 Kalou playing forFeyenoord in 2002 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Bonaventure Kalou[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1978-01-12)12 January 1978 (age 48) | ||
| Place of birth | Oumé, Ivory Coast | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1996–1997 | ASEC Mimosas | 35 | (6) |
| 1997–2003 | Feyenoord | 149 | (35) |
| 2003–2005 | Auxerre | 63 | (19) |
| 2005–2007 | Paris Saint-Germain | 55 | (11) |
| 2007 | Lens | 4 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | Al-Jazira Club | ||
| 2008–2010 | Heerenveen | 23 | (2) |
| Total | 329 | (73) | |
| International career | |||
| 1998–2006 | Ivory Coast[2] | 51 | (12) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Bonaventure Kalou (born 12 January 1978) is an Ivorian former professionalfootballer who played as anattacking midfielder. He serves as elected mayor ofVavoua.[3]
Born inOumé, Kalou started playing forASEC Mimosas in his home country, before moving to Dutch-basedFeyenoord. He played inRotterdam for six seasons as a first team regular. He mainly played as a winger, but also played as a striker when necessary. Meanwhile, his brother,Salomon, who came to visit him, impressed the Feyenoord staff and was signed as a youth player.
When Bonaventure decided to leave Feyenoord and try his luck in another European competition, the Ligue 1, atAJ Auxerre, Salomon was sent to Feyenoord's partnerExcelsior on loan, before taking over his brother's role. Bonaventure played two seasons at Auxerre, where he developed further as a striker and an attackingmidfielder as opposed to a winger. However, he still managed to score a similar number of goals compared to previous seasons. It was in this period that he talked to his brother, who still played at Feyenoord, into acquiring Dutch citizenship, which eventually was rejected by Dutch Immigration MinisterRita Verdonk. While at Auxerre, Kalou scored the winning goal in injury time in the2005 Coupe de France final as they defeated his future clubParis Saint-Germain.[4]
In 2005–06, he was transferred to Auxerre'sLigue 1 rivals Paris Saint-Germain. He scored one of PSG's goals as they won the2006 Coupe de France Final; the second consecutive season he had scored in the final.[5] PSG started to become a relegation-threatened team and he soon signed for another French team,RC Lens. The future looked bright for them, but they were surprisingly relegated at the end of the season. Kalou returned to the Netherlands in 2008 withSC Heerenveen, with whom he won theDutch Cup in 2009. Heerenveen beatFC Twente in the final, and Kalou scored a goal. In the end of 2009, he was on trial atCrystal Palace andLe Mans, but both trials were unsuccessful. In February 2011, Kalou announced his retirement from professional football. He joined French lower league amateur club Combs-la-Ville for the 2011–12 campaign.
Kalou played in the1997 FIFA World Youth Championship, and was also in the squad for the2006 FIFA World Cup for theIvory Coast. He scored the winning goal in their final match, againstSerbia and Montenegro.[6]
In 2018 Kalou successfully ran as anindependent candidate for Mayor ofVavoua.[3]
His younger brother,Salomon, also played forFeyenoord. In the build-up to the2006 FIFA World Cup, there was speculation that the brothers could have become the first to play against each other in aWorld Cup match, as Salomon was attempting to gain fast-track Dutch citizenship. This did not happen and ultimately Salomon would also play for theIvory Coast, though not until after the World Cup.
Kalou was formerly a Catholic, but toldLa Croix in 2017 that he had become an Evangelical Christian.[7]
He holds both Ivorian and Dutch nationalities.[8]
Feyenoord[9]
Auxerre[9]
Paris Saint-Germain[9]
Heerenveen[9]
Ivory Coast
Individual
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