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Frédéric Kanouté

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Frédéric Kanouté
Image
Kanouté in 2008
Personal information
Full name Frédéric Oumar Kanouté
Date of birth (1977-09-02) 2 September 1977 (age 49)
Place of birth Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon, France
Height 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)[1]
Position Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–2000 Lyon 40 (9)
2000 → West Ham United (loan) 8 (2)
2000–2003 West Ham United 76 (27)
2003–2005 Tottenham Hotspur 60 (14)
2005–2012 Sevilla 209 (89)
2012–2013 Beijing Guoan 34 (10)
Total 427 (151)
International career
1998–1999 France U21 11 (1)
2004–2010 Mali 38 (23)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Frédéric Oumar "Freddie" Kanouté (born 2 September 1977) is a former professional footballer who played as a striker for several top-tier clubs in Europe, enjoying his greatest success with La Liga side Sevilla. Kanouté was named the 2007 African Footballer of the Year, the first player born outside Africa to win the award.

Kanouté began his career with Lyon in France before moving to West Ham United of the Premier League in 2000. After a spell at their London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Kanouté moved to Spanish club Sevilla in 2005, where he won two consecutive UEFA Cups in 2006 and 2007, in addition to the Copa del Rey twice and remains the club's highest-scoring foreign player, with 137 goals in 290 matches. After seven seasons there, he joined Chinese club Beijing Guoan in June 2012, spending one season there, before retiring from professional football in 2013.

Born in France, Kanouté represented them at under-21 level, before switching to represent Mali, playing at the 2004 African Cup of Nations, where he was joint top-scorer. He also featured at the 2006 and 2010 tournaments. His international career ended in 2010 with a total of 38 caps and 23 goals.

Early life

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Frédéric Oumar Kanouté[2] was born on 2 September 1977[3] in Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon, Rhône.[2]

Club career

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Lyon

[edit]

Kanouté's talents as a striker were first noticed by his local team, Olympique Lyonnais, and he joined them as an apprentice in 1997. He made his debut in the Intertoto Cup against Polish side Odra Wodzisław.[citation needed]

West Ham United

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In March 2000, Kanouté was signed by English Premier League side West Ham United from Olympique Lyonnais on an initial loan basis.[4] After nine first-team appearances in which he scored two goals, he signed permanently in May 2000 on a four-year contract for a reported fee of £4 million.[5] Kanouté made 84 league appearances for West Ham, scoring 29 goals.[6] The club were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2002–03 season.[7]

Tottenham Hotspur

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Kanouté was bought by Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of £3.5 million on 5 August 2003.[8] He scored on his debut on 23 August, the winner in a 2-1 home league victory over Leeds United, nine minutes after coming on for Bobby Zamora.[9]

His first season was interrupted by a call-up for the 2004 African Cup of Nations for Mali. Tottenham tried to stop him going by asking FIFA whether Kanouté was eligible to play for Mali after representing France at Under-20 level.[10]

Kanouté was unable to cement himself as a regular at White Hart Lane, as Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe were preferred. He became a less prolific goalscorer and instead was involved in attacks by setting up various goals with runs at the defence and creating space for other attacking players.[citation needed]

Sevilla

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Image
Kanouté playing for Sevilla in 2011

Kanouté was sold to Sevilla on 17 August 2005 for €6.5 million.[11] He was a second-half substitute for the club in the 2006 UEFA Cup Final against Middlesbrough and scored in the 89th minute as Sevilla won 4–0.[12]

In the 2006-07 UEFA Cup, Kanouté's first games for Sevilla against Tottenham Hotspur led to him scoring a penalty at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium in a game marred by crowd trouble, and a goal at White Hart Lane, leaving the final aggregate score 4–3 to Sevilla.[citation needed]

Sevilla's title challenge that year ultimately unravelled and Real Madrid took the title, with Kanouté's side in third.[13] After that, he was a consistent member of the team, helping Sevilla qualify for a UEFA Cup position in 2008 and a Champions League direct qualification in 2009.[citation needed]

On the first day of the 2009–10 season, Kanouté received two yellow cards for fouls against Valencia and was sent off in first half stoppage time.[citation needed]

On 22 October 2011, during the 2011–12 season, Kanouté received two yellow cards against FC Barcelona for kicking the ball off the penalty spot, when Lionel Messi was due to take it. The second yellow was for an altercation between Kanouté and Cesc Fàbregas.[14] Kanouté's farewell season in Spain was plagued with injuries as he participated in 26 matches, scoring four goals and assisting two others – he left at the end of his contract in the summer of 2012.[15] Kanoute became an iconic figure at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, netting 136 goals in 290 matches as helped the club to win two UEFA Cups, one UEFA Super Cup, two Copa del Rey trophies and one Spanish Supercup.[15]

Beijing Guoan

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On 29 June 2012, Kanouté signed a one-and-a-half-year contract with Chinese Super League side Beijing Guoan.[15][16] On 18 July 2012, he scored his first two goals in his team's 6–0 victory against Qingdao Jonoon in the Chinese FA Cup. In May 2013, Kanouté scored a brace in a Super League fixture against Tianjin Teda.[citation needed]

International career

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Kanouté made 11 appearances for the France national under-21 team, scoring one goal, from 1998 to 1999.[17] After turning 21 in 1998, Kanouté was not called up for the France national team in 2000, 2002, or 2004. In 2004, FIFA changed its rules to allow a footballer to play for the national team of the country in which his mother or father was born. Although eligible for either, Kanouté elected to play for Mali rather than for France. Kanouté was joint top goal scorer for Mali at the 2004 African Cup of Nations. Kanouté scored four goals in four matches helping Mali to the semi-finals, where they lost to Morocco.[citation needed]

In October 2007, Kanouté, along with Mali international teammate Mamady Sidibé, were attacked by irate Togolese fans after they knocked Togo out of the African Cup of Nations qualifier.[18] Frederic Kanoute announced his retirement from international football following Mali's elimination from the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.[19]

Style of play

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In 2001, Kanouté was described by The Irish Times in 2001 as "highly skilful, quick-footed, quick-witted and with an eye for the spectacular."[20] Upon signing for Sevilla in 2005, the club's sporting director, Monchi, described Kanouté with the following words: "He's tall, good in the air, skilful and strong and can play up front or just behind the lead striker."[21] Throughout his career he was also known for his eye for goal.[22] In 2020, Chris Howie of beIN Sports described Kanouté as a "tall, languid, graceful [...] striker," also labelling him a "late bloomer."[23]

Personal life

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He has been practicing Islam since he was around the age of 20. He refused to wear a Sevilla shirt bearing the name of club sponsor 888.com, due to the fact the website is used for gambling, which is against the principles of Islam; this meant that the club had to give him a brand-free jersey every match. The company, however, agreed to excuse him from their publicity campaigns in return for Kanouté wearing the sponsored kit, which was part of the players' contractual duties. In 2007, Kanouté paid more than US$700,000 out of his pocket to buy a mosque in Seville. The contract on the premises had expired and the mosque was due to be sold. The Islamic community of Spain confirmed it had requested Kanouté's aid after the mosque was put up for sale.[24] Kanouté helped raise over $1m in a crowdfunding campaign to build the mosque.[25]

Kanouté insists his faith has never presented itself as a problem in his relationship with the coaching staff, teammates or fans. He has stated that "Islam has helped me to be this way, so this is normal. It's a path you take to keep you calm, to help you think about the place you live in, to love your neighbour. It's strange when I hear about all these problems of terrorism because it's the opposite of what I understood for Islam."[26]

He observes fasting during the Islamic month of Ramadan. He has stated that "I can keep fasting in Ramadan even when I am playing...it is sometimes harder to keep the fast because here in the south of Spain it is very hot, but I can do it, thank God."[27]

After scoring a goal in a January 2009 Copa Del Rey match against Deportivo La Coruña, Kanouté lifted his jersey and displayed a black shirt underneath emblazoned with the word "Palestine". The action was interpreted by BBC sources[28] as a protest against the Israeli Army operation in the Gaza Strip ongoing at that time. Kanouté was cautioned with a yellow card for displaying a political message, and subsequently fined around $4,000 by the league.[28]

The Kanouté Foundation

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Kanouté has also showed interest in a variety of humanitarian causes. In 2006, he launched an appeal to establish a "Children's Village" in Mali.[29] This is now the well established Sakina Children's Village. Kanouté talks about his Foundation and the Village in the book, How to do good: Essays in Building a Better World, published in December 2016.[30] He also took part in a speaker tour inspired by the book in 2017, speaking in Oslo, Stockholm, Paris and London alongside other humanitarians and philanthropists.[31][32]

Career statistics

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Club

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Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Lyon 1997–98 French Division 1 1861000102–298
1998–99 9200003[c]1–123
1999–2000 13100205[d]0–201
Total 4091020183–6112
West Ham United (loan) 1999–2000 Premier League 820000––82
West Ham United 2000–01 Premier League 32114330––3914
2001–02 27111100––2812
2002–03 1750000––175
Total 84295430––9233
Tottenham Hotspur 2003–04 Premier League 2771332––3112
2004–05 3275042––419
2005–06 10––––10
Total 60146374––7321
Sevilla 2005–06 La Liga 32622–11[c]6–4514
2006–07 322154–10[c]41[e]14830
2007–08 301611–9[f]62[g]34226
2008–09 341863–2[c]2–4223
2009–10 271251–7[f]2–3915
2010–11 281251–9[h]61[i]24321
2011–12 26433–2[j]1–318
Total 209892715–502746290137
Beijing Guoan 2012 Chinese Super League 10122–00–123
2013 24930–7[k]1–3410
Total 341052–71–4613
Career total 4271514424124753146602216
  1. ↑ Includes Coupe de France, FA Cup, Copa del Rey, Chinese FA Cup
  2. ↑ Includes Coupe de la Ligue, Football League Cup
  3. 1 2 3 4 Appearances in UEFA Cup
  4. ↑ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, three appearances in UEFA Cup
  5. ↑ Appearance in UEFA Super Cup
  6. 1 2 Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  7. ↑ One appearance in UEFA Super Cup, one appearance in Supercopa de España
  8. ↑ Two appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League, seven appearances and five goals in UEFA Europa League
  9. ↑ Appearance in Supercopa de España
  10. ↑ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  11. ↑ Appearances in AFC Champions League

International

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Appearances and goals by national team and year[33]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Mali 2004117
200530
200632
200732
200896
200964
201032
Total 3823
Scores and results list Mali's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kanouté goal.
List of international goals scored by Frédéric Kanouté
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1 26 January 2004 15 October Stadium, Bizerte, Tunisia Image Kenya 2–1 3–1 2004 Africa Cup of Nations [34]
2 3–1
3 30 January 2004 El Menzah Stadium, Tunis, Tunisia Image Burkina Faso 1–0 3–1 2004 Africa Cup of Nations [35]
4 7 February 2004 El Menzah Stadium, Tunis, Tunisia Image Guinea 1–1 2–1 2004 Africa Cup of Nations [36]
5 19 June 2004 Stade du 26 Mars, Bamako, Mali Image Zambia 1–1 1–1 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification [37]
6 18 October 2004 Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes, France Image DR Congo 3–0 3–0 Friendly [38]
7 5 September 2004 Stade du 26 Mars, Bamako, Mali Image Senegal 2–1 2–2 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification [39]
8 28 May 2006 Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes, France Image Morocco 1–0 1–0 Friendly [40]
9 16 August 2006 Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne, France Image Tunisia 1–0 1–0 Friendly [41]
10 25 March 2007 Stade du 26 Mars, Bamako, Mali Image Benin 1–1 1–1 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification [42]
11 12 October 2007 Stade de Kégué, Lomé, Togo Image Togo 1–0 2–0 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification [43]
12 21 January 2008 Sekondi-Takoradi Stadium, Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana Image Benin 1–0 1–0 2008 Africa Cup of Nations [44]
13 7 June 2008 Stade Omnisports Idriss Mahamat Ouya, N'Djamena, Chad Image Chad 1–0 2–1 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification [45]
14 2–0
15 14 June 2008 Khartoum Stadium, Khartoum, Sudan Image Sudan 1–1 2–3 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification [46]
16 2–3
17 22 June 2008 Stade du 26 Mars, Bamako, Mali Image Sudan 1–0 3–0 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification [47]
18 11 February 2009 Bois-Guillaume, France Image Angola 3–0 4–0 Friendly [48]
19 28 March 2009 Al-Merrikh Stadium, Omdurman, Sudan Image Sudan 1–0 1–1 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification [49]
20 21 June 2009 Stade du 26 Mars, Bamako, Mali Image Benin 3–1 3–1 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification [50]
21 11 October 2009 Stade du 26 Mars, Bamako, Mali Image Sudan 1–0 1–0 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification [51]
22 10 January 2010 Estádio 11 de Novembro, Talatona. Angola Image Angola 2–4 4–4 2010 Africa Cup of Nations [52]
23 18 January 2010 Estádio Nacional do Chiazi, Cabinda, Angola Image Malawi 1–0 3–1 2010 Africa Cup of Nations [53]

Honours

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Lyon

Sevilla[15]

Individual

References

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  1. ↑ "Frederic Kanoute: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Frédéric Kanouté". L'Équipe (in French). Paris. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  3. ↑ "Frederic Kanouté: Overview". ESPN. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  4. ↑ Thorpe, Martin (23 March 2000). "Cole strikes gold on £20,000 a week". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  5. ↑ "BBC News | FA CARLING PREMIERSHIP | Hammers wrap up Kanoute deal". newsimg.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  6. ↑ "Frederic Kanoute | Football Stats | Beijing Guo'an | Age 48 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  7. ↑ "West Ham relegated". 11 May 2003. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  8. ↑ Johnson, William (5 August 2003). "All clear for Kanoute as Tottenham wrap up deal". The Daily Telegraph. London.
  9. ↑ "Kanoute grabs Spurs winner". BBC News. 23 August 2003.
  10. ↑ Clissitt, Ben (5 April 2007). "Where did it all go right for Fredi Kanouté?". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  11. ↑ "Sevilla beckons for striker Kanouté". UEFA. 17 August 2005. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  12. ↑ "Middlesbrough 0-4 Sevilla". 10 May 2006. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  13. ↑ Henderson, Charlie (16 May 2007). "Espanyol 2-2 Sevilla - Sevilla win 3-1 on penalties". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 May 2007.
  14. ↑ Frederic Kanoute Claims Barcelona Star Cesc Fabregas Called Him a Terrorist (Video) CaughtOffside.com, 23 October 2011
  15. 1 2 3 4 "Kanoute leaves Sevilla for Beijing Guoan". Goal. 30 June 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  16. ↑ "北京国安足球俱乐部与卡努特正式签约 (Beijing Guoan Football Club and Kanouté formally signed)" (in Chinese). Tagesspiegel. 26 June 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  17. ↑ "Frédéric Kanouté" (in French). French Football Federation. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  18. ↑ "Caf to discuss Togo attacks" BBC Sport, 15 October 2007; Retrieved 15 October 2007
  19. ↑ "Kanoute retires after Mali exit" BBC Sport, 21 February 2010
  20. ↑ "Kanoute always happy to go against the tide". The Irish Times. 27 January 2001. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  21. ↑ "Tottenham's Kanoute joins Sevilla". CNN.com. 17 August 2005. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  22. ↑ "La Spagna fa l'en plein" (in Italian). UEFA. 3 October 2008. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  23. ↑ Howie, Chris (9 April 2020). "One of a Kind – Frederic Kanoute". beIN SPORTS. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  24. ↑ Minshull, Phil (12 December 2007). "Devout worshipper". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 December 2007.
  25. ↑ "Former footballer helps raise $1m for construction of mosque in Seville". SalamWebToday. 21 May 2020. Archived from the original on 23 September 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  26. ↑ Din, Tusdiq (23 August 2011). "Fasting and football. How do top-flight Muslims cope?". The Independent. London. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  27. ↑ Din, Tusdiq (24 August 2009). "Exclusive: I Can Keep Fasting In Ramadan Even When I Am Playing – Fredi Kanoute". Goal.com. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  28. 1 2 "Kanoute faces T-shirt fine". BBC Sport. 8 January 2009. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
  29. ↑ Kanouté the footballer and the man Archived 8 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine Frédéric Oumar Kanouté Official Website
  30. ↑ Philanthropy Age (2016). How to do Good: Essays on Building a Better World. London Wall Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9932917-9-1.
  31. ↑ Doyle, Paul (28 March 2017). "Fredi Kanouté: 'Muslims should not have to prove they are not terrorists before talking'". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  32. ↑ "How to do good: Building a better world". www.howtodogood.global. Archived from the original on 8 July 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  33. ↑ "Frédéric Kanouté". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  34. ↑ "Kenya vs. Mali". National Football Teams. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  35. ↑ "Burkina Faso vs. Mali". National Football Teams. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  36. ↑ "Mali vs. Guinea". National Football Teams. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  37. ↑ "Mali vs. Zambia". National Football Teams. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  38. ↑ "Mali vs. DR Congo". National Football Teams. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  39. ↑ "Mali vs. Senegal". National Football Teams. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  40. ↑ "Morocco vs. Mali". National Football Teams. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  41. ↑ "Tunisia vs. Mali". National Football Teams. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  42. ↑ "Mali vs. Benin". National Football Teams. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  43. ↑ "Togo vs. Mali". National Football Teams. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  44. ↑ "Benin vs. Mali". National Football Teams. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  45. ↑ "Chad vs. Mali". National Football Teams. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  46. ↑ "Sudan vs. Mali". National Football Teams. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  47. ↑ "Mali vs. Sudan". National Football Teams. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  48. ↑ "Angola vs. Mali". National Football Teams. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  49. ↑ "Sudan vs. Mali". National Football Teams. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  50. ↑ "Mali vs. Benin". National Football Teams. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  51. ↑ "Mali vs. Sudan". National Football Teams. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  52. ↑ "Angola vs. Mali". National Football Teams. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  53. ↑ "Mali vs. Malawi". National Football Teams. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  54. ↑ "Lyon 3-2 Montpellier (Aggregate: 4 - 2)". UEFA. Archived from the original on 1 August 2004. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  55. ↑ "Beijing Guoan sign Kanoute". ESPN. 30 June 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  56. ↑ "AFCON 2004: CAF Team of the Tournament". www1.rfi.fr. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  57. ↑ Kanoute named Africa's best
  58. ↑ Furious Drogba Slams CAF Over Kanoute Award And Pulls Out
  59. ↑ Stokkermans, Karel (14 March 2007). "ESM XI". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 15 March 2007.
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