Bobo Balde
Encyclopedia
Dianbobo "Bobo" Baldé is a Guinean footballer who currently plays for AC Arles-Avignon. He has previously played for Mulhouse
, AS Cannes
, Toulouse
, Celtic
and Valenciennes
Balde was also a Guinean international and has represented them 44 times scoring once. Big Bobo hates the huns!!!
, where he stayed until 1997 but could not make the first-team breakthrough, so he had to leave his hometown club to join second division outfit FC Mulhouse
for the 1997–98 season, staying only that year. When Mulhouse were relegated he joined AS Cannes
on loan in 1998 where he had little success, in the league making 29 appearances and scoring 4 goals. He left Marseille, moving to Toulouse
, whom he helped to promotion during the 1999–00 season. In total he made 52 appearances for Toulouse, scoring one goal.
He made his debut on 8 September in a 3–1 win at home to Dunfermline Athletic
. 4 SPL games later he scored his first Celtic goal on 20 October 2001 against Dundee United
at Celtic Park
. In that entire season Baldé scored a total of 6 goals including one in the Scottish Cup
final against Rangers
when he rose above Lorenzo Amoruso
to score from a Neil Lennon
free kick from six yards, on the 50th minute. Celtic lost that game 3–2. Balde also scored in the League Cup semi-final defeat to Rangers.
Baldé scored his first goal of the 2002–03 season
on 1 September 2002 against Livingston
. He was booked in the first Old Firm
game of the season which ended 3–3 but at the end of the season Baldé was subsequently voted the Celtic Player of The Year
for 2003 by the Celtic fans in which 40,000 Celtic
fans voted. He was the inaugural winner of that award. In his acceptance speech he paid tribute to his team mates and manager Martin O'Neill
. Speaking just after winning the award, Baldé said "It means a lot to win this award. Its good to know the fans are behind you and they are happy with what you do for them". He also won the Player of The Month Award for April. He played in 12 of Celtic's 13 UEFA Cup
games in that season, where Celtic got to the final. In the final they played against FC Porto at the Olympic Stadium in Seville
. During the final, Baldé was sent off in the 95th minute after picking up his second booking. Celtic lost that final 3–2 with Henrik Larsson
getting both of Celtic's goals.
In the 2003–04 season
, Baldé's first goal came against Dundee
in the fifth SPL game of the season. In the next game, he received a red card in the 70th minute. Throughout that season received seven yellow cards and one red card. He scored two goals that season, both against Dundee
. At the end of the season, Baldé added a League Championship and a Scottish Cup medal to his collection.
A Dundee
fan was convicted of racially abusing Baldé during a match at Dens Park
in March 2004. Business man, Russell Smith, was banned for life from Kilmarnock’s
home ground Rugby Park
after shouting racial abuse at Baldé from the directors box in October 2004, while Motherwell
supporters had targeted Baldé in October 2001.
Baldé started the 2004–05 season
one yellow card in the first six games of the season (all competitions) and a goal in the 38th minute in the 8–1 defeat of Falkirk
in the first League Cup game of the season. Within his first ten games of the season, he had received two yellow cards. In Europe, Celtic lost the first three games of the season. His next achievement that season was scoring 2 goals in a 3–0 win at home to Dundee on 2 March 2005. At the end of that season he added a Scottish Cup
medal to his tally after Celtic beat Dundee United
1–0 in the final.
His fifth season
and first season under new manager Gordon Strachan
started with a red card in a pre-season match against Leicester City
, for a challenge on 17 year old James Wesolowski
described as "..was disgraceful, it was disgusting, it was malicious and it was intentional" by then Leicester manager Craig Levein
.
Balde scored a header from a Shunsuke Nakamura
cross in Celtic's 3-0 win over Rangers
in November 2005.
In the first game Celtic lost 5–0 to Artmedia Bratislava in a Champions League
qualifier with Baldé getting booked. In the second leg Celtic won 4–0 and went out on aggregate. Baldé got booked in both legs of the tie. He received seven yellow cards and scored one goal in that season and won the League Cup and the Scottish Premier League, before taking time out to recover from his abdominal injury.
Baldé missed the start of the 2006–07 season
after discovering he required surgery for a persistent stomach muscle problem. He returned to the first team in November, only to suffer a broken leg in a match on Boxing Day
. The Guinea international was carried off in the first half during the 2–2 draw with Dundee United. He would be ruled out for several months.
In July 2007, before the start of the new season
, Roy Keane
, manager of Sunderland, showed interest in Baldé. Keane was reported to have made a £1.5m offer for his former Celtic team-mate. "I love the club, I am very settled in Glasgow and I would be happy to fulfil my current contract", said Baldé.
In October 2007, Baldé expressed a desire to leave Celtic stating "I don't want to be at a club where I am not wanted, but I want to make clear it is rubbish to say I am just taking the money... I have been told that I am not in the top two defenders and that I am down to sixth on the list. The manager and Peter (Lawwell, Chief Executive) told me this"
Baldé made his first start of the 2007/08 season on 26 December 2007 exactly a year after his last appearance, in a 2–0 away win to Dundee United
. His presence also helped Celtic
to their first away clean sheet in almost 15 months. He was awarded Man Of The Match.
Baldé was on the bench against Rangers on 29 March 2008, the first time since Christmas he had been selected after recovering from the injury he sustained at the Africa Cup of Nations. He then started a few days later replacing the suspended Gary Caldwell
to make his first appearance since December 2007, with a man of the match performance in the 1–0 win over Aberdeen in the SPL
, Georgios Samaras
scored the only goal of the game.
At the start of the 2008–09 season it was announced that Baldé would be allowed to leave Celtic on a free transfer provided that he could find a club that would meet his salary demands.
In the pre-season matches before the 2008–09 season Baldé played in the matches playing the last 13 minutes against Southampton
, the last 30 minutes against Middlesbrough
in the Algarve Challenge Cup. He made his first full appearance in Celtic's second Algarve Challenge Cup match against Cardiff City
which was the first meeting of the two teams in 81 years. He also took part in Celtic's 1–0 pre-season friendly win over Porto in which he played the last 22 minutes. During his time at Celtic he won five League Titles
, three Scottish Cup
s and two Scottish League Cup
s and was part of the Celtic squad which reached the 2003 UEFA Cup Final
.
Looking back on his Celtic career he said, "Celtic was a great adventure for me in my career. We reached the UEFA Cup Final, were league champions five times and won several Scottish and League Cups, There were a lot of great matches in the Champions League and I'm very happy with the experience I had at such a fantastic club and stadium." .
for the 2002 African Cup of Nations. He was also part of their 2004 Cup of nations team, who finished second in their group in the first round of competition, before losing in the quarter-finals to Mali
, and was a regular in 2006 FIFA World Cup
qualifying. With Baldé on board, Guinea have also made it to the last eight in the 2004
, 2006
and 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.
Celtic:
FC Mulhouse
Football Club de Mulhouse is a French association football club based in Mulhouse. The club was founded in 1893 and currently play in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth level of French football. Mulhouse plays its home matches at the Stade de l'Ill located within the city...
, AS Cannes
AS Cannes
Association Sportive de Cannes Football is a French association football club based in Cannes. The club was formed 1902 as a sports club and currently play in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth division of French football. Cannes plays its home matches at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin...
, Toulouse
Toulouse FC
Toulouse Football Club is a French association football club based in the city of Toulouse. The club was founded in 1970 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Toulouse plays its home matches at the Stadium Municipal located within the city. The first team is managed by...
, Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
and Valenciennes
Valenciennes FC
Valenciennes Football Club is a French association football club based in Valenciennes. The club was founded in 1913 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Valenciennes plays its home matches at the recently-built Stade du Hainaut located within the city...
Balde was also a Guinean international and has represented them 44 times scoring once. Big Bobo hates the huns!!!
Early career
Baldé started his career in 1995 at centre back for MarseilleOlympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
, where he stayed until 1997 but could not make the first-team breakthrough, so he had to leave his hometown club to join second division outfit FC Mulhouse
FC Mulhouse
Football Club de Mulhouse is a French association football club based in Mulhouse. The club was founded in 1893 and currently play in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth level of French football. Mulhouse plays its home matches at the Stade de l'Ill located within the city...
for the 1997–98 season, staying only that year. When Mulhouse were relegated he joined AS Cannes
AS Cannes
Association Sportive de Cannes Football is a French association football club based in Cannes. The club was formed 1902 as a sports club and currently play in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth division of French football. Cannes plays its home matches at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin...
on loan in 1998 where he had little success, in the league making 29 appearances and scoring 4 goals. He left Marseille, moving to Toulouse
Toulouse FC
Toulouse Football Club is a French association football club based in the city of Toulouse. The club was founded in 1970 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Toulouse plays its home matches at the Stadium Municipal located within the city. The first team is managed by...
, whom he helped to promotion during the 1999–00 season. In total he made 52 appearances for Toulouse, scoring one goal.
Celtic
Baldé signed for Celtic on 21 July 2001 and became a regular player in Celtic's team. Balde made 232 appearances (51 as a sub) during his spell as a Hoops' player.He made his debut on 8 September in a 3–1 win at home to Dunfermline Athletic
Dunfermline Athletic F.C.
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football team based in Dunfermline, Fife, commonly known as just Dunfermline. They currently compete in the Scottish Premier League....
. 4 SPL games later he scored his first Celtic goal on 20 October 2001 against Dundee United
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
at Celtic Park
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
. In that entire season Baldé scored a total of 6 goals including one in the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
final against Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
when he rose above Lorenzo Amoruso
Lorenzo Amoruso
Lorenzo Pier Luigi Amoruso is a former Italian Assocation footballer who played for seven teams during his footballing career but is perhaps best known for his six-year spell with Glasgow side Rangers...
to score from a Neil Lennon
Neil Lennon
Neil Francis Lennon is a former footballer from Northern Ireland. He is the current manager and former captain of Celtic....
free kick from six yards, on the 50th minute. Celtic lost that game 3–2. Balde also scored in the League Cup semi-final defeat to Rangers.
Baldé scored his first goal of the 2002–03 season
2002-03 in Scottish football
The 2002–03 season was the 106th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish Premier League:The 2002–03 Scottish Premier League was won on goal difference by Rangers by a single goal over Celtic. Both Rangers and Celtic qualified for the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League and...
on 1 September 2002 against Livingston
Livingston F.C.
Livingston Football Club is a Scottish association football club based in Livingston, West Lothian. The club currently plays in the Scottish Football League First Division.The club was founded in 1943 as Ferranti Thistle, a works team...
. He was booked in the first Old Firm
Old Firm
The Old Firm is a common collective name for the association football clubs Celtic and Rangers, both based in Glasgow, Scotland.The origin of the term is unclear. One theory has it that the expression derives from Celtic's first game in 1888, which was played against Rangers. However, author,...
game of the season which ended 3–3 but at the end of the season Baldé was subsequently voted the Celtic Player of The Year
Celtic Player of The Year
Celtic Player of the Year award is an annual awards ceremony held by Celtic FC. It has been held every year since 2003 when Bobo Balde was awarded the first ever Celtic Player of the Year award.-2002–03:*Celtic Player of The Year: Bobo Baldé...
for 2003 by the Celtic fans in which 40,000 Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
fans voted. He was the inaugural winner of that award. In his acceptance speech he paid tribute to his team mates and manager Martin O'Neill
Martin O'Neill
Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill, OBE, is a Northern Irish football manager and former player.Until resigning the post on 9 August 2010, he was manager of Aston Villa. Starting his career in his native Northern Ireland, O'Neill moved to England where he spent most of his playing career with Nottingham...
. Speaking just after winning the award, Baldé said "It means a lot to win this award. Its good to know the fans are behind you and they are happy with what you do for them". He also won the Player of The Month Award for April. He played in 12 of Celtic's 13 UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
games in that season, where Celtic got to the final. In the final they played against FC Porto at the Olympic Stadium in Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
. During the final, Baldé was sent off in the 95th minute after picking up his second booking. Celtic lost that final 3–2 with Henrik Larsson
Henrik Larsson
Henrik Edward Larsson MBE is a retired Swedish footballer and current manager of Landskrona BoIS.Larsson began his career with Högaborgs BK. He moved to Helsingborg, where he was one of the key players when they qualified to Allsvenskan 1993. Larsson then moved to Feyenoord for four years before...
getting both of Celtic's goals.
In the 2003–04 season
2003-04 in Scottish football
The 2003–04 season was the 107th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish Premier League:The 2003–04 Scottish Premier League season was won by Celtic with 98 points, 17 points ahead of closest challengers Rangers. Both Rangers and Celtic therefore gained the two UEFA...
, Baldé's first goal came against Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
in the fifth SPL game of the season. In the next game, he received a red card in the 70th minute. Throughout that season received seven yellow cards and one red card. He scored two goals that season, both against Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
. At the end of the season, Baldé added a League Championship and a Scottish Cup medal to his collection.
A Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
fan was convicted of racially abusing Baldé during a match at Dens Park
Dens Park
Dens Park is a football stadium located on Dens Road in Dundee, Scotland. The stadium is the home of Dundee F.C. and has a capacity of 12,085...
in March 2004. Business man, Russell Smith, was banned for life from Kilmarnock’s
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
home ground Rugby Park
Rugby Park
Rugby Park is a football stadium situated in the Scottish town of Kilmarnock. It was first used in 1899 and is the home of Kilmarnock F.C..It underwent a major redevelopment in 1994–95, becoming an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 18,128...
after shouting racial abuse at Baldé from the directors box in October 2004, while Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
supporters had targeted Baldé in October 2001.
Baldé started the 2004–05 season
2004-05 in Scottish football
The 2004–05 season was the 108th season of competitive football in Scotland.-2004:*6 July 2004 - Nacho Novo from Dundee to Rangers, £450,000*1 July 2004 - Dado Prso from AS Monaco to Rangers, Bosman...
one yellow card in the first six games of the season (all competitions) and a goal in the 38th minute in the 8–1 defeat of Falkirk
Falkirk F.C.
Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...
in the first League Cup game of the season. Within his first ten games of the season, he had received two yellow cards. In Europe, Celtic lost the first three games of the season. His next achievement that season was scoring 2 goals in a 3–0 win at home to Dundee on 2 March 2005. At the end of that season he added a Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
medal to his tally after Celtic beat Dundee United
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
1–0 in the final.
His fifth season
2005-06 in Scottish football
The 2005–06 season was the 109th season of competitive football in Scotland.-2005:*1 June: Gordon Strachan officially takes charge of Celtic after the resignation of Martin O'Neill...
and first season under new manager Gordon Strachan
Gordon Strachan
Gordon David Strachan OBE is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is currently without a club, having last managed Middlesbrough. Strachan played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. Prior to Middlesbrough,...
started with a red card in a pre-season match against Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
, for a challenge on 17 year old James Wesolowski
James Wesolowski
James Peter Wesolowski is an Australian football player who plays as a midfielder for Oldham Athletic. He plays in Europe with a Polish passport, having dual nationality...
described as "..was disgraceful, it was disgusting, it was malicious and it was intentional" by then Leicester manager Craig Levein
Craig Levein
Craig William Levein is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager of the Scotland national team. During his playing career he played for Cowdenbeath and Heart of Midlothian...
.
Balde scored a header from a Shunsuke Nakamura
Shunsuke Nakamura
is a Japanese footballer who currently plays for Yokohama F. Marinos in J. League Division 1. He is one of the most prominent and successful Asian players to have played in Scotland and on 13 September 2006 became the first Japanese player to score in the UEFA Champions League and the second Asian...
cross in Celtic's 3-0 win over Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
in November 2005.
In the first game Celtic lost 5–0 to Artmedia Bratislava in a Champions League
UEFA Champions League 2005-06
The 2005–06 UEFA Champions League was the 51st staging of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, and the 14th since it was rebranded from the European Cup in 1992. 74 teams from 50 football associations took part, starting with the first qualifying round played...
qualifier with Baldé getting booked. In the second leg Celtic won 4–0 and went out on aggregate. Baldé got booked in both legs of the tie. He received seven yellow cards and scored one goal in that season and won the League Cup and the Scottish Premier League, before taking time out to recover from his abdominal injury.
Baldé missed the start of the 2006–07 season
2006-07 in Scottish football
The 2006–07 season was the 110th season of competitive football in Scotland.-2006:*9 July: Rangers defender Fernando Ricksen is banned for the club's pre-season trip to South Africa, following an incident on the outbound flight. Manager Paul Le Guen cited "wholly inappropriate and...
after discovering he required surgery for a persistent stomach muscle problem. He returned to the first team in November, only to suffer a broken leg in a match on Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
. The Guinea international was carried off in the first half during the 2–2 draw with Dundee United. He would be ruled out for several months.
In July 2007, before the start of the new season
2007-08 in Scottish football
The 2007-08 season was the 111th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Overview:* Gretna were competing in the Scottish Premier League for the first time, their first ever season in the top-flight, after being promoted as First Division champions the previous season.* Dunfermline Athletic...
, Roy Keane
Roy Keane
Roy Maurice Keane is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic in Scotland....
, manager of Sunderland, showed interest in Baldé. Keane was reported to have made a £1.5m offer for his former Celtic team-mate. "I love the club, I am very settled in Glasgow and I would be happy to fulfil my current contract", said Baldé.
In October 2007, Baldé expressed a desire to leave Celtic stating "I don't want to be at a club where I am not wanted, but I want to make clear it is rubbish to say I am just taking the money... I have been told that I am not in the top two defenders and that I am down to sixth on the list. The manager and Peter (Lawwell, Chief Executive) told me this"
Baldé made his first start of the 2007/08 season on 26 December 2007 exactly a year after his last appearance, in a 2–0 away win to Dundee United
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
. His presence also helped Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
to their first away clean sheet in almost 15 months. He was awarded Man Of The Match.
Baldé was on the bench against Rangers on 29 March 2008, the first time since Christmas he had been selected after recovering from the injury he sustained at the Africa Cup of Nations. He then started a few days later replacing the suspended Gary Caldwell
Gary Caldwell
Gary Robert Caldwell is a Scottish footballer who is currently the captain of Wigan Athletic and also plays for the Scotland national football team....
to make his first appearance since December 2007, with a man of the match performance in the 1–0 win over Aberdeen in the SPL
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
, Georgios Samaras
Georgios Samaras
Georgios Samaras is a Greek footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League club Celtic and the Greek national football team. He is predominantly a left winger but can also play as a striker....
scored the only goal of the game.
At the start of the 2008–09 season it was announced that Baldé would be allowed to leave Celtic on a free transfer provided that he could find a club that would meet his salary demands.
In the pre-season matches before the 2008–09 season Baldé played in the matches playing the last 13 minutes against Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
, the last 30 minutes against Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
in the Algarve Challenge Cup. He made his first full appearance in Celtic's second Algarve Challenge Cup match against Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
which was the first meeting of the two teams in 81 years. He also took part in Celtic's 1–0 pre-season friendly win over Porto in which he played the last 22 minutes. During his time at Celtic he won five League Titles
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
, three Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
s and two Scottish League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
s and was part of the Celtic squad which reached the 2003 UEFA Cup Final
2003 UEFA Cup Final
The 2003 UEFA Cup Final was played on 21 May 2003 between Celtic of Scotland and Porto of Portugal. Porto won the match 3–2 in extra time thanks to a goal from Derlei...
.
Looking back on his Celtic career he said, "Celtic was a great adventure for me in my career. We reached the UEFA Cup Final, were league champions five times and won several Scottish and League Cups, There were a lot of great matches in the Champions League and I'm very happy with the experience I had at such a fantastic club and stadium." .
Arles
On 11 January 2011 it was announced that the remainder of Baldé's contract with Valenciennes was to be cancelled to allow him to join AC Arles-Avignon who are currently in last place in Ligue 1.International career
Born in Marseille, Baldé was called up by GuineaGuinea national football team
The Guinea national football team, nicknamed Syli national , is the national team of Guinea and is controlled by the Fédération Guinéenne de Football. They have never qualified for the World Cup finals, and their best finish in the African Nations Cup was second in the 1976...
for the 2002 African Cup of Nations. He was also part of their 2004 Cup of nations team, who finished second in their group in the first round of competition, before losing in the quarter-finals to Mali
Mali national football team
The Mali national football team, nicknamed Les Aigles , is the national team of Mali and is controlled by the Fédération Malienne de Football. They have never qualified for the World Cup finals.-History:...
, and was a regular in 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
qualifying. With Baldé on board, Guinea have also made it to the last eight in the 2004
2004 African Cup of Nations
The 2004 African Cup of Nations was the 24th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Tunisia. Just like in 2002, the field of sixteen teams was split into four groups of four...
, 2006
2006 African Cup of Nations
-Group B:---------------------Group C:---------------------Group D:---------------------Knockout stage:-Quarter-finals:-------------Semi-finals:-----Third-place play-off:-Final:-Scorers:...
and 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.
Career stats
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Olympique Marseille | |||||||||
| 1995–96 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1996–97 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| FC Mulhouse FC Mulhouse Football Club de Mulhouse is a French association football club based in Mulhouse. The club was founded in 1893 and currently play in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth level of French football. Mulhouse plays its home matches at the Stade de l'Ill located within the city... |
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| 1997–98 | 33 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 1 | |
| AS Cannes AS Cannes Association Sportive de Cannes Football is a French association football club based in Cannes. The club was formed 1902 as a sports club and currently play in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth division of French football. Cannes plays its home matches at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin... |
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| 1998–99 | 29 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 4 | |
| Toulouse Toulouse Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea... |
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| 1999-00 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | |
| 2000–01 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 1 | |
| Celtic Celtic F.C. Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the... |
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| 2001–02 2001-02 in Scottish football The 2001–02 season was the 105th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Key events:Celtic, domestic treble winners a year earlier, retain their Premier League title.... |
21 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 38 | 6 | |
| 2002–03 2002-03 in Scottish football The 2002–03 season was the 106th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish Premier League:The 2002–03 Scottish Premier League was won on goal difference by Rangers by a single goal over Celtic. Both Rangers and Celtic qualified for the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League and... |
36 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 53 | 4 | |
| 2003–04 2003-04 in Scottish football The 2003–04 season was the 107th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish Premier League:The 2003–04 Scottish Premier League season was won by Celtic with 98 points, 17 points ahead of closest challengers Rangers. Both Rangers and Celtic therefore gained the two UEFA... |
31 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 49 | 2 | |
| 2004–05 2004-05 in Scottish football The 2004–05 season was the 108th season of competitive football in Scotland.-2004:*6 July 2004 - Nacho Novo from Dundee to Rangers, £450,000*1 July 2004 - Dado Prso from AS Monaco to Rangers, Bosman... |
34 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 46 | 3 | |
| 2005–06 2005-06 in Scottish football The 2005–06 season was the 109th season of competitive football in Scotland.-2005:*1 June: Gordon Strachan officially takes charge of Celtic after the resignation of Martin O'Neill... |
28 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 1 | |
| 2006–07 2006-07 in Scottish football The 2006–07 season was the 110th season of competitive football in Scotland.-2006:*9 July: Rangers defender Fernando Ricksen is banned for the club's pre-season trip to South Africa, following an incident on the outbound flight. Manager Paul Le Guen cited "wholly inappropriate and... |
6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | ||
| 2007–08 2007-08 in Scottish football The 2007-08 season was the 111th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Overview:* Gretna were competing in the Scottish Premier League for the first time, their first ever season in the top-flight, after being promoted as First Division champions the previous season.* Dunfermline Athletic... |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2008–09 2008-09 in Scottish football The 2008–09 season was the 112th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Overview:* Hamilton Academical competed in the Scottish Premier League for the first time, their first season in the top-flight since the 1988–89 season, after being promoted as First Division champions the... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Valenciennes FC Valenciennes FC Valenciennes Football Club is a French association football club based in Valenciennes. The club was founded in 1913 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Valenciennes plays its home matches at the recently-built Stade du Hainaut located within the city... |
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| 2009–10 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2010–11 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| AC Arles-Avignon | |||||||||
| 2010–11 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | |
| 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 154 | 7 160 |
9 | 28 | 7 | 45 | 0 | 233 | 16 311 |
16 | 31 | 7 | 45 | 0 | 387 | 23 |
Club
Toulouse:- Winners
- Promotion to Ligue 1 – 1999-00
Celtic:
- Winners
- Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier LeagueThe Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
(5) – 2001–02, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006-07, 2007-08 - Scottish CupScottish CupThe Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
(3) – 2003–04, 2004–05, 2006–07 - Scottish League CupScottish League CupThe Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
(2) – 2005–06, 2008–09
- Scottish Premier League
- Runners-Up
- Scottish CupScottish CupThe Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
(1) – 2001–02 - UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
(1) – 2002–03 - Scottish League CupScottish League CupThe Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
(1) – 2002–03 - Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier LeagueThe Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
(3) – 2002–03, 2004–05
- Scottish Cup
International
Guinea:- Winners
- Amilcar Cabral CupAmilcar Cabral CupThe Amílcar Cabral Cup is an international football tournament for Western African nations. The competition originally was scheduled on an annual basis, it has since been scheduled on a bi-annual basis.-Participant Nations:...
– 2005
- Amilcar Cabral Cup
- Quarter-finals
- Africa Cup of Nations – 2004, 2006, 2008