Bernard Parker

Bernard Parker

Parker with FC Twente in 2009
Personal information
Full name	Bernard Melvin Parker[1]
Date of birth	16 March 1986
Place of birth	Boksburg, South Africa
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing position	Attacking midfielder forward
Club information
Current team	Kaizer Chiefs
Number	25
Youth career
	Transnet School of Excellence[2]
	Mamelodi Sundowns
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2004–2009	Thanda Royal Zulu	116	(29)
2009	Red Star Belgrade	16	(6)
2009–2011	FC Twente	17	(0)
2011	→ Panserraikos (loan)	12	(1)
2011–	Kaizer Chiefs	112	(87)
National team^‡
2006–2008	South Africa U-23	22	(12)
2007–	South Africa	68	(23)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 29 April 2015. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23 March 2014

Bernard Melvin Parker (born 16 March 1986 in Boksburg, Gauteng) is a South African professional association football midfielder/striker playing for Kaizer Chiefs.

Early life

Parker was born and grew up in Reiger Park, a township next to Boksburg. He was quite good in a variety of sports and excelled in short and long distance running as well as achieving Eastern Gauteng colours in swimming.

Club career

A product of the School of Excellence, Parker made his debut in the professional ranks for Cape Town's Hellenic FC, later bought and renamed Benoni Premier United. After the club was once again renamed and moved to Durban he remained with Thanda Royal Zulu F.C. until early 2009 when he obtained a transfer to European Cup Winners Red Star in Serbia. His stay in Belgrade was cut short after reports that the club had cash flow problems and owed its players' salaries.^[3] He consequentially signed with FC Twente in July 2009 and was a member of the team that won the Dutch 2009–10 Eredivisie. After Twente Manager Steve Mclaren's move to the German Bundesliga, Parker failed to convince new coach Michel Preud'homme of his qualities and thus spent the first half of the 2010/11 Dutch season mostly on the bench. He joined Leicester City on trial in December 2010 with a view to a permanent move away from the Dutch club. On 18 January 2011 he moved to Panserraikos F.C. on loan, to secure extra game time and returned to FC Twente after the end of the 2010/11 Greek season. After receiving interest from Swedish clubs Malmö FF and Helsingborgs IF as well as South Africa's Kaizer Chiefs, Parker chose the latter ahead of the other clubs.^[4] In the 2012/13 season, Parker scored 12 league goals in 28 matches and finished as runner up to Katlego Mashego who had 13 and helped Chiefs to a league and cup double.^[5] The following season he won the Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot with 10 goals.^[6]

Club statistics

As of 9 May 2011

Club	Season	League		Cup		Continental		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Red Star Belgrade	2008-09	16	6	0	0	0	0	16	6
	Total	16	6	0	0	0	0	16	6
FC Twente	2009–10	14	0	5	2	6	0	25	2
	2010–11	3	0	3	1	0	0	6	1
	Total	17	0	8	3	6	0	31	3
Panserraikos	2010–11	12	1	0	0	0	0	12	1
	Total	12	1	0	0	0	0	12	1
Kaizer Chiefs	2011–12	28	35	0	0	0	0	28	35
	2012–13	28	31	0	0	0	0	28	31
	Total	56	66	8	3	6	0	56	66
Career Total		101	63	8	3	6	0	115	66

International career

Bernard Parker had his national team debut against Malawi in 2007, scoring his first goal in 2008 against the same team. On 17 June 2009, he scored both goals in a 2–0 win over New Zealand in the 2009 Confederations Cup,^[7] and also received the Man of the Match award.^[8] He played in 2010 FIFA World Cup representing South Africa but the team was eliminated after group stage.

On 16 June 2013, Parker scored an own goal in a 2–1 defeat to Ethiopia which ended South Africa's chances of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup. Earlier in the match he had given South Africa a 1–0 lead.^[9] Parker also scored by chipping the ball over Víctor Valdés in the 56th minute in a 1–0 shock win over the then-world and European champions Spain at Soccer City, where it won the World Cup in 2010.^[10] Parker won the top goalscorer award at the 2014 African Nations Championship with four goals from three group matches.^[11]

National team statistics

South Africa national team
Year	Apps	Goals
2007	4	0
2008	7	4
2009	14	3
2010	10	3
2011	7	0
2012	5	2
2013	17	7
2014	5	4
Total	68	23

International goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	30 September 2008	Driehoek Stadium, Germiston, South Africa	Malawi	1–0	3–0	Friendly
2.				2–0
3.	15 October 2008	Seisa Ramabodu Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa	Ghana	2–1	2–1	Friendly
4.	19 November 2008	Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Phokeng, South Africa	Cameroon	3–2	3–2	Friendly
5.	28 March 2009	Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Phokeng, South Africa	Norway	1–0	2–1	Friendly
6.	17 June 2009	Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Phokeng, South Africa	New Zealand	1–0	2–0	2009 Confederations Cup
7.				2–0
8.	16 May 2010	Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit, South Africa	Thailand	4–0	4–0	Friendly
9.	31 May 2010	Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane, South Africa	Guatemala	5–0	5–0	Friendly
10.	4 September 2010	Mbombela Stadium Nelspruit, South Africa	Niger	2–0	2–0	2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
11.	11 September 2012	Mbombela Stadium Nelspruit, South Africa	Mozambique	1–0	2–0	Friendly
12.				2–0
13.	23 March 2013	Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa	Central African Republic	2–0	2–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
14.	8 June 2013	Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaoundé, Cameroon	Central African Republic	1–0	3–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
15.	16 June 2013	Addis Ababa Stadium, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	Ethiopia	1–2	1–2	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
16.	7 September 2013	Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban, South Africa	Botswana	3–1	4–1	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
17.				4–1
18.	10 September 2013	Orlando Stadium, Soweto, South Africa	Zimbabwe	1–2	1–2	Friendly
19.	19 November 2013	Soccer City, Johannesburg, South Africa	Spain	1–0	1–0	Friendly
20.	11 January 2014	Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa	Mozambique	1–0	3–1	2014 African Nations Championship
21.				3–1
22.	15 January 2014	Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa	Mali	1–0	1–1	2014 African Nations Championship
23.	19 January 2014	Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa	Nigeria	1–3	1–3	2014 African Nations Championship

Personal life

Parker married Wendy Cherry in Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal, on 16 June 2012 at a ceremony attended by 170 guests. Parker said: "I spoke to my wife-to-be about fixing a date for the wedding. It was just a matter of finding the right time on the rare occasion when I wasn't playing a soccer match. the time is now and I know I've made the right choice."^[12]

Honours

Club

FC Twente

• Eredivisie: 2009–10
• Johan Cruijff Schaal: 2010

Kaizer Chiefs

• Premier Soccer League: 2012–13
• Nedbank Cup: 2012–13

Individual

• Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot: 2013–14

References

1. "FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010: List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. 4 June 2010. p. 28. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
2. "facelift for stars' school". The Sowetan. 10 February 2010. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
3. "Red Star Crisis Grows" kickoff.com; April 28, 2009
4. "Bobby Motaung says new signing Bernard Parker is not Knowledge Musona's replacement" kickoff.com; July 28, 2011
5. http://www.kickoff.com/mobile/players/765/bernard-parker
6. http://www.kickoff.com/mobile/news/44370/psl-golden-boot-or-bronze-boot
7. "South Africa 2–0 New Zealand". BBC Sport. 17 June 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-17.
8. "Bernard Parker, from zero to hero". FIFA.com. 18 June 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-18.
9. "Bafana say goodbye to Brazil". kickoff.com. 16 June 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
10. "Bernard Parker scores as South Africa shocks Spain in friendly". SI.com. Associated Press. 19 November 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
11. "Parker Wins CHAN Goalscorer Award". Soccer Laduma. 1 February 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
12. "Bernard Parker weds". Drum. 22 June 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2014.

External links

• Bernard Parker – FIFA competition record
• Bernard Parker at National-Football-Teams.com