Koné in training with Ivory Coast |
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Arouna Koné | ||
| Date of birth | 11 November 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Anyama, Côte d'Ivoire | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Levante (on loan from Sevilla) | ||
| Number | 2 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Rio Sport | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2001–2002 | Rio Sport | 30 | (17) |
| 2002–2003 | Lierse | 32 | (11) |
| 2003–2005 | Roda | 63 | (27) |
| 2005–2007 | PSV | 53 | (21) |
| 2007– | Sevilla | 40 | (1) |
| 2010 | → Hannover (loan) | 8 | (2) |
| 2011– | → Levante (loan) | 15 | (6) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2004– | Côte d'Ivoire | 35 | (9) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18 December 2011. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Arouna Koné (born 11 November 1983) is an Ivorian footballer who plays for Levante UD on loan from Sevilla FC in Spain, as a striker.
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Born in Anyama, Koné started his football career with Rio Sport d'Anyama, a club based in his hometown. The club's president, Amidou Sylla, is said to be the guidance behind making him the player he later became.[1]
In 2002–03, aged just 18, Koné signed for Lierse S.K. in Belgium, being the team's top scorer at it finished fifth. He moved to the neighbouring Netherlands in the following off-season and joined Roda JC, scoring in double digits in two consecutive Eredivisie seasons, including a career-best 15 in 2004–05.
Koné continued in Holland and joined national powerhouse PSV Eindhoven in the 2005 summer, netting 11 goals in his first season, and nine in the first part of the following, partnering well up front with Peruvian Jefferson Farfán. He also proved crucial in the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League, scoring a vital winner in the 2–1 away success against Galatasaray SK; his successful 2006 finished on a high note, as he was nominated for the Ivorian Football of the Year award, an accolade eventually won by Didier Drogba.
During the January 2007 transfer window, Koné was linked with a number of moves away from PSV, with the likes of Aston Villa[2] and FC Shakhtar Donetsk vying for his services.[3] In May, after several weeks sidelined due to injury, he picked his second consecutive national championship-winners medal
Koné endured a difficult start to PSV's 2007–08 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 with malaria at the end of July 2007,[4] 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 against Heracles Almelo on the 19th.[5] He also immediately returned to international duty.[6]
On 20 August 2007, rumours surfaced that scouts from Premier League side Middlesbrough had been observing Koné,[7] and that a £6 million bid for his services was being prepared. The following day, news surfaced that La Liga outfit and UEFA Cup holders Sevilla FC were locked in talks with PSV to secure his services, with negotiations apparently at an "advanced" stage.[8]
On 30 August 2007, Sevilla FC confirmed on its official website the signing of Koné for the next five years. The Spanish club reportedly paid the Philips outfit a fee of €12 million.[9] On 12 September, he was finally presented to the media, having been assigned the number 22 shirt. The delay from his signing to his unveiling led to rumours that there were problems with the Ivorian's health – in particular his heart. However, Koné was quick to dispel such talk, with the real reason being due to the death of Sevilla player Antonio Puerta a few days previously - the midfielder eventually died in hospital.
Koné spoke about his ambitions for his latest move, stating: "I know the team and I know that they have won many things in recent years, but I hope to be able to help them to win even more." At his unveiling, club president José María del Nido commented that Koné was 'one of the best attackers in the world' and with the Ivorian in their ranks, the Andalusians had the strongest side in the club's history.[10] He made his league debut on 16 September, as a second-half substitute for Frédéric Kanouté in a 4–1 win against Recreativo de Huelva. In the game, he won a penalty, but fellow striker Aleksandr Kerzhakov failed to convert;[11] following the game, he commented that he felt fellow African Kanouté was one of the "best forwards in the world" and looked forward to striking up an attacking partnership with him.[12]
On 25 September 2007, Koné opened his scoring account for Sevilla, helping the team come from behind 0–2 against RCD Espanyol to tie it 2–2, in an eventual 2–3 home loss.[13][14] On 2 October, he netted his first UEFA Champions League goal for the club in a 4–2 group stage win against SK Slavia Prague, after only ten minutes on the pitch.[15][16]
In April 2008 it was reported that Koné was to be shown the door at Sevilla in the summer of 2008, after a disappointing first season. His lack of playing time, partly due to the form of Luís Fabiano and Kanouté, and a bust-up 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. Additionally, a trip to Rome to supposedly visit a brother, fueled reports that he would be making the switch to Serie A when the summer transfer window begun.[17]
Koné was expected to be more important in 2008–09 for Sevilla following the departure of Kerzhakov to FC Dynamo Moscow, but suffered a serious injury while playing for Côte d'Ivoire against Guinea on 20 August 2008.[18] A scan showed he had suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury in his left leg, and he underwent surgery to repair the damage the following week,[19] returning to training in February 2009.[20]
Subsequently, Koné fell out of favour at Sevilla,[21] with fellow top-divisioner Real Zaragoza being a likely destination.[22][23] In December 2009, it was reported that Birmingham City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Hull City and Burnley had also joined the race.[24]
On 1 February 2010, Koné left Sevilla and joined Hannover 96 on loan until 30 June.[25] He scored on his Bundesliga debut, a 1–2 away loss against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
Koné only appeared once for Sevilla in 2010–11, one minute against Villarreal CF.[26] For the following season he was loaned to Levante UD, starting often and scoring his first goal of the campaign on 18 September 2011, in a famous 1–0 home win over Real Madrid.[27]
Koné played for the Mama Ouattara-led Côte d'Ivoire under-20 team in the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship, alongside Lierse teammate where he starred alongside Lierse team mate Adolphe Tohoua. He scored three goals in the tournament - once against Mexico in a 2–1 win, and twice in the 2–2 draw against the Republic of Ireland - in an eventual round-of-16 exit, and the official FIFA website declared him to be a "crucial pivot for the attacking thrust" of the Ivorian team.[28]
Koné made his debut for the full side in March 2004 against Tunisia. He was selected for the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations tournament, scoring once as the Elephants finished runners-up to hosts Egypt.
Koné was also picked for the squad that appeared at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, a first-ever for the African nation. He replaced Abdul Kader Keïta in the 77th minute of the first game, a 1–2 loss against Argentina, and started in the other two - going scoreless in the process - as the national team did not make it to the knockout stages.[29][30][31]
Koné was named in the Ivorian squad for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana, being a backup in an eventual fourth-place finish. On 8 October 2006, in the qualifying campaign, he scored a hat-trick in a 5–0 home win against Gabon.
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 8 October 2006 | Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire | Gabon | 5–0 | Win | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 2. | 8 October 2006 | Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire | Gabon | 5–0 | Win | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 3. | 8 October 2006 | Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire | Gabon | 5–0 | Win | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 4. | 3 June 2007 | Bouake, Côte d'Ivoire | Madagascar | 5–0 | Win | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 5. | 3 June 2007 | Bouake, Côte d'Ivoire | Madagascar | 5–0 | Win | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 6. | 21 November 2007 | Doha, Qatar | Qatar | 6–1 | Win | Friendly |
| 7. | 21 November 2007 | Doha, Qatar | Qatar | 6–1 | Win | Friendly |
| Season | Club | Country | Competition | Matches | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–03 | Lierse | Belgium | Belgian Pro League | 32 | 11 |
| 2003–04 | Roda | Netherlands | Eredivisie | 28 | 11 |
| 2004–05 | Roda | Netherlands | Eredivisie | 33 | 15 |
| 2005–06 | Roda | Netherlands | Eredivisie | 2 | 2 |
| 2005–06 | PSV | Netherlands | Eredivisie | 21 | 11 |
| 2006–07 | PSV | Netherlands | Eredivisie | 31 | 10 |
| 2007–08 | PSV | Netherlands | Eredivisie | 1 | 0 |
| 2007–08 | Sevilla | Spain | La Liga | 21 | 1 |
| 2008–09 | Sevilla | Spain | La Liga | 6 | 0 |
| 2009–10 | Sevilla | Spain | La Liga | 13 | 0 |
| 2010 | Hannover | Germany | Bundesliga | 8 | 2 |
| 2010–11 | Sevilla | Spain | La Liga | 1 | 0 |
| 2011–12 | Levante | Spain | La Liga | 9 | 3 |
| 2002–11 | Totals | 206 | 66 | ||
Koné is a practising muslim. He prays five times a day, and also wears the traditional West African Islamic dress, the Boubou, on holidays and on Fridays – the Islamic day of public worship.
On 21 August 2007, Koné became a father after his wife gave birth to the couple's first child – a boy named Amidou. He stated that both mother and child were doing well and that he was absolutely delighted.[32]
Koné's older brother, Bakari, is also a footballer and a forward. He played several years in France and also represented the Ivorian national team. A younger sibling, Karamoko, played youth football for Roda.
Koné also sends a portion of his wages to his mother and family in his country. Speaking of his success in football and his support of his family, he is quoted as saying: "In Africa the solidarity for your family is very large. My father died when I was nine years old. My mother and my family have spent many years with difficulty. I am glad that I am now able support them."
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