer-can kick
Seattle’s 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs victory over LAFC is one of the most memorable victories in club history for a lot of reasons. The 3-1 triumph over a heavily favored opponent at Banc of California Stadium shocked the league, and preceded Seattle’s 2019 MLS Cup title victory over Toronto FC.
Perhaps the most memorable part? This photo of Nouhou from the postgame celebration on the field, where he lined up a clean volley of a beer can that had been hurled onto the field from the stands.
CCL celebration
The trophy-lift following a title-winning match is a moment that will always be looked back on fondly. Following Seattle’s historic 2022 Concacaf Champions League title, Nouhou was understandably excited to share the accomplishment on social media.
Perhaps a little too excited, though, as the footage of the postgame trophy-lift clearly shows Nouhou laser-focused on his phone, then quickly snap back to attention once he realized the trophy-lift had taken place. This is a save worthy of Stefan Frei.
