Mohamed Kallon facts for kids

Mohamed Kallon MOR (born 6 October 1979) is a Sierra Leonean football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the Sierra Leone national football team. He played as a striker and is famous for his time with Inter Milan from 2001 to 2004. He competed for a spot on the team with other great players like Christian Vieri and Ronaldo. Many people believe he is the most famous footballer from Sierra Leone.

Before joining Inter Milan, Kallon played for several Italian clubs. These included Genoa, Bologna, Cagliari, Reggina, and Vicenza. After leaving Inter in 2004, Kallon played for Monaco for three years. He also had short periods playing in Greece, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and China. He played 39 matches for the Sierra Leone national team. Kallon is the younger brother of two other former Sierra Leonean international footballers, Kemokai Kallon and Musa Kallon.

Early Life and Nickname

Mohamed Kallon was born on October 6, 1979, in Kenema, Sierra Leone. He is the youngest of three brothers who all became international footballers. His older brothers are Kemokai Kallon and Musa Kallon. Mohamed went to primary school in Kenema. He finished his secondary education at St. Edwards Secondary School in Freetown.

When he first started playing for Sierra Leone, fans called him Small Kallon. This was to tell him apart from his two older brothers, who were also playing for the national team at the time.

Club Football Journey

Starting His Career

After finishing his education, Kallon joined a local club called Old Edwardians. This team plays in the Sierra Leone National Premier League. During the 1993–94 season, he scored 15 goals in 24 league games. He became the youngest player to ever play and score in the Sierra Leone National Premier League.

After that season, Kallon moved to a Lebanese club called Tadamon Sour. He was spotted by Ali Abdullah, who was the son of a Lebanese diplomat. Abdullah saw Kallon playing football on a beach in Freetown. Kallon was only 15 years old when he accepted the offer to play in Lebanon. He scored 15 goals in 24 games during the 1994–95 season.

He then spent one season playing for Spånga in Stockholm, Sweden. After that, he was signed by Inter Milan. Inter Milan then loaned him out to several other clubs. He played for Swiss Super League club FC Lugano, and Italian clubs Bologna, Cagliari, and Genoa. Later, he played for Reggina and Vicenza.

Playing for Inter Milan

First Return to Inter (2001–02)

Kallon returned to Inter Milan before the start of the 2001–02 season. Inter had many great strikers like Christian Vieri, Ronaldo, and Álvaro Recoba. Kallon was initially a third or fourth choice striker. However, injuries to Ronaldo and Recoba meant Kallon played a lot. He played in 29 Serie A matches and scored nine goals. He became the team's second-highest scorer that season, right behind Vieri. Inter Milan almost won the league title, finishing in third place. They also reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup.

Continuing at Inter (2002–03)

In the 2002–03 season, Kallon played nine times and scored five goals in Serie A. He had some injuries during this season. Inter finished second in the league. Kallon returned to the team in May after another player, Gabriel Batistuta, got injured. He also played in both semi-final games of the 2002–03 UEFA Champions League against AC Milan.

Later Time at Inter (2003–04)

During the 2003–04 season, Kallon found it harder to get into the starting team. This was because a young Nigerian striker named Obafemi Martins was playing very well. Also, the Brazilian star Adriano returned to the team.

Time with Monaco

Kallon signed a four-year contract with the French club Monaco before the 2004–05 season. Monaco had been very successful, reaching the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League final. Kallon played well in his first season at Monaco. However, he soon had disagreements with the manager, Didier Deschamps. This led to him often being on the bench.

He then went on loan to a Saudi Arabian club called Al-Ittihad in July 2005. He helped Al-Ittihad win the 2005 AFC Champions League. He was the top scorer in the competition with six goals. He scored in both legs of the semi-final and final matches. He also played in the 2005 FIFA Club World Championship with Al-Ittihad. He returned to Monaco in 2006.

He played 12 Ligue 1 matches in his last full season with Monaco during the 2006–07 campaign. He played his last league match for Monaco in August 2007 before leaving the club. He tried to join Birmingham City in England but could not get a work permit.

Playing in Greece and UAE

Kallon signed a six-month contract with the Greek club AEK Athens in January 2008. He played for them in the UEFA Cup 2007–08 but his team lost. He also played in the Greek league playoffs. He scored one goal in three games, and AEK finished second. Greek fans remember him for a great goal he scored against PAOK in a 4–0 win. He chipped the ball over the goalkeeper from outside the box.

In August 2008, Kallon signed with UAE Pro League club Al-Shaab. However, he was released from his contract after a few months.

Playing for His Own Club

In October 2009, he signed to play for his own football club, Kallon.

Later Career Moves

On March 1, 2010, he joined the Chinese championship. He signed a one-year deal with Shaanxi Chanba. Kallon played his first game in the CSL on March 28 and scored a penalty kick. He decided to leave China after his contract ended in December to be closer to his family. In 2011, he moved to India and signed with I-League club Chirag United Kerala.

He returned to play for his club, Kallon, before the 2012 CAF Confederation Cup. He scored the winning goal that helped them reach the second round of the competition. On June 26, 2014, he was named the head coach of the Sierra Leone Under-17 team. He officially announced his retirement as a player on March 22, 2016, having last played in 2014.

International Career for Sierra Leone

Kallon became the youngest player to ever play for the Sierra Leone national team, known as the Leone Stars. He made his first international appearance at just 15 years old in April 1995. This was against Congo in a 1996 African Cup of Nations qualifier. He scored the winning goal in that match. At 16, Kallon was the youngest player at the 1996 African Nations Cup in South Africa. He scored one of his country's two goals as Sierra Leone beat Burkina Faso 2–1 in their first group match.

Throughout his career, he was a very important player for the Leone Stars. He played in many World Cup qualification matches. His last international game was on February 9, 2011, in a friendly match against Nigeria. Kallon was the captain of the Sierra Leone national team for a time. He stepped down from his captaincy after the team did not qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2010 African Cup of Nations.

Club Owner and Philanthropy

Owning a Football Club

Mohamed Kallon is the founder and owner of the Sierra Leonean club Kallon. This club currently plays in the Sierra Leone National Premier League. FC Kallon is one of the top clubs in Sierra Leone. They play their home games at the National Stadium in Freetown. Kallon bought the club, which was previously known as Sierra Fisheries, in 2002 for $30,000. Under his ownership, FC Kallon won the Sierra Leonean FA Cup and the Sierra Leone League title in 2006. They also qualified for the African Champions League.

Mohamed Kallon Children's Foundation

Besides his business group, the Kalleone Group of Company, Mohamed Kallon also started a charity. This is called the MKCF, or Mohamed Kallon Children's Foundation. This foundation aims to help hundreds of street children in Sierra Leone. Kallon has said that he grew up on the streets of Freetown himself. He wants to do all he can to help children in similar situations. The foundation has worked with the United Nations and other groups. They provide help for children and support HIV/AIDS awareness programs in Sierra Leone. The BBC even reported on the creation of the MKCF.

Honours and Achievements

Team Trophies

• Al-Ittihad
  • AFC Champions League: 2005

Individual Awards

• AFC Champions League Top Scorer: 2005
• Sierra Leone Order of the Rokel: 2013

See also

In Spanish: Mohamed Kallon para niños