Salomon Kalou
Encyclopedia
Salomon Armand Magloire Kalou (born 5 August 1985) is an Ivorian
footballer who plays as a striker
for Chelsea
in the Premier League.
He is often used on the wings at Chelsea. He has a preference for playing on the left wing as this gives him opportunities to cut inside and take shots with his favoured right foot. He is known for his speed and his ability to take on defenders in wide areas. In 2008, he was linked to a move to FC Barcelona
.
Born in Oumé
, Côte d'Ivoire
, like his older brother Bonaventure, Kalou began his career in local club Mimosas
before plying his trade in Europe. Auxerre
coach Guy Roux wanted to sign him to unite him with his brother, former Feyenoord player, Bonaventure Kalou. However, Kalou signed for Feyenoord Rotterdam
in 2003. In 2004 he was loaned to Feyenoord's "satellite club" Excelsior Rotterdam
.
Then he returned to Feyenoord and played in the Dutch top flight for two seasons from 2004 to 2006. During his time at Feyenoord, Salomon scored 35 goals in 67 league appearances for the Rotterdam club, and also won an individual award when he won the Johan Cruijff Award in 2005 for being the most promising young talent of that season. Kalou, together with Dirk Kuyt
, were affectionately known as 'K2' by Feyenoord fans and the Dutch Media. 'K2' because they dominated the Feyenoord offensive line-up and it is a play on the words K3
, a Belgian pop band.
on 30 May 2006, for an undisclosed fee, believed to be approximately £9m. Under contract with Chelsea until 2009, Kalou was handed the number 21 jersey.
Former Chelsea manager José Mourinho
praised the young Ivorian as being hardworking, versatile, eager to improve, and unafraid of the physical side of the game. Kalou admitted that he brought a camera with him to his first training session at Chelsea's training centre
at Cobham because he could not believe that he was going to be rubbing shoulders with famous footballers like Michael Ballack
, John Terry
, and Didier Drogba
. Describing the experience, Kalou said:
According to Soccernet, Kalou revealed that he idolizes French forward and Arsenal record goalscorer Thierry Henry
and tries to imitate Henry's moves in his free time. His admiration of Henry was a factor in his decision to play in the Premier League, as it was the league where Henry became a superstar.
At Chelsea, Kalou plays with compatriot, Côte d'Ivoire
captain Didier Drogba
. Kalou scored his first goals for Chelsea in a reserve game against Portsmouth
bagging a hat trick and the match ball in a 5–0 thrashing. Kalou scored his first senior goal for Chelsea in a two-goal win over Blackburn Rovers
in the third round of the Carling Cup
.
Kalou scored his first Premier League goal in December 2006 in Chelsea's 3–2 victory over Wigan Athletic
at the JJB Stadium
. He scored his second Premier League goal against Blackburn in Chelsea's 3–0 win. He also scored a 93rd minute goal against Watford
, putting Chelsea 1–0 up. He also scored a volleyed goal from 12 yards against Tottenham Hotspur
in the FA Cup Quarter-Final, which ended 3–3. Chelsea won the replay 1–2, before progressing to the final with a similar scoreline against Blackburn Rovers. Kalou also came on as a substitute in the FA Cup Final
win over Manchester United
for his second trophy in England, having earlier come on as a substitute for Chelsea in the league Cup Final
victory over Arsenal.
in Chelsea's 6–0 at Stamford Bridge
and the opening goal against Derby County
in a 2–0 win. Salomon Kalou amassed the record number of offsides in a season with 107 in 30 games; betraying his lack of ability in reading the game.
The 2007–08 Carling Cup quarter final saw Kalou take up the right wing position of two wing players (the other being Scott Sinclair
) of a 4–3–2–1 formation. Kalou made lots of chances for himself and his team-mates; including a very precise left-footed cross, resulting in a Shevchenko headed goal. He thereafter scored goals against Newcastle United
and Fulham
contributing to Chelsea's success. He scored goals against West Ham United
, Olympiacos and Derby County
. His last minute cross into the penalty area led to John Arne Riise
scoring the own goal in the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg at Anfield, which gave Chelsea a vital away goal. Kalou also scored with Chelsea's sixth penalty in the Champions League Final in Moscow, where Chelsea lost.
except for in pre-season, because of his participation in the 2008 Beijing Olympics as part of the Ivory Coast U-23 team. However he came on off the bench against Manchester United on September 21 and scored a header after 80 minutes from a John Obi Mikel free kick. The goal ensured that Chelsea secured a point and kept their unbeaten home record. Kalou then scored two goals and assisted a Frank Lampard header on 18 October in Chelsea's 5–0 win at Middlesbrough. He again scored two goals against Middlesbrough, this time at Stamford Bridge on 28 January in Chelsea's 2–0 win and was a favourite under interim manager Guus Hiddink
. On 25 April 2009, he scored the winner against West Ham United.
, with Kalou scoring the winning penalty to celebrate his birthday during the same week. Kalou scored his first goal of the 2009–10 season against Queens Park Rangers
at Stamford Bridge
in the 3rd round of the League Cup
, earning his team a deserved 1–0 victory. On 12 October 2009, Kalou signed a new 3 year contract extension with Chelsea, keeping him at Stamford Bridge until the summer of 2012. He celebrated his new contract with an excellent brace against Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Champions League
, helping Chelsea maintain their 100% record in the competition. Kalou continued his good form scoring a header in the 4–0 win against Bolton in the League Cup. He also netted in the Blues' League Cup loss to Blackburn Rovers, but it was his last goal for two months until he broke the duck against Cardiff City
in the FA Cup on 13 February, 2010.
During those two months without scoring, Kalou struggled for game-time and the goal against the Bluebirds was one he really needed. On 24 February he scored a good goal against Inter Milan
in the Champions League second round first leg. His shot from outside the box was tame but an error from Inter 'keeper Julio Cesar
allowed the ball to find the back of the net. Chelsea however lost the leg 2–1, but Kalou's goal was important as it was a much needed away goal for Chelsea. He finally netted a goal in the Premier League on 27 March in Chelsea's astounding 7–1 win over Aston Villa
at Stamford Bridge
. In Chelsea's 7–0 win over Stoke City
on 25 April Kalou netted a hat-trick, though his second goal of the day has been the source of controversy, as it was very close to being a two-footed tackle. Kalou scored Chelsea's third of eight goals on the last day of the season against Wigan Athletic
, after some clever teamwork with Frank Lampard
.
against Manchester United. He appeared as a substitute in the 6–0 drubbing of Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium, to score 2 goals both assisted by fellow Ivorian Didier Drogba
. Kalou played 84 minutes of Chelsea's 3–1 win at West Ham United, scoring Chelsea's second goal of the game. He continued his scoring run the following week scoring only 2 minutes into the game to grab Chelsea's first goal in a win against Blackpool
. He also scored a goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers. In the FA Cup
fourth round game against Everton
, Kalou scored a late leveler to keep chelsea in the cup with the game ending 1-1 at Goodison Park
, and therefore resulting in a replay at Stamford Bridge
. On 1 February, the day after Fernando Torres
was signed from Liverpool, Kalou continued his fine scoring run, netting the second goal against Sunderland
in a 4-2 victory for Chelsea at the Stadium of Light
.
Through 31 appearances Kalou has scored 14 goals in all competitions. Despite his form, he has found it hard to gain a regular first team place since the addition of Fernando Torres in January. He recently admitted though that he will consider leaving Chelsea at the end of the season. But he was included in the starting lineup for their next game against West Brom, scoring a goal in Chelsea's 3-1 win on 16 April. Kalou started the next game as well, and scored again as Chelsea defeated Birmingham City 3-1. For Chelsea's crucial game against Tottenham Hotspur, Kalou was not included in the starting lineup as Carlo Ancelotti
preferred a striking partnership of Drogba and Torres. But Kalou replaced Torres in the 63rd minute, and scored a goal in the 89th minute propelling Chelsea to a 2-1 win and within three points of leaders Manchester United. This brought him up to 10 Premier League goals, the first time he has hit double digit league goals for Chelsea.
and Bayer Leverkusen
, but he started in Chelsea's first Carling Cup
match of the season against Fulham. Chelsea won 4-3 on penalties as he scored the last penalty.
On the Wednesday 28th September 2011, Kalou came on for Frank Lampard in the 83rd minute. He then was booked for handball in the 85th minute which led to Roberto Soldado scoring a penalty, the score ended up at 1-1.. Kalou's first goal of the new season came in a 5-0 rout of Belgian side Genk in October
as a Dutch citizen which, if granted, would allow him to play for the Netherlands national football team
. Having never played for the Côte d'Ivoire team
, he would be eligible for the Dutch team if he was naturalized. His brother Bonaventure had advised him to pursue foreign citizenship after frequently experiencing problems with the Côte d'Ivoire football authorities.
The Dutch national team head coach, Marco van Basten, regarded Kalou as a great talent, so an official application was quickly made. However the Minister of Immigration Rita Verdonk
was opposed to considering Kalou for an accelerated naturalization process.
Van Basten, keen to show Kalou's worth to the Dutch team, obtained support from influential football figures, including Dutch legend Johan Cruyff
. Despite general agreement among football pundits that Kalou would be valuable for the Dutch team, Verdonk rejected a request for reconsideration. Later Cruyff commented that the Dutch national team might have been more successful had Kalou obtained Dutch citizenship.
Kalou appealed the decision and took the matter to a court of law, gaining a victory on 9 December 2005 when the judge ordered Verdonk to reconsider whether or not Kalou could be considered for accelerated naturalization. Verdonk has decided to appeal, placing the matter before the Council of State
. Kalou has since then publicly stated he has given up hope of ever attaining the Dutch nationality.
. In the commercial of April 2006, Kalou is depicted as becoming a naturalized citizen, not of the Netherlands
, but of their arch rival Germany
, playing alongside Oliver Kahn
and former Chelsea teammate Michael Ballack.
This was a reference to Angola
n-born forward Nando Rafael
, who, after failing to acquire Dutch citizenship while at Ajax, moved to German Bundesliga club Hertha Berlin, became a German citizen, and represented Germany at Under-21 level.
Kalou was not amused with this commercial, and with copyright law
at his hands, the commercial was removed from Dutch television within a week.
, the Netherlands and Côte d'Ivoire were drawn in the same group in the first round. If Kalou had become a Dutch citizen and was selected for the Netherlands, he could have played against his native country and possibly against his own brother. Kalou's failure to acquire Dutch citizenship was a factor in his decision to leave Feyenoord for Chelsea.
He had been named in the Côte d'Ivoire national squad on a number of occasions, however he rejected all call ups until 6 February 2007 when he finally made his Côte d'Ivoire debut in the friendly against Guinea
, where the Elephants ran out 1–0 winners. He also featured in the Elephant's African Cup of Nations and scored a terrific goal to stun co-favourites Nigeria
in the opening game.
After failing to obtain his Dutch passport, Kalou decided to play for the Côte d'Ivoire
. His first international goal was scored on 21 March 2007 in a friendly against Mauritius. He played at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations with the team, scoring 3 goals in the process, and reached 4th place after losing to Ghana
in the 3rd place play off.
team Heerenveen. Salomon joined Feyenoord during the time his brother Bonaventure was playing for the club from Rotterdam
.
In 2010 he set up The Kalou Foundation dedicated to providing facilities for social welfare and recreation of those who have need of such facilities by reason of youth, age, infirmity or disability, financial hardship or social circumstances
and also for the relief of sickness worldwide.
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
footballer who plays as a striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
for Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
in the Premier League.
He is often used on the wings at Chelsea. He has a preference for playing on the left wing as this gives him opportunities to cut inside and take shots with his favoured right foot. He is known for his speed and his ability to take on defenders in wide areas. In 2008, he was linked to a move to FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
.
Ivory Coast and Netherlands
Oumé
Oumé is the chief town in Oumé Departments of Côte d'Ivoire, located in the Fromager Region at around .It is the birthplace of current Ivory Coast international footballers, Salomon Kalou and Bonaventure Kalou....
, Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
, like his older brother Bonaventure, Kalou began his career in local club Mimosas
ASEC Mimosas
The Académie Sportive des Employés de Commerce Mimosas is an Ivorian football club based in Abidjan. The club is also known as ASEC Mimosas Abidjan and ASEC Abidjan, especially in international club competitions. Founded in 1948, they are the most successful side in Ivorian football, having won...
before plying his trade in Europe. Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...
coach Guy Roux wanted to sign him to unite him with his brother, former Feyenoord player, Bonaventure Kalou. However, Kalou signed for Feyenoord Rotterdam
Feyenoord Rotterdam
Feyenoord is a Dutch professional football club located in Rotterdam. Along with Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord is one of the "big three" clubs in the Netherlands. These three clubs and Utrecht and Roda JC are the only clubs never to have been relegated from the Dutch first division...
in 2003. In 2004 he was loaned to Feyenoord's "satellite club" Excelsior Rotterdam
Excelsior Rotterdam
SBV Excelsior is a professional football club from the Kralingen-Crooswijk district of Rotterdam, Netherlands. It was founded on July 23, 1902 and was formerly known as 'Rotterdamse Voetbal en Atletiek Vereniging Excelsior'...
.
Then he returned to Feyenoord and played in the Dutch top flight for two seasons from 2004 to 2006. During his time at Feyenoord, Salomon scored 35 goals in 67 league appearances for the Rotterdam club, and also won an individual award when he won the Johan Cruijff Award in 2005 for being the most promising young talent of that season. Kalou, together with Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt is a Dutch footballer who plays for English club Liverpool. He started his career as a striker, but he has been converted into a winger and plays the position for both Liverpool and the Netherlands national team....
, were affectionately known as 'K2' by Feyenoord fans and the Dutch Media. 'K2' because they dominated the Feyenoord offensive line-up and it is a play on the words K3
K3 (band)
K3 is a Flemish/Dutch girl band with a Dutch repertoire, mainly aimed at pre-adolescent children. The name of the group is derived from the names of the three original members: Karen Damen, Kristel Verbeke and Kathleen Aerts. Their music is produced by production company Studio 100 and is written...
, a Belgian pop band.
2006–07 season
Kalou moved to ChelseaChelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
on 30 May 2006, for an undisclosed fee, believed to be approximately £9m. Under contract with Chelsea until 2009, Kalou was handed the number 21 jersey.
Former Chelsea manager José Mourinho
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
praised the young Ivorian as being hardworking, versatile, eager to improve, and unafraid of the physical side of the game. Kalou admitted that he brought a camera with him to his first training session at Chelsea's training centre
Cobham Training Centre
The Cobham Training Centre is the state of the art training ground of Chelsea Football Club located in Stoke d'Abernon near Cobham, Surrey. The Chelsea first team have trained at Cobham since 2005, but it was not officially opened until 2007.-History:...
at Cobham because he could not believe that he was going to be rubbing shoulders with famous footballers like Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack is a German professional footballer, who is currently playing for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. He is among the top goal scorers in the history of his international team. Ballack has worn the number 13 shirt for every team he has played for except for Kaiserslautern...
, John Terry
John Terry
John George Terry is an English professional footballer. Terry plays in a centre back position and is the captain of Chelsea in the Premier League...
, and Didier Drogba
Didier Drogba
Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian footballer who plays in the centre forward position. He currently plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, where he is deputy vice-captain, and is the captain and all-time top scorer of the Côte d'Ivoire national football team...
. Describing the experience, Kalou said:
"This was the dream moment of my life and I did not want to wake up and find that it was not real."
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
and tries to imitate Henry's moves in his free time. His admiration of Henry was a factor in his decision to play in the Premier League, as it was the league where Henry became a superstar.
At Chelsea, Kalou plays with compatriot, Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire national football team
The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...
captain Didier Drogba
Didier Drogba
Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian footballer who plays in the centre forward position. He currently plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, where he is deputy vice-captain, and is the captain and all-time top scorer of the Côte d'Ivoire national football team...
. Kalou scored his first goals for Chelsea in a reserve game against Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
bagging a hat trick and the match ball in a 5–0 thrashing. Kalou scored his first senior goal for Chelsea in a two-goal win over Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
in the third round of the Carling Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
.
Kalou scored his first Premier League goal in December 2006 in Chelsea's 3–2 victory over Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
at the JJB Stadium
JJB Stadium
The DW Stadium is a sports stadium in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, that is home to Wigan Athletic football club and Wigan Warriors rugby league club....
. He scored his second Premier League goal against Blackburn in Chelsea's 3–0 win. He also scored a 93rd minute goal against Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
, putting Chelsea 1–0 up. He also scored a volleyed goal from 12 yards against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
in the FA Cup Quarter-Final, which ended 3–3. Chelsea won the replay 1–2, before progressing to the final with a similar scoreline against Blackburn Rovers. Kalou also came on as a substitute in the FA Cup Final
2007 FA Cup Final
The 2007 FA Cup Final was played on Saturday, 19 May 2007 between Chelsea and Manchester United, who had come up against Premier League opposition in every round. It was the 126th FA Cup Final and the first to be played at the new Wembley Stadium...
win over Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
for his second trophy in England, having earlier come on as a substitute for Chelsea in the league Cup Final
2007 Football League Cup Final
The 2007 Carling Cup Final was played on Sunday, 25 February 2007 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. It was contested between Arsenal and Chelsea, making it the first all-London final in the competition's history; the two sides had previously met in Cardiff for the 2002 FA Cup Final. The game...
victory over Arsenal.
2007–08 season
Kalou continued his good form into the following season, scoring his first goal of the campaign against Manchester CityManchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
in Chelsea's 6–0 at Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge could be* Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire, a village in England** The Battle of Stamford Bridge* Stamford Bridge , in London** by metonymy, Chelsea F.C., football club based in the stadium...
and the opening goal against Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
in a 2–0 win. Salomon Kalou amassed the record number of offsides in a season with 107 in 30 games; betraying his lack of ability in reading the game.
The 2007–08 Carling Cup quarter final saw Kalou take up the right wing position of two wing players (the other being Scott Sinclair
Scott Sinclair
Scott Andrew Sinclair is an English footballer who plays for Premier League club Swansea City as a winger, having previously played for Bristol Rovers, Chelsea, Plymouth Argyle, Queens Park Rangers, Charlton Athletic, Crystal Palace, Birmingham City and Wigan Athletic...
) of a 4–3–2–1 formation. Kalou made lots of chances for himself and his team-mates; including a very precise left-footed cross, resulting in a Shevchenko headed goal. He thereafter scored goals against Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
and Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
contributing to Chelsea's success. He scored goals against West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
, Olympiacos and Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
. His last minute cross into the penalty area led to John Arne Riise
John Arne Riise
John Arne Semundseth Riise is a Norwegian footballer who currently plays as a left wing-back for Fulham and the Norwegian national team. Riise spent seven years playing for Premier League side Liverpool before moving to Roma in 2008...
scoring the own goal in the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg at Anfield, which gave Chelsea a vital away goal. Kalou also scored with Chelsea's sixth penalty in the Champions League Final in Moscow, where Chelsea lost.
2008–09 season
Kalou did not feature much under Avram Grant's successor, Luiz Felipe ScolariLuiz Felipe Scolari
Luiz Felipe Scolari , ComIH , also known as Felipão in Brazil and Phil Scolari in the United Kingdom, is a World Cup-winning Brazilian football manager. He is currently the manager of Palmeiras. He served as the manager of the Portuguese national team from July 12, 2003 to June 30, 2008...
except for in pre-season, because of his participation in the 2008 Beijing Olympics as part of the Ivory Coast U-23 team. However he came on off the bench against Manchester United on September 21 and scored a header after 80 minutes from a John Obi Mikel free kick. The goal ensured that Chelsea secured a point and kept their unbeaten home record. Kalou then scored two goals and assisted a Frank Lampard header on 18 October in Chelsea's 5–0 win at Middlesbrough. He again scored two goals against Middlesbrough, this time at Stamford Bridge on 28 January in Chelsea's 2–0 win and was a favourite under interim manager Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink is a Dutch football manager and former player. He was the most recently manager of the Turkish national football team. He is considered to be one of the best managers of his generation and was the best-paid coach in international football in 2009...
. On 25 April 2009, he scored the winner against West Ham United.
2009–10 season
Kalou and Chelsea began the season in winning form; beating Manchester United to lift the Community Shield2009 FA Community Shield
The 2009 FA Community Shield was the 87th FA Community Shield, an annual football match contested by the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions...
, with Kalou scoring the winning penalty to celebrate his birthday during the same week. Kalou scored his first goal of the 2009–10 season against Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
at Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
in the 3rd round of the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
, earning his team a deserved 1–0 victory. On 12 October 2009, Kalou signed a new 3 year contract extension with Chelsea, keeping him at Stamford Bridge until the summer of 2012. He celebrated his new contract with an excellent brace against Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, helping Chelsea maintain their 100% record in the competition. Kalou continued his good form scoring a header in the 4–0 win against Bolton in the League Cup. He also netted in the Blues' League Cup loss to Blackburn Rovers, but it was his last goal for two months until he broke the duck 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...
in the FA Cup on 13 February, 2010.
During those two months without scoring, Kalou struggled for game-time and the goal against the Bluebirds was one he really needed. On 24 February he scored a good goal against Inter Milan
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
in the Champions League second round first leg. His shot from outside the box was tame but an error from Inter 'keeper Julio Cesar
Júlio César Soares Espíndola
Júlio César Soares de Espíndola , commonly known as simply Júlio César, is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Internazionale of the Italian Serie A...
allowed the ball to find the back of the net. Chelsea however lost the leg 2–1, but Kalou's goal was important as it was a much needed away goal for Chelsea. He finally netted a goal in the Premier League on 27 March in Chelsea's astounding 7–1 win over Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
at Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge could be* Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire, a village in England** The Battle of Stamford Bridge* Stamford Bridge , in London** by metonymy, Chelsea F.C., football club based in the stadium...
. In Chelsea's 7–0 win over Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
on 25 April Kalou netted a hat-trick, though his second goal of the day has been the source of controversy, as it was very close to being a two-footed tackle. Kalou scored Chelsea's third of eight goals on the last day of the season against Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
, after some clever teamwork with Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard
Frank James Lampard is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea and the England national team. He also holds the position of vice-captain for his club side...
.
2010–11 season
Kalou started the season well with scoring the only goal in the 3–1 defeat at Wembley StadiumWembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
against Manchester United. He appeared as a substitute in the 6–0 drubbing of Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium, to score 2 goals both assisted by fellow Ivorian Didier Drogba
Didier Drogba
Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian footballer who plays in the centre forward position. He currently plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, where he is deputy vice-captain, and is the captain and all-time top scorer of the Côte d'Ivoire national football team...
. Kalou played 84 minutes of Chelsea's 3–1 win at West Ham United, scoring Chelsea's second goal of the game. He continued his scoring run the following week scoring only 2 minutes into the game to grab Chelsea's first goal in a win against Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
. He also scored a goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers. In the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
fourth round game against Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, Kalou scored a late leveler to keep chelsea in the cup with the game ending 1-1 at Goodison Park
Goodison Park
Goodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds...
, and therefore resulting in a replay at Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge could be* Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire, a village in England** The Battle of Stamford Bridge* Stamford Bridge , in London** by metonymy, Chelsea F.C., football club based in the stadium...
. On 1 February, the day after Fernando Torres
Fernando Torres
Fernando José Torres Sanz , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Spain national team as a striker....
was signed from Liverpool, Kalou continued his fine scoring run, netting the second goal against Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
in a 4-2 victory for Chelsea at the Stadium of Light
Stadium of Light
The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts Sunderland A.F.C. matches...
.
Through 31 appearances Kalou has scored 14 goals in all competitions. Despite his form, he has found it hard to gain a regular first team place since the addition of Fernando Torres in January. He recently admitted though that he will consider leaving Chelsea at the end of the season. But he was included in the starting lineup for their next game against West Brom, scoring a goal in Chelsea's 3-1 win on 16 April. Kalou started the next game as well, and scored again as Chelsea defeated Birmingham City 3-1. For Chelsea's crucial game against Tottenham Hotspur, Kalou was not included in the starting lineup as Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti is an Italian football manager, Nicknamed Carletto, Ancelotti played as a midfielder and had a successful career with Roma – captaining the team – with whom he won one Scudetto and 4 Coppa Italia and was part of the legendary late 80's Milan team, with whom he won two Scudetti and...
preferred a striking partnership of Drogba and Torres. But Kalou replaced Torres in the 63rd minute, and scored a goal in the 89th minute propelling Chelsea to a 2-1 win and within three points of leaders Manchester United. This brought him up to 10 Premier League goals, the first time he has hit double digit league goals for Chelsea.
2011–12 season
Kalou started the season in Chelsea's second game of the season against West Bromwich Albion, but he was substituted after only 34 minutes. He was an unused sub against SunderlandSunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
and Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer 04 Leverkusen is a German football club based in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the most well-known department of TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, a sports club whose members also participate in athletics, gymnastics, basketball and other sports.-Origins and early years:On 27 November...
, but he started in Chelsea's first Carling Cup
2011–12 Football League Cup
The 2011–12 Football League Cup, known as the Carling Cup due to the competition's sponsorship by lager brand Carling, is the 52nd season of the Football League Cup, a knock-out competition for England's top 92 football clubs...
match of the season against Fulham. Chelsea won 4-3 on penalties as he scored the last penalty.
On the Wednesday 28th September 2011, Kalou came on for Frank Lampard in the 83rd minute. He then was booked for handball in the 85th minute which led to Roberto Soldado scoring a penalty, the score ended up at 1-1.. Kalou's first goal of the new season came in a 5-0 rout of Belgian side Genk in October
Failure to acquire Dutch citizenship
Kalou received much media attention regarding his possible naturalizationNaturalization
Naturalization is the acquisition of citizenship and nationality by somebody who was not a citizen of that country at the time of birth....
as a Dutch citizen which, if granted, would allow him to play for the Netherlands national football team
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
. Having never played for the Côte d'Ivoire team
Côte d'Ivoire national football team
The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...
, he would be eligible for the Dutch team if he was naturalized. His brother Bonaventure had advised him to pursue foreign citizenship after frequently experiencing problems with the Côte d'Ivoire football authorities.
The Dutch national team head coach, Marco van Basten, regarded Kalou as a great talent, so an official application was quickly made. However the Minister of Immigration Rita Verdonk
Rita Verdonk
Maria Cornelia Frederika "Rita" Verdonk is a retired Dutch politician initially of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy until she was expelled in October 2007, she later formed her own party Proud of the Netherlands . She served as Minister for Integration and Immigration in Cabinets...
was opposed to considering Kalou for an accelerated naturalization process.
Van Basten, keen to show Kalou's worth to the Dutch team, obtained support from influential football figures, including Dutch legend Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff
Hendrik Johannes Cruijff OON , known as Johan Cruyff, is a retired Dutch footballer and is currently the manager of the Catalan national team as well as a member of the AFC Ajax board of directors. He won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974, which is a record jointly held with...
. Despite general agreement among football pundits that Kalou would be valuable for the Dutch team, Verdonk rejected a request for reconsideration. Later Cruyff commented that the Dutch national team might have been more successful had Kalou obtained Dutch citizenship.
Kalou appealed the decision and took the matter to a court of law, gaining a victory on 9 December 2005 when the judge ordered Verdonk to reconsider whether or not Kalou could be considered for accelerated naturalization. Verdonk has decided to appeal, placing the matter before the Council of State
Dutch Council of State
In the Netherlands, the Council of State is a constitutionally established advisory body to the government which consists of members of the royal family and Crown-appointed members generally having political, commercial, diplomatic, or military experience...
. Kalou has since then publicly stated he has given up hope of ever attaining the Dutch nationality.
Centraal Beheer commercial
The process of Kalou's naturalization became the theme of a short-lived television commercial for Centraal BeheerCentraal Beheer
Centraal Beheer is an insurance company sited in Apeldoorn, Netherlands. It is part of Achmea, the largest insurance company in the country. It is usually referred to as "Apeldoorn".-Commercials:...
. In the commercial of April 2006, Kalou is depicted as becoming a naturalized citizen, not of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, but of their arch rival Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, playing alongside Oliver Kahn
Oliver Kahn
Oliver Rolf Kahn is a former German football goalkeeper. He started his career in the Karlsruher SC Junior team. He had his debut game in the professional squad in 1987...
and former Chelsea teammate Michael Ballack.
This was a reference to Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
n-born forward Nando Rafael
Nando Rafael
Nando Rafael is an Angolan-German football striker, currently playing for FC Augsburg.-Early life:He fled from the Angolan Civil War at the age of eight after both of his parents had been killed, and resided at first illegally in the Netherlands...
, who, after failing to acquire Dutch citizenship while at Ajax, moved to German Bundesliga club Hertha Berlin, became a German citizen, and represented Germany at Under-21 level.
Kalou was not amused with this commercial, and with copyright law
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
at his hands, the commercial was removed from Dutch television within a week.
Cote d'Ivoire
At the 2006 World Cup2006 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...
, the Netherlands and Côte d'Ivoire were drawn in the same group in the first round. If Kalou had become a Dutch citizen and was selected for the Netherlands, he could have played against his native country and possibly against his own brother. Kalou's failure to acquire Dutch citizenship was a factor in his decision to leave Feyenoord for Chelsea.
He had been named in the Côte d'Ivoire national squad on a number of occasions, however he rejected all call ups until 6 February 2007 when he finally made his Côte d'Ivoire debut in the friendly against Guinea
Guinea 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...
, where the Elephants ran out 1–0 winners. He also featured in the Elephant's African Cup of Nations and scored a terrific goal to stun co-favourites Nigeria
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
in the opening game.
After failing to obtain his Dutch passport, Kalou decided to play for the Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire national football team
The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...
. His first international goal was scored on 21 March 2007 in a friendly against Mauritius. He played at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations with the team, scoring 3 goals in the process, and reached 4th place after losing to Ghana
Ghana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
in the 3rd place play off.
Personal life
Kalou has two brothers and eight sisters from the same mother. His brother, Bonaventure Kalou, also played professional football, and was last on the DutchNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
team Heerenveen. Salomon joined Feyenoord during the time his brother Bonaventure was playing for the club from Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
.
In 2010 he set up The Kalou Foundation dedicated to providing facilities for social welfare and recreation of those who have need of such facilities by reason of youth, age, infirmity or disability, financial hardship or social circumstances
and also for the relief of sickness worldwide.
Club statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | ||
| Feyenoord | 2003-04 Eredivisie The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA.... |
2 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – |
| Excelsior Rotterdam (loan) Excelsior Rotterdam SBV Excelsior is a professional football club from the Kralingen-Crooswijk district of Rotterdam, Netherlands. It was founded on July 23, 1902 and was formerly known as 'Rotterdamse Voetbal en Atletiek Vereniging Excelsior'... |
2003-04 Eerste Divisie The Eerste Divisie is the second-highest division of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie via a promotion/relegation system. It is also known as the Jupiler League due to sponsorship, which is the same name as the top league in Belgium... |
11 | 4 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 4 | – |
| Feyenoord | 2004-05 Eredivisie The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA.... |
31 | 20 | – | 2 | 3 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 4 | – | |40 | 27 | – |
| 2005-06 Eredivisie The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA.... |
36 | 15 | – | 2 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 40 | 15 | – | |
| Netherlands Total | 80 | 39 | – | 4 | 3 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 4 | – | 93 | 46 | – | |
| Chelsea Chelsea F.C. Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four... |
2006-07 | 33 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 9 | 10 |
| 2007-08 | 30 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 11 | 10 | |
| 2008-09 | 27 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 43 | 10 | 10 | |
| 2009-10 | 23 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 36 | 12 | 3 | |
| 2010-11 | 31 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 41 | 12 | 6 | |
| 2011-12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | |
| England Total | 146 | 35 | 24 | 23 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 8 | 5 | 43 | 6 | 3 | 228 | 56 | 39 | |
| Career Total | 225 | 74 | 24 | 27 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 8 | 5 | 52 | 10 | 3 | 321 | 102 | 39 | |
International goals
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 March 2007 | Belle Vue, Mauritius Mauritius Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar... |
3–0 | Won | Friendly | |
| 2 | 3 June 2007 | Bouake Bouaké Bouaké is the second largest city in Côte d'Ivoire, with a population of 775,300 . It is the main urban settlement of the Bouaké Department with a population exceeding 1.2 million, in the Vallée du Bandama Region... , Cote d'Ivoire Côte d'Ivoire The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be... |
5–0 | Won | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification | |
| 3 | 21 November 2007 | Doha Doha Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar... , Qatar Qatar Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its... |
6–1 | Won | Friendly | |
| 4 | 12 January 2008 | Kuwait City Kuwait City -Suburbs:Although the districts below are not usually recognized as suburbs, the following is a list of a few areas surrounding Kuwait city:Al-Salam ""السلام"" -Economy:... , Kuwait Kuwait The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the... |
2–0 | Won | Friendly | |
| 5 | 21 January 2008 | Sekondi, Ghana Ghana Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south... |
1–0 | Won | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations | |
| 6 | 3 February 2008 | Sekondi, Ghana Ghana Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south... |
5–0 | Won | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations | |
| 7 | 3 February 2008 | Sekondi, Ghana Ghana Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south... |
5–0 | Won | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations | |
| 8 | 11 October 2008 | Abidjan Abidjan Abidjan is the economic and former official capital of Côte d'Ivoire, while the current capital is Yamoussoukro. it was the largest city in the nation and the third-largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris, and Kinshasa but before Montreal... , Cote d'Ivoire Côte d'Ivoire The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be... |
3–0 | Won | 2010 World Cup Qualification 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) The Confederation of African Football section of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification saw teams compete for five berths in the final tournament in South Africa... |
|
| 9 | 25 June 2010 | Mbombela, South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... |
3–0 | Won | 2010 World Cup 2010 FIFA World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010... |
|
| 10 | 4 September 2010 | Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, nicknamed "le Félicia", is a multi-purpose stadium, which can host football, rugby and athletics, in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. It is the national stadium of the Côte d'Ivoire national football team. It is named after the first president of the country, Félix... , Abidjan Abidjan Abidjan is the economic and former official capital of Côte d'Ivoire, while the current capital is Yamoussoukro. it was the largest city in the nation and the third-largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris, and Kinshasa but before Montreal... , Côte d'Ivoire Côte d'Ivoire The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be... |
3–0 | Won | 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification | |
Honours
ChelseaChelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
- Premier League: 2009–10
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
: 2006–072007 FA Cup FinalThe 2007 FA Cup Final was played on Saturday, 19 May 2007 between Chelsea and Manchester United, who had come up against Premier League opposition in every round. It was the 126th FA Cup Final and the first to be played at the new Wembley Stadium...
, 2008–092009 FA Cup FinalThe 2009 FA Cup Final was the 128th final of the world's oldest domestic football cup competition, the FA Cup. The final was played at Wembley Stadium in London on 30 May 2009 and marked the third time that the final has been staged at the stadium since it was rebuilt...
, 2009–102010 FA Cup FinalThe 2010 FA Cup Final was the 129th final of the FA Cup, the world's oldest domestic football cup competition. The match took place on 15 May 2010, at Wembley Stadium, London... - Football League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
: 2006–072007 Football League Cup FinalThe 2007 Carling Cup Final was played on Sunday, 25 February 2007 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. It was contested between Arsenal and Chelsea, making it the first all-London final in the competition's history; the two sides had previously met in Cardiff for the 2002 FA Cup Final. The game... - FA Community ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
: 20092009 FA Community ShieldThe 2009 FA Community Shield was the 87th FA Community Shield, an annual football match contested by the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions... - Premier League Asia TrophyPremier League Asia TrophyThe Premier League Asia Trophy is a friendly four-team pre-season football tournament held in Asia every two years. The competition is contested by three Premier League football clubs and the home team...
: 20112011 Barclays Asia Trophy- Third-place playoff :- Final :-Ticket sales:Ticket prices for each match day in Hong Kong dollars were: $130 , $210 , $270 , $330 , $460 ....
Individual
- Dutch Football Talent of the YearDutch Footballer of the YearThe title Dutch Footballer of the Year has been awarded in the Netherlands since 1984. The award is determined by a poll of Dutch professional footballers playing in the First and Second leagues....
(2005) - CAF Young Player of the Year : Ivory Coast/Chelsea (2008)
External links
- Salomon Kalou official website
- Ivorians in new bid to lure Kalou BBC Sport, 31 October 2006
- Premier League profile
- BBC Sport profile