| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Trésor Osmar Kandol[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 30 August 1981 [2] | ||
| Place of birth | Banga, Zaire | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[3] | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1998–2001 | Luton Town | 21 | (3) |
| 2001 | Cambridge United | 4 | (0) |
| 2001–2002 | Bournemouth | 12 | (0) |
| 2002–2005 | Thurrock | 83 | (59) |
| 2005–2006 | Dagenham & Redbridge | 12 | (6) |
| 2005–2006 | → Darlington (loan) | 7 | (2) |
| 2006–2007 | Barnet | 29 | (10) |
| 2006–2007 | → Leeds United (loan) | 9 | (1) |
| 2007–2010 | Leeds United | 59 | (13) |
| 2008–2009 | → Millwall (loan) | 18 | (8) |
| 2009 | → Charlton Athletic (loan) | 13 | (2) |
| 2010–2011 | Albacete | 0 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2008 | DR Congo | 1 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16:18, 4 August 2011 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). |
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Trésor Osmar Kandol (born 30 August 1981 in Banga, Zaire) is a Congolese international footballer. He is currently a free agent after being released by Spanish second division club Albacete. Before playing for Albacete he played for Barnet, Chesham United, Darlington, Dagenham & Redbridge, Thurrock, Bournemouth, Cambridge United, Luton Town and Leeds United in England. He usually celebrates his goals with a somersault, like his cousin Lomano Tresor LuaLua. Kandol became known as Kandola in Spain.[4]
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Kandol started his career at Luton Town before having spells at Cambridge United and Bournemouth, where he scored once in the LDV Vans Trophy against future club Barnet.[5] He then dropped to non league football and became highly prolific goalscorer at Thurrock, his goals got him noticed back at a higher level of football and he joined Dagenham & Redbridge in the conference and subsequently had a successful loan spell back in league football at Darlington.
On 18 November 2006, Kandol scored an injury time winner against Rochdale at Underhill to complete his hat-trick that also saw the Bees win their third consecutive league game. Whilst at Barnet in 2006, Kandol was sent to prison for 13 weeks for a series of driving offences.[6]
After scoring 13 goals from 17 games for Barnet at the start of the 2006–07 season, Kandol joined Championship club Leeds United in a two-month loan deal on 23 November 2006.[7] He made his debut two days later as a substitute replacing Robbie Blake in the 2–1 victory over Plymouth Argyle.[8] When the January 2007 transfer window opened, his move to Elland Road was made permanent for an initial fee of £200,000.[9] After Leeds were relegated to the third tier of English football for the first time in their history, Kandol scored a last-minute winner against Tranmere Rovers in the opening game of the 2007–08 League One season.[10] He formed a successful strike partnership with Jermaine Beckford in the first half of the season,[11] but loss of form and the arrival of Dougie Freedman meant Kandol lost his place in the starting eleven, as Leeds went on to reach the playoffs.[12] He was a second-half substitute as Leeds lost 1–0 in the final against Doncaster Rovers.[13]
Leeds signed forwards Luciano Becchio and Enoch Showunmi during the 2008 close season, and Kandol was allowed to join Millwall on loan until January 2009.[14] He opened the scoring just 13 seconds into his "Lions" debut, but his new club lost 4–3 at Oldham Athletic.[15] In September, he was sent off in the last few seconds for a bad tackle on Leicester City's Michael Morrison,[16] then marked his return from the resultant three-match ban by scoring twice in the first 12 minutes against Tranmere Rovers.[17] After his loan expired, he went straight back out on loan again, joining Championship side Charlton Athletic on 30 January 2009 until the end of the season.[18] His first and only goals for the club came in a losing cause against Watford.[19]
Before the 2009–10 season, Kandol was told he had no future at Leeds, but after playing well for the reserve team – he scored a hat-trick in a 6–1 defeat of Scunthorpe United's reserves – and when given an opportunity in the Football League Trophy, he returned to the league team in place of the injured Becchio against Norwich City on 19 October.[20][21] Two weeks later, he came on as a late substitute to score the last of Leeds' four goals against Yeovil Town but was charged with violent conduct in an incident after the final whistle and received a three-match ban.[22] His season was interrupted by injury, and he made infrequent appearances from the bench[20] until what proved his last game for the club, a 1–0 defeat at Norwich City. Only 20 seconds after entering the game as a late substitute, he took hold of opponent Darel Russell by the throat, was sent off and received a four-match ban.[23] Kandol was initially made available on a free transfer, then, on 4 August 2010, the remaining year of his contract was cancelled.[24][1]
After becoming a free agent and able to sign for a club outside the transfer window on 5 September Kandol signed for Spanish second division side Albacete. However, his spell in Spain was short lived and he was released in November 2010 after the club President described him as a "bad operation".
In August 2011, Kandol held talks with League 2 side Plymouth Argyle about joining the club. However, after seemingly agreeing terms on a one year contract he failed to turn up to training as arranged on 4 August and a scheduled press conference. As of 5 August 2011, Plymouth Argyle manager Peter Reid are unsure of Kandol's whereabouts and whether the deal will be signed. In interview, Reid was understandably frustrated and stated that the club had sent a car to the railway station to collect Kandol, but he was "a no show". [25]
Kandol won his first cap for the Congo DR national team in 2008.[26][27][28]
Kandol was born in Banga.[29] His cousins, Lomana LuaLua and Kazenga LuaLua have also played professional football.[30] He celebrates scoring a goal by performing a backflip.[30]