Bonaventure Kalou facts for kids
Kalou playing for Feyenoord in 2002
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Bonaventure Kalou | ||
| Date of birth | 12 January 1978 | ||
| Place of birth | Oumé, Ivory Coast | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1996–1997 | ASEC Mimosas | 35 | (6) |
| 1997–2003 | Feyenoord | 149 | (35) |
| 2003–2005 | Auxerre | 63 | (19) |
| 2005–2007 | Paris Saint-Germain | 55 | (11) |
| 2007 | Lens | 4 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | Al-Jazira Club | ||
| 2008–2010 | Heerenveen | 23 | (2) |
| Total | 329 | (73) | |
| International career | |||
| 1998–2006 | Ivory Coast | 51 | (12) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Bonaventure Kalou is a famous former footballer from Ivory Coast. He was born on January 12, 1978. Bonaventure played as an attacking midfielder, which means he helped both defend and score goals. After his football career, he became the elected mayor of Vavoua, a city in Ivory Coast.
Contents
Playing for Football Clubs
Bonaventure Kalou started his football journey in his home country. He played for a team called ASEC Mimosas. After that, he moved to the Netherlands to play for Feyenoord, a big club in Rotterdam.
Time at Feyenoord
Bonaventure played for Feyenoord for six seasons, from 1997 to 2003. He was a regular player, meaning he played in most games. He often played as a winger, running down the sides of the field. Sometimes, he even played as a striker, trying to score goals.
While Bonaventure was at Feyenoord, his younger brother, Salomon Kalou, came to visit. Salomon impressed the Feyenoord coaches and was signed as a young player.
Moving to France
After his time in the Netherlands, Bonaventure decided to try playing in France. He joined AJ Auxerre in 2003. Here, he became even better at playing as a striker and an attacking midfielder. He continued to score many goals for his new team.
In 2005, Bonaventure scored the winning goal for Auxerre in the French Cup final. This was a very exciting moment, as he scored in extra time against Paris Saint-Germain, a team he would later join!
Playing for Paris Saint-Germain
In the 2005–06 season, Bonaventure moved to Paris Saint-Germain. He helped them win the French Cup again in 2006. This was his second time scoring in the final, which is a great achievement!
Later, Paris Saint-Germain faced some tough times in the league. Bonaventure then signed with another French team, RC Lens. Even though Lens had a promising start, they were surprisingly moved down to a lower league at the end of that season.
Return to the Netherlands
In 2008, Bonaventure Kalou went back to the Netherlands. He joined SC Heerenveen. With this team, he won the Dutch Cup in 2009. Heerenveen beat FC Twente in the final, and Bonaventure scored a goal in that match.
He tried out for a couple of other teams, Crystal Palace and Le Mans, but these didn't work out. In February 2011, Bonaventure Kalou announced that he was retiring from professional football. He later played for a local amateur club called Combs-la-Ville for a short time.
Playing for His Country
Bonaventure Kalou played for the Ivory Coast in many important games. He was part of the team that played in the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship.
He also played in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, which is one of the biggest football tournaments in the world. In their final match of the tournament, Bonaventure scored the winning goal against Serbia and Montenegro.
Life Outside Football
After his successful football career, Bonaventure Kalou decided to get involved in politics.
Becoming a Mayor
In 2018, Bonaventure Kalou ran for mayor of Vavoua in Ivory Coast. He ran as an independent candidate, meaning he wasn't part of a major political party. He won the election and became the mayor of his hometown.
Family Life
Bonaventure's younger brother, Salomon Kalou, is also a well-known footballer. Salomon also played for Feyenoord, just like Bonaventure. For a while, people wondered if the brothers might play against each other in a World Cup. This was because Salomon was trying to get Dutch citizenship. However, Salomon eventually played for the Ivory Coast too, just like his brother.
Bonaventure Kalou has both Ivorian and Dutch nationalities. He was raised Catholic but later became an Evangelical Christian.
Awards and Achievements
Bonaventure Kalou won many awards and trophies during his football career.
Club Honours
- Feyenoord
- Eredivisie (Dutch League): 1998–99
- Johan Cruyff Shield (Dutch Super Cup): 1999
- UEFA Cup (European competition): 2001–02
- Auxerre
- Coupe de France (French Cup): 2004–05
- Paris Saint-Germain
- Coupe de France (French Cup): 2005–06
- Heerenveen
- KNVB Cup (Dutch Cup): 2008–09
International Honours
- Ivory Coast
- Africa Cup of Nations runner-up: 2006
Individual Awards
- UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2004–05 (This means he was chosen as one of the best players in the French league that season!)
See also
In Spanish: Bonaventure Kalou para niños
