Frédéric Kanouté facts for kids
Kanouté in 2008
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 2 September 1977 | ||
| Place of birth | Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon, France | ||
| Height | 1.92 m | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1997–2000 | Lyon | 40 | (9) |
| 2000 | → West Ham United (loan) | 8 | (2) |
| 2000–2003 | West Ham United | 76 | (27) |
| 2003–2005 | Tottenham Hotspur | 60 | (14) |
| 2005–2012 | Sevilla | 209 | (89) |
| 2012–2013 | Beijing Guoan | 34 | (10) |
| Total | 427 | (151) | |
| National team | |||
| 1998–1999 | France U21 | 11 | (1) |
| 2004–2010 | Mali | 38 | (23) |
|
|||
Frédéric Oumar Kanouté (born 2 September 1977) is a retired professional footballer. He played as a striker, scoring many goals for different teams. He had his biggest success with the Spanish club Sevilla.
Kanouté was named the 2007 African Footballer of the Year. This was special because he was the first player born outside Africa to win this award.
He started his career in France with Lyon. Then, he moved to England to play for West Ham United in 2000. After playing for Tottenham Hotspur, he joined Sevilla in Spain. There, he helped his team win the UEFA Cup twice in a row, in 2006 and 2007. He also won other important trophies. He is still Sevilla's top foreign goal scorer. In 2012, he moved to Beijing Guoan in China.
Even though he played for France's Under-21 team, Kanouté chose to play for the Malian national team. He helped Mali reach the semi-finals of the 2004 African Cup of Nations. He also played for Mali in the 2006 and 2010 tournaments. He finished his international career in 2010, having played 38 games and scored 23 goals.
Contents
Early Life and Football Start
Frédéric Oumar Kanouté was born on 2 September 1977. His hometown is Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon, in France.
His talent as a striker was noticed early. He joined his local team, Olympique Lyonnais, as a young player in 1997. He played his first game in the Intertoto Cup.
Club Career Highlights
Playing in England
In 2000, Kanouté moved to England. He joined West Ham United in the Premier League on a loan first. He played well with Paolo Di Canio. West Ham's manager, Harry Redknapp, then signed him permanently. Kanouté showed great skill but was sometimes criticized for being too relaxed. West Ham was moved to a lower league in 2003.
Kanouté then joined Tottenham Hotspur in 2003 for £3.5 million. He scored in his very first game for them. This was a winning goal against Leeds United.
During his time at Tottenham, he was called to play for Mali in the 2004 African Cup of Nations. Tottenham tried to stop him, but he went. He often set up goals for other players like Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe.
Success with Sevilla
In 2005, Kanouté moved to Sevilla in Spain. He quickly became a key player. In the 2006 UEFA Cup Final, he came on as a substitute and scored a goal. Sevilla won the match 4–0.
He scored against his old team, Tottenham, in the 2006-07 UEFA Cup. Sevilla won that competition again. Kanouté helped Sevilla finish third in the league that year. He also helped them qualify for European competitions many times.
In 2011, during a game against FC Barcelona, Kanouté received two yellow cards. This happened after he kicked the ball off the penalty spot. He also had an argument with another player. His last season in Spain was affected by injuries. He left Sevilla in 2012. He scored 136 goals in 290 games for Sevilla. He helped them win two UEFA Cups, one UEFA Super Cup, two Copa del Rey trophies, and one Spanish Supercup.
Playing in China
On 29 June 2012, Kanouté signed with Chinese Super League team Beijing Guoan. He scored his first two goals for them in a big 6–0 win in the Chinese FA Cup. In 2013, he scored two goals in a league game against Tianjin Teda.
International Career
Kanouté played 11 games for the French Under-21 team. He scored one goal for them. Later, FIFA changed its rules. This allowed players to play for the national team of the country where their parents were born. Kanouté chose to play for Mali, his father's home country.
He was a top goal scorer for Mali in the 2004 African Cup of Nations. He scored four goals and helped Mali reach the semi-finals. In 2007, after a game, some angry fans attacked Kanouté and his teammate. He retired from international football in 2010.
Playing Style
People described Kanouté as a very skilled and fast player. He was also known for being clever on the field. He was tall and good at heading the ball. He could play as a main striker or just behind another forward. He was also known for his ability to score goals.
Personal Life and Beliefs
Frédéric Kanouté has been practicing Islam since he was about 20 years old. His faith was very important to him. For example, he refused to wear a Sevilla shirt with the name of a gambling company on it. This was because gambling is against his Islamic beliefs. The club agreed to give him a plain shirt.
In 2007, Kanouté used his own money to buy a mosque in Seville. The mosque was going to be sold, and the local Muslim community asked for his help. He also helped raise more money to build a new mosque.
Kanouté has said that his faith helped him stay calm and think about others. He believes Islam teaches love and peace. He also observes fasting during the Islamic month of Ramadan, even when he is playing football.
In 2009, after scoring a goal, Kanouté lifted his jersey. Underneath, he had a shirt with the word "Palestine" on it. This was a protest against the conflict happening at that time. He received a yellow card and a fine for showing a political message.
The Kanouté Foundation
Kanouté cares a lot about helping people. In 2006, he started a project to build a "Children's Village" in Mali. This village is now called Sakina Children's Village. He has spoken about his foundation and the village to inspire others.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Lyon | 1997–98 | French Division 1 | 18 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | – | 29 | 8 | |
| 1998–99 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | – | 12 | 3 | |||
| 1999–2000 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | – | 20 | 1 | |||
| Total | 40 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 3 | – | 61 | 12 | |||
| West Ham United (loan) | 1999–2000 | Premier League | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 8 | 2 | ||
| West Ham United | 2000–01 | Premier League | 32 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0 | – | – | 39 | 14 | ||
| 2001–02 | 27 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 28 | 12 | ||||
| 2002–03 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 17 | 5 | ||||
| Total | 84 | 29 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | – | – | 92 | 33 | ||||
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2003–04 | Premier League | 27 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | – | – | 31 | 12 | ||
| 2004–05 | 32 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 2 | – | – | 41 | 9 | ||||
| 2005–06 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 60 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 4 | – | – | 73 | 21 | ||||
| Sevilla | 2005–06 | La Liga | 32 | 6 | 2 | 2 | – | 11 | 6 | – | 45 | 14 | ||
| 2006–07 | 32 | 21 | 5 | 4 | – | 10 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 48 | 30 | |||
| 2007–08 | 30 | 16 | 1 | 1 | – | 9 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 42 | 26 | |||
| 2008–09 | 34 | 18 | 6 | 3 | – | 2 | 2 | – | 42 | 23 | ||||
| 2009–10 | 27 | 12 | 5 | 1 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 39 | 15 | ||||
| 2010–11 | 28 | 12 | 5 | 1 | – | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 43 | 21 | |||
| 2011–12 | 26 | 4 | 3 | 3 | – | 2 | 1 | – | 31 | 8 | ||||
| Total | 209 | 89 | 27 | 15 | – | 50 | 27 | 4 | 6 | 290 | 137 | |||
| Beijing Guoan | 2012 | Chinese Super League | 10 | 1 | 2 | 2 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 12 | 3 | ||
| 2013 | 24 | 9 | 3 | 0 | – | 7 | 1 | – | 34 | 10 | ||||
| Total | 34 | 10 | 5 | 2 | – | 7 | 1 | – | 46 | 13 | ||||
| Career total | 427 | 151 | 44 | 24 | 12 | 4 | 75 | 31 | 4 | 6 | 602 | 216 | ||
International
| Mali | ||
| Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 11 | 7 |
| 2005 | 3 | 0 |
| 2006 | 3 | 2 |
| 2007 | 3 | 2 |
| 2008 | 9 | 6 |
| 2009 | 6 | 4 |
| 2010 | 3 | 2 |
| Total | 38 | 23 |
- Scores and results list Mali's goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition | Scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, 2 | 26 January 2004 | Bizerte, Tunisia |  Kenya |
3–1 | 2004 African Cup of Nations | 2 |
| 3 | 30 January 2004 | Tunis, Tunisia |  Burkina Faso |
3–1 | 2004 African Cup of Nations | 1 |
| 4 | 7 February 2004 | Tunis, Tunisia |  Guinea |
2–1 | 2004 African Cup of Nations | 1 |
| 5 | 19 June 2004 | Bamako, Mali |  Zambia |
1–1 | 2006 World Cup and 2006 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier | 1 |
| 6 | 18 August 2004 | Colombes, France |  Congo Kinshasa |
3–0 | Friendly | 1 |
| 7 | 5 September 2004 | Bamako, Mali |  Senegal |
2–2 | 2006 World Cup and 2006 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier | 1 |
| 8 | 28 May 2006 | Bondoufle, France |  Morocco |
1–0 | Friendly | 1 |
| 9 | 16 August 2006 | Narbonne, France |  Tunisia |
1–0 | Friendly | 1 |
| 10 | 25 March 2007 | Bamako, Mali |  Benin |
1–1 | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier | 1 |
| 11 | 12 October 2007 | Lomé, Togo |  Togo |
2–0 | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier | 1 |
| 12 | 21 January 2008 | Sekondi, Ghana | Benin |
1–0 | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations | 1 |
| 13, 14 | 7 June 2008 | N'Djamena, Chad |  Chad |
2–1 | 2010 World Cup qualifier | 2 |
| 15, 16 | 14 June 2008 | Omdurman, Sudan |  Sudan |
2-3 | 2010 World Cup and 2010 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier | 2 |
| 17 | 22 June 2008 | Bamako, Mali | Sudan |
3–0 | 2010 World Cup and 2010 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier | 1 |
| 18 | 11 February 2009 | Bois-Guillaume, France |  Angola |
4–0 | Friendly | 1 |
| 19 | 28 March 2009 | Omdurman, Sudan | Sudan |
1–1 | 2010 World Cup and 2010 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier | 1 |
| 20 | 21 June 2009 | Bamako, Mali | Benin |
3–1 | 2010 World Cup and 2010 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier | 1 |
| 21 | 11 October 2009 | Bamako, Mali | Sudan |
1–0 | 2010 World Cup and 2010 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier | 1 |
| 22 | 10 January 2010 | Luanda, Angola | Angola |
4–4 | 2010 Africa Cup of Nations | 1 |
| 23 | 18 January 2010 | Cabinda, Angola |  Malawi |
3–1 | 2010 Africa Cup of Nations | 1 |
Honours
Lyon
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1997
Sevilla
- Copa del Rey: 2006–07, 2009–10
- Supercopa de España: 2007
- UEFA Cup: 2005–06, 2006–07
- UEFA Super Cup: 2006
Individual
- Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2004
- African Footballer of the Year: 2007
- ESM Team of the Season: 2006–07
See also
In Spanish: Frédéric Kanouté para niños
