Aruna Dindane facts for kids
Dindane playing for Lens in 2009
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Aruna Dindane | ||
| Date of birth | 26 November 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Abidjan, Ivory Coast | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1994–1995 | Inconditionnel D'Adjamé | ||
| 1995–1998 | ASEC Mimosas | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1998–2000 | ASEC Mimosas | 22 | (9) |
| 2000–2005 | Anderlecht | 131 | (50) |
| 2005–2010 | Lens | 102 | (27) |
| 2009–2010 | → Portsmouth (loan) | 19 | (8) |
| 2010–2012 | Lekhwiya | 23 | (5) |
| 2012 | Al-Gharafa | 26 | (1) |
| 2012–2013 | Al-Sailiya | 18 | (2) |
| 2013–2014 | Crystal Palace | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 341 | (102) | |
| International career | |||
| 2000–2010 | Ivory Coast | 64 | (18) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Aruna Dindane is a former professional footballer from Ivory Coast. He was born on November 26, 1980. Dindane played as a striker, which means he was mainly responsible for scoring goals.
He played 62 games for the Ivory Coast and scored 17 goals. He also took part in four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and two FIFA World Cups.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Playing for Anderlecht
Aruna Dindane started his professional career in Ivory Coast with ASEC Mimosas. In 2000, he moved to Europe and joined RSC Anderlecht in Belgium. He quickly became a key player for the team.
Dindane helped Anderlecht win the Belgian First Division championship twice, in 2001 and 2004. He also won the Belgian Supercup in 2000 and 2001. In 2003, he received two important awards: the Belgian Ebony Shoe for the best player of African origin in the Belgian League, and the Belgian Golden Shoe for the best player overall in the league.
Moving to Lens and Portsmouth
In 2005, Dindane moved to France to play for RC Lens in Ligue 1. He played there for several years. In August 2009, he joined Premier League team Portsmouth in England on a one-year loan.
He scored his first goal for Portsmouth in a League Cup game. Later, he scored three goals in one match against Wigan Athletic, which is called a hat-trick. He continued to score important goals for Portsmouth.
However, there was a problem in March 2010. If Dindane played one more game, Portsmouth would have to pay a large fee of £4 million to Lens. Because Portsmouth was having financial difficulties, they couldn't afford this payment. So, he was temporarily not allowed to play.
Despite this, he later played in the FA Cup semi-final. Portsmouth tried to make a deal with Lens so he could play in the final without the club having to pay the fee. Dindane really wanted to stay and play in English football.
Time in Qatar and Return to England
After his loan at Portsmouth ended, Dindane moved to Qatar. He signed a three-year deal with Lekhwiya in May 2010. He later played for Al-Gharafa and Al-Sailiya Sport Club in Qatar.
In 2013, Dindane returned to England. He signed with Crystal Palace until the end of the 2012–13 season. However, he did not play any senior games for the club and was released shortly after.
Life After Playing Football
After he stopped playing professional football, Aruna Dindane continued to be involved in the sport. He worked as the general secretary for the Association des Footballeurs Ivoiriens, which is the Ivorian Footballers Association.
International Career for Ivory Coast
Aruna Dindane made his first appearance for the Ivory Coast on April 9, 2000. He played in many important tournaments for his country.
He was part of the Ivory Coast squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In one memorable match, he scored two goals to help his team win 3–2 against Serbia and Montenegro. However, Ivory Coast did not make it past the group stage that year.
Dindane also played in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2006 and 2008. He was selected for the Ivorian team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup after a successful season with Portsmouth. He started in the first two group games against Portugal and Brazil. He earned 67 international caps for his country during his career.
Honours and Awards
Aruna Dindane won several titles and individual awards during his football career:
Team Honours
- ASEC Mimosas
* Côte d'Ivoire Premier Division: 2000 * CAF Super Cup: 1999
- Anderlecht
* Belgian First Division: 2000–01, 2003–04 * Belgian Supercup: 2000, 2001
- Lens
* UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2005 * Ligue 2: 2008–09
- Ivory Coast
* Africa Cup of Nations runner-up: 2006
Individual Awards
- Belgian Ebony Shoe: 2003
- Belgian Golden Shoe: 2003
See also
In Spanish: Aruna Dindane para niños
