Fonsinho and Hubert Yao… the contrasting paths of Gervinho’s brothers

Former Ivory Coast international Gervais Lombe Yao Kouassi, known as Gervinho, made his mark on African football over the past two decades.

In particular, he was one of the key figures in the Elephants’ triumph at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2015.

He was also shortlisted for the CAF African Player of the Year award in 2011 and 2012, while also making the shortlist for the BBC African Footballer of the Year award in 2011.

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The Anyama native ended his career in 2023 after a final stint in Greece with Aris Thessaloniki.

After retiring, he had time to oversee the careers of his two brothers, Alphonse Yao Kouamé, known as Fonsinho, and Hubert Yao Kouassi, who have followed very different paths.

Fonsinho, a mixed career

Former student at the Jean-Marc Guillou (JMG) academy in Bamako, Alphonse Yao Kouamé joined the ASEC Mimosas academy in 2017. In the meantime, he represented French club Sénart-Moissy, playing in the lower divisions.

Two years later, he was recruited by rivals Africa Sports as a free agent, but was unable to establish himself there.

He subsequently moved to North Africa, with spells in Egypt and Libya, where he notably played for Cleopatra FC (Egypt), El Nasr (Egypt), Al-Ittihad (Libya) and Al-Madina (Libya).

Before making his return home, he also had a brief spell in Saudi Arabia with Al-Jeel.

Since 2024, he has represented Ivorian club SC Gagnoa, who currently play in the second division (Ivorian Ligue 2).

Hubert Yao, a promising young talent

Unlike his brother Fonsinho, Hubert Yao is being touted as one of the future attractions of Ivorian football.

Just 16 years old, he is attracting the attention of several European clubs. He is expected to join Danish club FC Nordsjælland in 2028, when he reaches the age of majority, according to specialist website Transfermarkt.

Gervinho’s younger brother stood out in 2025 with the Elephanteaux at the U17 World Cup, notably scoring against Switzerland and providing an assist against South Korea.

Playing above his age group with the Ivory Coast U18 team, he recently scored in a friendly match lost 2-1 to Brazil.

His impressive performances did not go unnoticed, as he was included in the list of the 60 best talents born in 2009, published each year by the British newspaper The Guardian.

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

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