 Diawara in 2023 with Guinea | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kaba Diawara[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1975-12-16)16 December 1975 (age 49) | ||
| Place of birth | Toulon, France | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1993–1994 | Toulon | 40 | (11) |
| 1994–1999 | Bordeaux | 60 | (14) |
| 1998 | →Rennes (loan) | 12 | (1) |
| 1999 | Arsenal | 12 | (0) |
| 1999–2000 | Marseille | 15 | (0) |
| 2000–2003 | Paris Saint-Germain | 14 | (0) |
| 2000 | →Blackburn Rovers (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2000–2001 | →West Ham United (loan) | 11 | (0) |
| 2002 | →Racing Ferrol (loan) | 15 | (5) |
| 2002–2003 | →Nice (loan) | 37 | (12) |
| 2003–2004 | Al-Gharrafa | ? | (?) |
| 2005 | Al-Kharitiyath | ? | (?) |
| 2005–2006 | Ajaccio | 20 | (2) |
| 2006–2007 | Gaziantepspor | 27 | (8) |
| 2008 | Ankaragücü | 12 | (1) |
| 2008–2009 | Alki Larnaca | 11 | (3) |
| 2009–2011 | Arles-Avignon | 50 | (8) |
| Total | 341 | (65) | |
| International career | |||
| 2004 | France U-21 | ||
| 2004–2009 | Guinea | 21 | (8) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2021–2024 | Guinea | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Kaba Diawara (born 16 December 1975) is a football manager and former player who played as a striker.
Diawara played for French teamsSporting Toulon,Bordeaux,Rennes,Marseille,Nice,Paris Saint-Germain andArles-Avignon, for English clubsBlackburn Rovers,West Ham United andArsenal, and for clubs in Spain and Turkey. Diawara was born in France and represented the country atunder-21 level before playing senior international football forGuinea.
Born inToulon, Diawara at first played in 1993 forToulon and then journeyed toBordeaux a year later. With Bordeaux, he played in the1997 Coupe de la Ligue Final. After six years at the club, he moved toPremier League clubArsenal in January 1999.[2] Six months after he left Bordeaux they won the1999 Division 1 title.
He made his debut for Arsenal on 31 January 1999 in a league match againstChelsea. He went on to make 15 appearances for Arsenal, 12 of which were in the league, but failed to score as Arsenal were involved in an ultimately unsuccessful title race withManchester United.[3][4]
During the summer of 1999, Diawara returned to France and signed forMarseille.[5] He stayed at Marseille for six months and in January 2000 he signed for club rivalParis St Germain[6] with whom he played in the2000 Coupe de la Ligue Final.
In the summer of 2000, he was linked with a return to England with Premier League sideEverton, however they re-signedDuncan Ferguson instead.[7] However, he did return to England when in August 2000 he joinedDivision One sideBlackburn Rovers on loan.[8] At Blackburn, he scored his first and only goal in English football, in aLeague Cup tie withRochdale.[9] After his loan at Blackburn finished, he then joined Premier League sideWest Ham United on loan for the rest of the 2000-01 season.[10]
After returning to Paris St Germain, he had further loan spells atRacing Ferrol andNice.[11][12][13]
In the 2006–07 season, he transferred toSüper Lig teamGaziantepspor. At Gaziantepspor he got little playing time. As such, in January 2008, he signed a six-month contract with fellow Turkish sideAnkaragücü. In August 2008, he moved toAlki Larnaca of Cyprus. He was eventually released by Larnaca in December of that year. Diawara then signed for French sideArles-Avignon on a free transfer in 2009. At Avignon, Diawara went on to bring an end to his playing days.[12]
Diawara played for theFrench national U-21 team,[14] but chose to representGuinea at senior level. Diawara was then called up to Guinea's squad for the2006 African Cup of Nations. Guinea went on to the quarterfinals of the tournament against where Diawara scored in an eventual 3–2 defeat to Senegal.[15]
In October 2021, Diawara was named as head coach of the Guinea national football team, replacing former French internationalDidier Six.[16]
After retirement, Diawara became a football pundit with French networkCanal +.[17]
Bordeaux[11]
Paris Saint-Germain
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