 Koné withIvory Coast in 2012 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Arouna Koné[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1983-11-11)11 November 1983 (age 42) | ||
| Place of birth | Anyama, Ivory Coast | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Rio Sport | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2001–2002 | Rio Sport | 30 | (17) |
| 2002–2003 | Lierse | 32 | (11) |
| 2003–2005 | Roda JC | 63 | (27) |
| 2005–2007 | PSV | 53 | (21) |
| 2007–2012 | Sevilla | 40 | (1) |
| 2010 | →Hannover 96 (loan) | 8 | (2) |
| 2011–2012 | →Levante (loan) | 34 | (15) |
| 2012 | Levante | 0 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | Wigan Athletic | 34 | (11) |
| 2013–2017 | Everton | 47 | (6) |
| 2017–2022 | Sivasspor | 109 | (32) |
| 2022–2023 | VK Weerde | ||
| International career‡ | |||
| 2004–2013 | Ivory Coast | 39 | (9) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 28 January, 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 28 January, 2024 | |||
Arouna Koné (born 11 November 1983) is an Ivorian former professionalfootballer who played as astriker.
After making a name for himself in theEredivisie, withRoda JC andPSV, he signed withSevilla in 2007, where he rarely appeared due to injury and loans. In 2012, he moved fromLevante to thePremier League, where he representedWigan Athletic andEverton,winning one FA Cup with the former.
Koné played internationally for theIvory Coast national team from his debut in 2004 until retirement in 2013. He appeared at the2006 FIFA World Cup, as well as threeAfrica Cup of Nations tournaments for his country, earning a total of 39 caps and scoring 9 goals.
Koné endured a difficult start toPSV's2007–08 season: due to a date mix-up, he returned late to pre-season training following a holiday in his country, thus missing out on valuable time to prepare for the new campaign. Added to this, the player was struck down withmalaria at the end of July 2007,[3] In August, it was announced that he had returned to training following his health scare, and was expected to be fit in time for the team's first league game againstHeracles Almelo on the 19 July;[4] he also immediately returned to international duty.[5]
On 30 August 2007, after reported interest from EnglishPremier League sideMiddlesbrough,[6]Sevilla signed Koné on a five-year deal for a reported€12 million transfer fee.[7] He made hisLiga debut on 16 September as a second-halfsubstitute forFrédéric Kanouté in a 4–1 win againstRecreativo de Huelva – he won apenalty in the game, but fellow strikerAleksandr Kerzhakov failed to convert.[8] Nine days later, he scored his first goal for the Spaniards, helping the team come from behind 0–2 againstEspanyol to tie it 2–2 in an eventual 2–3 home loss.[9][10] On 2 October, he netted his firstUEFA Champions League goal for the club in a 4–2group stage win againstSlavia Prague after just ten minutes on the pitch.[11][12]
In April 2008, it was reported that Koné was to be shown the door at Sevilla in the summer of 2008 after a disappointingfirst season. His lack of playing time, partly due to the form of strikersLuís Fabiano and Kanouté, and an argument on the training ground with a member of the training staff that was caught on Spanish television, made for some intense speculation about the player's future.[13] In the run-up to the2008–09 campaign, he suffered a serious injury while playing for the Ivory Coast againstGuinea on 20 August,[14] and a subsequent scan showed he had suffered a cruciateknee ligament injury in his left leg. He underwent surgery to repair the damage the following week,[15] returning to training in February 2009.[16]
Koné subsequently fell out of favour at Sevilla[17] and, after much transfer speculation,[18][19][20] in February 2010 he joinedBundesliga clubHannover 96 on loan until the end of the season.[21]
Koné only appeared once for Sevilla in2010–11, playing one minute againstVillarreal.[22] Forthe following season, he was loaned toLevante, starting often and scoring his first goal of the campaign on 18 September 2011 in a surprise 1–0 home win overReal Madrid.[23]
Koné was rested for the final three games of the season due to a minor injury, and also because he was "scoring too many goals", as if he reached 18 he would have to return to Sevilla automatically,[24] something he did not desire.[25] Instead, he moved to Levante on a permanent basis, though the club were reported to be keen to sell him immediately for a profit.[26]
On 14 August 2012, Koné signed a three-year contract with English sideWigan Athletic, for a reported fee of €3.5 million.[27] Wigan beat off competition from a number of other English clubs, with the striker being persuaded to sign due to the team's passing style of play.[28] He scored his first league goal in his second match and his first start, an89th-minute strike againstSouthampton for the final goal in a 0–2 away win.[29] He netted a brace in a 4–1 defeat ofHuddersfield Town inthe fifth round of theFA Cup on 17 February 2013,[30] and added another two in his side's next match, a 0–3 league win overReading.[31]
Konéwon the FA Cup with the ''Latics'', featuring the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 upset againstManchester City.[32] Only three days later, however, Wigan were relegated from the top division following a 4–1 defeat againstArsenal.[33]
On 8 July 2013,Everton confirmed the signing of Koné on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.[34] He made his debut on 17 August, coming on as an 81st-minute substitute in a 2–2 draw againstNorwich City.[35] In October, he suffered a knee cartilage injury and did not play again for the rest of the season.[36] Returning on 24 December 2014, he netted his first goal for Everton againstNewcastle United in the early stages of a 3–2 defeat. On the opening day of the2015–16 Premier League season, Koné came off the bench to assist and score to help Everton secure a 2–2 draw againstWatford.[37] His performance was rewarded with a start away toSouthampton, in a 0–3 win in which the Ivorian recorded an assist.[38] Koné then continued his impressive start to the season, excelling in Everton's 3–1 win overChelsea.[citation needed] He scored his first Evertonhat-trick in their 6–2 victory overSunderland on 1 November 2015.[39] Kone was released by Everton at the end of the 2016–17 season.[40]
Koné signed a two-year contract with TurkishSüper Lig clubSivasspor on 4 July 2017.[41] He made his first appearance for the team on 12 August againstAkhisarspor, who were defeated 1–0 in the first matchday.[42] He scored his first goal for the team againstYeni Malatyaspor, who they faced in the second round of the league on 19 August; a match they won 2–0.[43] On 5 November 2017, he scored two goals againstKonyaspor, securing a 2–1 win for his team.[44] Koné scored 13 goals in the 2017–18 season,[45] and scored another 11 goals in the 2018–19 season, becoming the team's top scorer.[46]
In July 2022, Koné signed a contract with Belgian ninth tier clubVK Weerde.[47] After six months with the team the veteran attacker retired from the game.
Koné played for theMama Ouattara-ledIvory Coast under-20 team in the2003 FIFA World Youth Championship, where he starred alongside Lierse teammateAdolphe Tohoua. He scored three goals in the tournament – once againstMexico in a 2–1 win, and twice in the 2–2 draw against theRepublic of Ireland – in an eventualround-of-16 exit, and the officialFIFA website declared him to be a "crucial pivot for the attacking thrust" of the Ivorian team, and described him as a player possessing "physical strength, aerial ability and good ball control".[48]
Koné was also picked for the squad that appeared at the2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, a first-ever for theAfrican nation. He replacedAbdul Kader Keïta in the 77th minute of the first game, a 1–2 loss againstArgentina, and started in the other two – going scoreless in the process – as the national team did not make it to the knockout stages.[49][50][51]
After spending four years in the international wilderness due to injuries and loss of form, Koné was recalled to the Ivorian squad in 2012 and was named in the squad for the2013 African Cup of Nations due to his club form at Wigan, with bossRoberto Martínez commenting on his player's international return, "Arouna had a long period when he wasn't involved with the national team, and that was hard because he loves representing his country. When he is happy, we are happy, and I am very pleased he is back in the Ivory Coast squad."[52]
Koné is married and has two sons and three daughters.[53] He is aMuslim,[54] and his father died when he was nine years old.[54]
Koné attributes his peroxide blonde hair to formerbasketball playerDennis Rodman, and states that his footballing heroes were Liberian legendGeorge Weah and Brazilian superstarRonaldo.[54]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Rio Sport | 2001[55] | Ivorian Ligue 2 | 12 | 6 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 6 | ||||
| 2002[55] | Ivorian Ligue 1 | 18 | 11 | — | — | — | — | 18 | 11 | |||||
| Total | 30 | 17 | — | — | — | — | 30 | 17 | ||||||
| Lierse | 2002–03[55] | Belgian First Division | 32 | 11 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 34 | 11 | |||
| Roda JC | 2003–04[55] | Eredivisie | 28 | 11 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 28 | 11 | |||
| 2004–05[55] | 33 | 14 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 33 | 14 | |||||
| 2005–06[55] | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | |||||
| Total | 63 | 27 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 63 | 27 | |||||
| PSV | 2005–06[45] | Eredivisie | 21 | 11 | 3 | 0 | — | 2[c] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 11 | |
| 2006–07[45] | 31 | 10 | 4 | 3 | — | 9[c] | 2 | 1[d] | 0 | 45 | 15 | |||
| 2007–08[45] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 53 | 21 | 7 | 3 | — | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 72 | 26 | |||
| Sevilla | 2007–08[45] | La Liga | 21 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 3[c] | 1 | — | 25 | 2 | ||
| 2008–09[45] | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 6 | 0 | |||||
| 2009–10[45] | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 3[c] | 0 | — | 17 | 0 | ||||
| 2010–11[45] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 40 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 2 | |||
| Hannover 96 (loan) | 2009–10[45] | Bundesliga | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 8 | 2 | |||
| Levante (loan) | 2011–12[45] | La Liga | 34 | 15 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | 39 | 17 | |||
| Wigan Athletic | 2012–13[45] | Premier League | 35 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 38 | 13 | ||
| Everton | 2013–14[45] | Premier League | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15[45] | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4[e] | 0 | — | 16 | 1 | |||
| 2015–16[45] | 25 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 31 | 7 | ||||
| 2016–17[45] | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 8 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 47 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | 61 | 10 | |||
| Sivasspor | 2017–18[45] | Süper Lig | 33 | 13 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 33 | 13 | |||
| 2018–19 | 26 | 10 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 27 | 11 | |||||
| 2019–20 | 29 | 7 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 33 | 7 | |||||
| 2020–21 | 21 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 5[e] | 2 | — | 29 | 4 | ||||
| Total | 109 | 32 | 8 | 1 | — | 5 | 2 | — | 122 | 35 | ||||
| Career total | 450 | 143 | 34 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 26 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 513 | 162 | ||
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 12 November 2005 | Stade Léon-Bollée,Le Mans, France |  Romania | 1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 2. | 28 January 2006 | Cairo International Stadium,Cairo, Egypt |  Egypt | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2006 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 3. | 8 October 2006 | Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny,Abidjan, Ivory Coast |  Gabon | 2–0 | 5–0 | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 4. | 4–0 | |||||
| 5. | 5–0 | |||||
| 6. | 3 June 2007 | Stade Bouaké,Bouaké, Ivory Coast |  Madagascar | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2006 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 7. | 3–0 | |||||
| 8. | 21 November 2007 | Jassim bin Hamad Stadium,Doha, Qatar |  Qatar | 2–1 | 6–1 | Friendly |
| 9. | 6–1 |
PSV
Sevilla
Wigan Athletic
Sivasspor
Ivory Coast
Côte d'Ivoire squads | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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