Arouna Koné

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Arouna Koné
Personal information
Full name	Arouna Koné
Date of birth	November 11, 1983 (age 23)
Place of birth	Ányama, Cote d'Ivoire
Height	182 cm / 5 ft 11.5 in
Position	Striker or Left-winger
Club information
Current club	PSV Eindhoven
Youth clubs
? - 2002	Rio Sport d'Ányama
Professional clubs*
Years	Club	Apps (goals)
2002 - 2003 2003 - 2005 2005 -	Lierse Roda JC PSV Eindhoven	32 (11) 63 (28) 37 (19)
National team**
2004 -	Cote d'Ivoire	23 (5)
* Professional club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 9 December 2006. ** National team caps and goals correct as of 22 November 2006.

Arouna Koné (born November 11, 1983, in Ányama, Côte d'Ivoire) is an Ivorian football striker who currently plays for PSV Eindhoven of the Dutch Eredivisie as well the Côte d'Ivoire national football team.

Contents 1 The Early Years 2 2006 FIFA World Cup 3 A Football Family 4 2006/07 Season - Goals and Transfer Speculation 5 Career stats 6 References 7 External links

[edit] The Early Years

Koné was born in Ányama, a surburb of the Côte d'Ivoire capital Abidjan, to a family of ten brothers and five sisters. Like many other youths, he learned soccer on the streets, having the desire to play professionally, although his father reportedly wanted him to concentrate on his schooling. Tragically, Arouna's father died when he was nine, and his mother gave her assent to his footballing aspirations, with him joining the youth ranks of local club Rio Sport d'Ányama. Koné stopped his schooling at the age of 16 to concentrate on his football development, and his contribution to the team helped gain promotion to the leagues top division, having been added to the first team squad at the age of 17. French club RC Lens invited him for a trial in 2002, but he experienced personal difficulties with the management, and instead transferred to Belgian club Lierse S.K. a month later, following a trial match. Arouna settled in well at Lierse, becoming good friends with team mate, and fellow Ivorian Adolphe Tohoua. In an impressive debut season, he scored 11 times in 32 games, and in 2003, after only one season in the Belgian league, he was snapped up by Dutch outfit Roda JC. Koné became an instant hit and his impressive goal tally for both Roda and then for his country in the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship earned him a transfer to Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven for the 2005-06 season.

[edit] 2006 FIFA World Cup

Koné was selected in the Ivory Coast squad for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. He made appearances in all three group games for the Elephants, but did not score as 'Da Coast' were sent packing home at the group stage. This was despite impressing with their attacking brand of football that saw them defeat Serbia and Montenegro and give both Argentina and the Netherlands a real run for their money.

[edit] A Football Family

Arouna's older brother Bakari Koné also plays for the national side as a striker and plies his trade in the French Ligue 1 with OGC Nice. The pair competed alongside one another in the World Cup, with Arouna providing the necessary run to clear space for Bakari's long range goal against the Netherlands in the 2-1 defeat on June 16th.

His younger brother Karamoko Koné is part of the reserve team set up at Arouna's former club Roda JC.

He also sends a proportion of his wages to his mother and family in Côte d'Ivoire. Speaking of his success in football, and his support of his family he is quoted as saying: "In Africa the solidarity for your family is very large. My father died when I was nine years old. My mother and my family have spent many years with difficulty. I am glad that I am now able support them."

[edit] 2006/07 Season - Goals and Transfer Speculation

Arouna has started the 2006/07 season well, scoring nine goals in nine games for PSV and bagging his first international hat-trick in an African Nations Cup qualifier against Gabon. Koné has been strongly linked with a move to Manchester United in the 2007 January transfer window, the club he has said on numerous occasions he would like to play for one day.

Speculation is also mounting that Koné could be targeted by Premiership giants Arsenal during the 2007 January transfer window. The Gunners already have Arouna's international team mates Kolo Touré and Emmanuel Eboué in their squad.

[edit] Career stats

Season	Club	Country	Competition	Matches	Goals
2002-03	Lierse S.K.	Belgium	Jupiler League	32	11
2003-04	Roda JC	Netherlands	Eredivisie	28	11
2004-05	Roda JC	Netherlands	Eredivisie	33	15
2005-06	Roda JC	Netherlands	Eredivisie	2	2
2005-06	PSV	Netherlands	Eredivisie	21	11
2006-07	PSV	Netherlands	Eredivisie	16	8

[edit] References

• Arouna Kone; the other Côte d’Ivoire predator. FIFA.com. Retrieved on February 27, 2006.

[edit] External links

• Biography on official PSV website
• Arouna Koné profile, detailed club and national team statistics, honours (palmares) and timeline
• Blonde ambition - Arouna Koné
• Koné targets move to Man Utd or AC Milan
• Interview with Arouna Koné (french)
• Arouna Koné - The story so far (video)

	Côte d'Ivoire squad - 2006 FIFA World Cup
1 Tizié | 2 Akalé | 3 Boka | 4 K. Touré | 5 Zokora | 6 Kouassi | 7 Faé | 8 Kalou | 9 A. Koné | 10 Yapi Yapo | 11 Drogba | 12 Méïté | 13 Zoro | 14 B. Koné | 15 Dindane | 16 Gnanhouan | 17 Domoraud | 18 Keïta | 19 Y. Touré | 20 Demel | 21 Eboué | 22 Romaric | 23 Barry | Coach: Michel

PSV Eindhoven - Current Squad
1 Gomes | 2 Kromkamp | 3 Reiziger | 4 Alex | 5 Ball | 6 Simons | 7 Väyrynen | 8 Cocu | 9 Kluivert | 10 Koné | 11 Méndez | 14 da Costa | 15 Čulina | 16 Aissati | 17 Farfán | 18 Addo | 19 Lamey | 20 Afellay | 21 Moens | 22 Fehér | 23 Salcido | 24 Nguyen | 25 de Jong | 26 Tardelli | 30 Plá | 31 Coe | 33 Beerens | Coach: Koeman