Yohan Roche
French-born Beninese footballer (born 1997)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yohan Cédric Benjamin Roche (born 7 July 1997) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for Liga I club Petrolul Ploiești. Born in France, he plays for the Benin national team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Yohan Cédric Benjamin Roche | ||
| Date of birth | 7 July 1997 | ||
| Place of birth | Lyon, France | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Petrolul Ploiești | ||
| Number | 69 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2014 | Villefranche | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2014–2017 | Villefranche | 17 | (2) |
| 2017–2019 | Reims B | 32 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | → Rodez (loan) | 26 | (0) |
| 2019–2021 | Rodez | 38 | (0) |
| 2021–2023 | Adanaspor | 49 | (4) |
| 2023–2024 | Quevilly-Rouen | 15 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | Quevilly-Rouen B | 3 | (0) |
| 2024– | Petrolul Ploiești | 46 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2020– | Benin | 27 | (2) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 21 March 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 5 January 2026 | |||
Club career
Roche began his senior career with FC Villefranche Beaujolais in the Championnat de France Amateur before moving to Stade de Reims in 2017, initially playing with the club’s reserve side. Roche spent the 2018–19 season on loan at Rodez Aveyron Football in the Championnat National, where he helped the club win the league and secure promotion to Ligue 2.[2]
Roche permanently joined Rodez on 20 June 2019, after a successful year-long loan with them.[3][4] Over the next two seasons, Roche made numerous appearances in France’s second tier before departing for Adanaspor of the Turkish second division in 2021, where he scored four goals in 49 league matches.[2][3][4]
In the summer of 2023, Roche returned to France, signing with Quevilly-Rouen Métropole in Ligue 2. After a stint with Quevilly-Rouen, he moved to Romanian side FC Petrolul Ploiești, where he has featured in Liga I.[5]
International career
Roche was born in France to a French father and Beninese mother.[6] He made his debut with the Benin national team in a 2–0 friendly win over Gabon on 12 October 2020.[7][8] On 27 December 2025, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Botswana during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, securing his nation's first ever win in the competition.[9]
Career statistics
International
- As of matches played on 5 January 2026
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benin | 2020 | 3 | 0 |
| 2021 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 11 | 1 | |
| Total | 27 | 2 | |
- Scores and results list Benin's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Roche goal.[10]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 June 2021 | Stade de l’Amitié Mathieu Kérékou, Cotonou, Benin |  Zambia | 2–2 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 2 | 27 December 2025 | Rabat Olympic Stadium, Rabat, Morocco |  Botswana | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2025 Africa Cup of Nations |
Honours
Rodez