Cédric Kanté (born 6 July 1979) is a former professional footballer who played as a defender. Born in France, he played for the Mali national team internationally winning 41 caps and scoring once.
 Kanté with Panathinaikos | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 6 July 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Strasbourg, France | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back, left-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1996–1999 | Strasbourg | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1999–2006 | Strasbourg | 96 | (3) |
| 2001–2002 | → Istres (loan) | 16 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | → Valence (loan) | 32 | (0) |
| 2006–2009 | Nice | 97 | (2) |
| 2009–2012 | Panathinaikos | 88 | (2) |
| 2012–2014 | Sochaux | 49 | (1) |
| 2014–2015 | Ajaccio | 27 | (0) |
| Total | 405 | (8) | |
| International career | |||
| 2001–2012 | Mali | 41 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Club career edit
Early career edit
Kanté progressed through the youth ranks at local club RC Strasbourg before starting his professional career there. He signed his first professional contract with them in 1999, at the age of 19. He spent two seasons with them, in his first stint, making 7 appearances and picking up a Coupe de France winners medal in 2001. He moved on to find first-team football playing for FC Istres, in Ligue 2. In one season at Istres, Kanté made 16 appearances. ASOA Valence saw the talent in the 21-year-old and signed him. He spent one season there and was the focal point of the team, anchoring the center of their defense. He left the club due to its financial insecurity, having made 32 appearances.
Strasbourg and Nice edit
He then returned to boyhood club Strasbourg, signing a three-year deal. He quickly made it into the first team and was a main part of their progression within Ligue 2. In Kanté's three seasons for the club, he scored 3 league goals in 91 appearances. At the end of his contract, he signed with Ligue 1 side Nice. His first season at the club was disappointing, with them barely escaping relegation. However his and the club had better fortunes helping them achieve an 8th-place finish in his second season. His last season was more of the same, as he helped Nice finish respectably in 9th place during the 2008–09 campaign. After three successful seasons, Kanté left the club for Super League Greece club Panathinaikos. In all, he made 97 Ligue 1 appearances for the side and added 2 goals.
Panathinaikos edit
Kanté signed a three-year deal with Panathinaikos in June 2009.[1] In his first season at Panathinaikos, he helped the "Prasinoi", the Greens, to their first Greek Championship[2] and Greek Cup in six years. In the Greek Cup Final, Kanté played a vital role in the center of the defense for Panathinaikos as they defeated Aris 1–0 with a goal from Argentinian winger Sebastián Leto.[3]
In his first season at Panathinaikos, Kanté appeared in 21 league games and added 2 assists to his name.[4]
Sochaux edit
In July 2012, Kanté returned to France, signing a two-year contract with Ligue 1 team FC Sochaux-Montbéliard.
Ajaccio edit
After suffering relegation to Ligue 2 with Sochaux in the 2013–14 season, Kanté left the club and signed a one-year contract with another relegated side, AC Ajaccio.[5]
International career edit
Born in France, Kanté was eligible to play for the Mali national team through his ancestry. He opted to play for the country of his parents' birth and represented the Eagles 25 times as well as at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana.
Honours edit
Strasbourg
Panathinaikos
Mali
- Africa Cup of Nations bronze: 2012[7][8]
References edit
- ^ "CLUB" Συμφωνία με Καντέ. Pao.gr (in Greek). 12 June 2009. Retrieved 19 June 2009.
- ^ "2018 Soccer news, photos, stats, schedules, standings and videos". Yahoo Sports. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ^ "Taiwan News Online － Breaking News, Politics, Environment, Immigrants, Travel, and Health". Taiwan News Online － Breaking News, Politics, Environment, Immigrants, Travel, and Health. 25 April 2010. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ^ "Galanis Sports Data". Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
- ^ "Cédric Kanté, première recrue !". Ac-ajaccio.com (in French). 17 June 2014. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
- ^ "Caen - RCS 1-2". Racingstub.com. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
- ^ "Mali name final 2012 Afcon squad". Goal.com. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ "2012 Africa Cup of Nations matches". Africanfootball.com.
External links edit
- Cédric Kanté at National-Football-Teams.com
- Cédric Kanté – French league stats at LFP – also available in French (archived)
- Cédric Kanté at Soccerway