Salomon Kalou facts for kids
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Kalou with Hertha BSC in 2019
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Salomon Armand Magloire Kalou | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 5 August 1985 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Oumé, Ivory Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward, winger | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2003 | ASEC Mimosas | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2006 | Feyenoord | 67 | (35) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | → Excelsior (loan) | 11 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2012 | Chelsea | 156 | (36) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Lille | 67 | (30) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2020 | Hertha BSC | 151 | (48) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Botafogo | 25 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Arta/Solar7 | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 479 | (154) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2017 | Ivory Coast | 93 | (27) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Salomon Armand Magloire Kalou (born on August 5, 1985) is a former professional footballer from Ivory Coast. He played as a forward or winger.
Kalou started his football journey with a local club called ASEC Mimosas. In 2003, he moved to Europe to play for Feyenoord in the Netherlands. He became a very important player for Feyenoord, scoring 35 goals in 67 games. In 2006, he joined Chelsea in England.
During his six years at Chelsea, Kalou won many big trophies. These included the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, and four FA Cups. After Chelsea, he played for Lille in France and Hertha BSC in Germany. He played 172 games for Hertha, scoring 53 goals. He also played for the Brazilian team Botafogo.
Salomon Kalou also played for his country, the Ivory Coast. He played 93 games for them between 2007 and 2017. He represented his country in two FIFA World Cups and six Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. He helped Ivory Coast win the Africa Cup of Nations in 2015.
Contents
- Kalou's Club Career Highlights
- Salomon Kalou's International Career
- Kalou's Personal Life
- Career Statistics
- Honours and Awards
- See also
Kalou's Club Career Highlights
Starting His Football Journey
Salomon Kalou was born in Oumé, Ivory Coast. Like his older brother, Bonaventure Kalou, he began playing football at a local club called ASEC Mimosas. He then moved to Europe in 2003 to join Feyenoord in the Netherlands. In 2004, he played for Excelsior, another club linked to Feyenoord, on loan.
Kalou returned to Feyenoord and played in the top Dutch league, the Eredivisie, for two seasons. He scored 35 goals in 67 league games. In 2005, he won the Johan Cruijff Award as the most promising young player. Fans and media called him and his teammate Dirk Kuyt "K2," like a famous pop band.
Joining Chelsea Football Club
First Season at Chelsea (2006–07)
Kalou joined Chelsea on May 30, 2006. He was given the number 21 shirt. Chelsea's manager, José Mourinho, praised Kalou for being hardworking and eager to improve. Kalou was amazed to train with famous players like Michael Ballack, John Terry, and his fellow Ivorian, Didier Drogba. He even brought a camera to his first training session because it felt like a dream!
He scored his first goals for Chelsea in a reserve game, getting a hat-trick. His first goal for the main team was in a League Cup match against Blackburn Rovers. In December 2006, he scored his first Premier League goal against Wigan Athletic. He also scored important goals against Watford and Tottenham Hotspur. Kalou helped Chelsea win the FA Cup and the League Cup that season.
Continuing Success (2007–08)
Kalou kept up his good performance in the next season. He scored against Manchester City and Derby County. In the UEFA Champions League semi-final, his cross led to an own goal, which was very important for Chelsea. Kalou also scored a penalty in the Champions League final shootout, but Chelsea lost to Manchester United.
More Goals and Trophies (2008–09)
Kalou scored a header against Manchester United in September 2008, helping Chelsea get a draw. He scored two goals against Middlesbrough in October. In January 2009, he scored against Southend United in the FA Cup. He became a favorite player under the new manager, Guus Hiddink. Kalou helped Chelsea win the FA Cup again in May.
Winning the Double (2009–10)
Chelsea won the 2009 FA Community Shield against Manchester United, with Kalou scoring the winning penalty. He signed a new contract with Chelsea until 2012. He scored two goals against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League. On April 25, 2010, Kalou scored a hat-trick in Chelsea's huge 7–0 win over Stoke City. On the last day of the season, he scored as Chelsea won 8–0 against Wigan and became Premier League champions.
Strong Performances (2010–11)
Kalou started this season well, scoring two goals against Wigan. He scored 14 goals in all competitions that season. Even though he played well, it was sometimes hard for him to get a regular starting spot. However, he scored in important wins against West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham City. He also scored a late goal against Tottenham Hotspur, helping Chelsea win 2–1. This was the first time he scored ten league goals for Chelsea in a season.
Champions League Glory (2011–12)
Kalou scored his first goal of this season in a big 5–0 win against Racing Genk. He also scored in League Cup and Premier League games. After Roberto Di Matteo became interim manager, Kalou started playing more often. He scored a crucial goal in the Champions League quarter-final against Benfica, which Chelsea won 1–0. This was his 58th goal for the club.
On April 21, 2012, Kalou played his 250th game for Chelsea. He started in both the 2012 FA Cup Final and the Champions League final, which Chelsea won! On July 1, 2012, Chelsea announced that Kalou's contract had ended. He had played 254 games and scored 60 goals for the club.
Moving to Lille in France
On July 7, 2012, Kalou joined Lille in France for free. He was given the number 8 jersey. He scored his first goal for Lille in his second game. In the 2013–14 season, Kalou played almost every game for Lille. He scored 16 goals, making him one of the top scorers in the league. This included a hat-trick against Ajaccio.
Playing for Hertha BSC in Germany
On August 31, 2014, Kalou joined Bundesliga team Hertha BSC in Germany. In his first season, he played 27 league games and scored six goals, helping Hertha stay in the top league. For the 2015–16 season, he changed his shirt number to 8, the same number he wore at Lille and for Ivory Coast.
He started the 2015–16 season scoring goals, including a winning penalty against FC Augsburg. On November 6, he scored his first hat-trick for Hertha in a 3–1 win against Hannover 96. By December, he had scored nine goals, helping Hertha climb to third place in the Bundesliga. He became the first player to score double-digit goals in the Premier League, Ligue 1, and the Bundesliga. He finished as Hertha's top scorer with 14 goals that year.
In March 2017, Kalou signed a new contract with Hertha until 2019. He said he was happy in Berlin and wanted to achieve more with the team. In May 2020, Kalou was temporarily removed from training and playing duties. This happened after he streamed a live video from the team's cabin, which showed him not following social distancing rules.
Time in Brazil with Botafogo
On July 9, 2020, Kalou joined Botafogo in Brazil. He played his first game on September 2. Three days later, he scored his only goal for the team in a 2–2 draw. He played 27 games for Botafogo, but the team finished last in the league. He left the club in April 2021.
Latest Club: Arta/Solar7
On June 14, 2022, Kalou joined Arta/Solar7 in the Djibouti Premier League. In April 2023, he captained the team for the first time.
Salomon Kalou's International Career
Playing for Ivory Coast
Kalou was called up to play for the Ivory Coast in 2006, but he initially declined. He made his debut for Ivory Coast on February 6, 2007, in a friendly win against Guinea. On March 21, he scored his first goal for his country in a 3–0 win against Mauritius.
He played in the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations. He scored the only goal against Nigeria and two more goals in a 5–0 win against Guinea. In the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, Kalou scored a goal in a close game against Algeria. He also scored in the 2010 FIFA World Cup against North Korea, but Ivory Coast was eliminated.
On January 26, 2012, Kalou scored a goal in Ivory Coast's 2–0 win over Burkina Faso in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. In the final, he was substituted, and Ivory Coast lost to Zambia in a penalty shootout.
Kalou also played in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. He scored in both games against Senegal in the play-offs for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, he came on as a substitute in the final. He scored in the penalty shootout, helping Ivory Coast win the title against Ghana.
Kalou's Personal Life
Salomon Kalou has two brothers and eight sisters. His brother, Bonaventure Kalou, was also a professional footballer. They even played together at Feyenoord for a short time.
In 2010, Kalou started The Kalou Foundation. This foundation helps people in need by providing facilities for social welfare and recreation. It also helps those who are sick around the world.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Excelsior (loan) | 2003–04 | Eerste Divisie | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | 17 | 4 | ||
| Feyenoord | 2003–04 | Eredivisie | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| 2004–05 | Eredivisie | 31 | 20 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 4 | — | 38 | 24 | |||
| 2005–06 | Eredivisie | 34 | 15 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 15 | ||
| Total | 67 | 35 | 0 | 0 | — | 9 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 78 | 39 | |||
| Chelsea | 2006–07 | Premier League | 33 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 58 | 9 |
| 2007–08 | Premier League | 30 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 1 | — | 48 | 11 | ||
| 2008–09 | Premier League | 27 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 1 | — | 43 | 10 | ||
| 2009–10 | Premier League | 23 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 12 | |
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 31 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 42 | 13 | |
| 2011–12 | Premier League | 12 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 2 | — | 26 | 5 | ||
| Total | 156 | 36 | 28 | 8 | 18 | 8 | 49 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 254 | 60 | ||
| Lille | 2012–13 | Ligue 1 | 28 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | — | 37 | 16 | |
| 2013–14 | Ligue 1 | 38 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 40 | 18 | |||
| 2014–15 | Ligue 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| Total | 67 | 30 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | — | 80 | 34 | |||
| Hertha BSC | 2014–15 | Bundesliga | 27 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 28 | 6 | |||
| 2015–16 | Bundesliga | 32 | 14 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | 37 | 17 | ||||
| 2016–17 | Bundesliga | 26 | 7 | 3 | 1 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 31 | 8 | |||
| 2017–18 | Bundesliga | 31 | 12 | 2 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | — | 36 | 12 | |||
| 2018–19 | Bundesliga | 30 | 8 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 33 | 8 | ||||
| 2019–20 | Bundesliga | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 7 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 151 | 48 | 16 | 5 | — | 5 | 0 | — | 172 | 53 | ||||
| Botafogo | 2020 | Série A | 25 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 27 | 1 | |||
| Career total | 477 | 155 | 49 | 16 | 19 | 8 | 72 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 628 | 191 | ||
| Reference: | ||||||||||||||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ivory Coast | 2007 | 7 | 3 |
| 2008 | 9 | 4 | |
| 2009 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 10 | 3 | |
| 2011 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 11 | 6 | |
| 2013 | 11 | 3 | |
| 2014 | 9 | 4 | |
| 2015 | 11 | 2 | |
| 2016 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 8 | 0 | |
| Total | 93 | 27 | |
- Scores and results list Ivory Coast's goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 21 March 2007 | Stade Anjalay, Belle Vue, Mauritius |  Mauritius |
1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 2. | 3 June 2007 | Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast |  Madagascar |
1–0 | 5–0 | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 3. | 21 November 2007 | Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar |  Qatar |
5–0 | 6–1 | Friendly |
| – | 12 January 2008 | Mohammed Al-Hamad Stadium, Hawally, Kuwait |  Kuwait |
2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 4. | 21 January 2008 | Sekondi-Takoradi Stadium, Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana |  Nigeria |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 5. | 3 February 2008 | Sekondi-Takoradi Stadium, Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana |  Guinea |
3–0 | 5–0 | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 6. | 4–0 | |||||
| 7. | 11 October 2008 | Stade Robert Champroux, Abidjan, Ivory Coast | Madagascar |
3–0 | 3–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 8. | 29 March 2009 | Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast |  Malawi |
4–0 | 5–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 9. | 24 January 2010 | Estádio Nacional do Chiazi, Cabinda, Angola |  Algeria |
1–0 | 2–3 | 2010 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 10. | 25 June 2010 | Mbombela Stadium, Mbombela, South Africa |  North Korea |
3–0 | 3–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup |
| 11. | 4 September 2010 | Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast |  Rwanda |
3–0 | 3–0 | 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 12. | 3 September 2011 | Amahoro Stadium, Kigali, Rwanda | Rwanda |
1–0 | 5–0 | 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 13. | 13 January 2012 | Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |  Tunisia |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 14. | 16 January 2012 | Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |  Libya |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 15. | 26 January 2012 | Estadio de Malabo, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea |  Burkina Faso |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2012 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 16. | 2 June 2012 | Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast |  Tanzania |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 17. | 9 June 2012 | Stade de Marrakech, Marrakesh, Morocco |  Morocco |
1–0 | 2–2 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 18. | 8 September 2012 | Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast |  Senegal |
1–1 | 4–2 | 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 19. | 23 March 2013 | Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast |  Gambia |
3–0 | 3–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 20. | 12 October 2013 | Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast | Senegal |
3–0 | 3–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 21. | 16 November 2013 | Stade Mohammed V, Casablanca, Morocco | Senegal |
1–1 | 1–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 22. | 15 October 2014 | Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast |  DR Congo |
2–3 | 3–4 | 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 23. | 3–3 | |||||
| 24. | 14 November 2014 | Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast |  Sierra Leone |
2–1 | 5–1 | 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 25. | 5–1 | |||||
| 26. | 11 January 2015 | Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | Nigeria |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 27. | 26 March 2015 | Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast |  Angola |
2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
Honours and Awards
Chelsea
- Premier League: 2009–10
- FA Cup: 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12
- Football League Cup: 2006–07
- FA Community Shield: 2009
- UEFA Champions League: 2011–12
Ivory Coast
- Africa Cup of Nations: 2015
Individual Awards
- Johan Cruyff Trophy: 2005 (Award for the most promising young player in the Dutch league)
- CAF Young Player of the Year: 2008 (Award for the best young player in Africa)
See also
In Spanish: Salomon Kalou para niños
