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Abdoulaye Kanté

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Abdoulaye Kanté
Personal information
Date of birth (2000-03-04) 4 March 2000 (age 24)
Place of birth Pontoise, France[1]
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Ilves
Youth career
2017–2019 Bourges
2021–2022 Leixões U23
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2020 Bourges 15 (0)
2019–2020Vila Real (loan) 22 (0)
2020–2021 La Louvière Centre 1 (0)
2022–2023 EIF 36 (7)
2024– Ilves 5 (0)
2024– Ilves II 1 (1)
2024EIF (loan) 10 (1)
Medal record
EIF
First place Ykkönen 2023
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 24 September 2024

Abdoulaye Kanté (born 4 March 2000) is a French professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Veikkausliiga club Ilves. Born in France, Kanté is of Malian descent. After starting in his native France, Kanté has played in the lower divisions in Portugal and Belgium, before he moved to Finland in the summer 2022.

Club career

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Kanté started his senior career with French club Bourges Foot 18 in 2018.

During the 2019–2020 season he was loaned out to Portuguese club Vila Real in the country’s third-tier.[2]

In the first half of the 2020–21 season Kanté was in the La Louvière Centre squad in Belgium, before returning to Portugal and joining Leixões. In the 2021–22 season he played for the club's U23 youth team in the Liga Revelação.[3]

Ekenäs IF

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In August 2022, Kanté signed with Ekenäs IF (EIF), playing in Ykkönen, the Finnish second-tier league. After the season, his contract was extended for one year.[4] At the end of the next 2023 season, Kanté helped the club to win the promotion to Finland's premier division Veikkausliiga for the first time in 90 years, and only the second time in the club's entire history.[5][6] He scored a brace and provided an assist in the decisive 3–1 away win against Turun Palloseura (TPS) on 2 October 2023, which secured the Ykkönen title and the promotion for EIF.[7]

Ilves

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On 1 December 2023, a fellow Veikkausliiga side Ilves announced the signing of Kanté on a two-year deal on a free transfer.[8] He debuted with his new club on 27 January 2024, in a Finnish League Cup win against Kuopion Palloseura (KuPS).[9]

Ekenäs IF (loan)

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On 7 March 2024, Kanté was loaned back to EIF for a larger amount of guaranteed playing minutes.[10][11] On 26 April 2024, Kanté scored his first Veikkausliiga goal, in a 2–1 away defeat against Inter Turku.[12] On 19 June 2024 in a home match against IFK Mariehamn, Kanté was sent off on the first minute of the match, with his second red card of the season.[13]

Return to Ilves

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On 23 July 2024, Kanté was called back to Ilves.[14]

Career statistics

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As of 24 September 2024.[15][16]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup[a] Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Bourges 2018–19 National 3 15 0 0 0 15 0
Vila Real (loan) 2019–20 Campeonato de Portugal 22 0 0 0 22 0
La Louvière Centre 2020–21 Eerste Nationale 1 0 0 0 1 0
Leixões 2021–22 Liga Portugal 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
EIF 2022 Ykkönen 10 0 0 0 10 0
2023 Ykkönen 26 7 3 0 4[b] 2 33 9
Total 36 7 3 0 0 0 4 2 43 9
Ilves 2024 Veikkausliiga 5 0 2[c] 0 4[d] 0 11 0
Ilves II 2024 Kakkonen 1 1 1 1
EIF (loan) 2024 Veikkausliiga 10 1 3 0 13 1
Career total 90 9 6 0 2 0 8 2 106 11
  1. ^ Includes Suomen Cup
  2. ^ Includes Ykköscup
  3. ^ Includes UEFA Conference League
  4. ^ Includes Finnish League Cup

Honours

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Ekenäs IF

Ilves

References

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