Amara Diané

Amara Diané
Personal information
Full name Amara Salim Diané
Date of birth (1982-08-19) 19 August 1982
Place of birth Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Playing position Striker
Youth career
ASEC Abidjan
– FC Mantes
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2003 US Roye 34 (26)
2003–2005 Reims 69 (27)
2005–2006 Strasbourg 34 (9)
2006–2008 Paris Saint-Germain 71 (20)
2008–2010 Al-Rayyan 53 (29)
2010–2011 Al-Gharafa 11 (5)
2011–2012 Al-Nasr 18 (7)
2012–2013 Al-Dhafra 21 (4)
2014 Tubize 14 (3)
National team‡
2006–2007 Cote d'Ivoire 8 (3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 24 July 2013
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 22 February 2010

Amara Diané (born 19 August 1982 in Abidjan) is a retired Ivorian football striker.

Club career

At the start of his career Amara trained at the famous youth academy at Ivory Coast club ASEC Abidjan, before moving to the Parisian suburbs, where he joined French Club FC Mantes. Following his spell here, he moved to French fifth-tier club Roye in December 2000. In the 2002/2003 season, he found his feet, scored 26 goals in 34 games, and earning a transfer to Ligue 2 club Reims. After another fine season he was signed by Ligue 1 club RC Strasbourg. Another impressive season for the young striker followed, and after the eventual relegation of Strasbourg at the end of the season, he was linked with a number of clubs throughout Europe.[1] Eventually, Paris Saint-Germain paid £2,300,000 for his services, signing him on a 4-year deal.[2]

In May 2008 it was reported that English Premiership sides Newcastle United[3] and Portsmouth[4] were interested in signing the Ivorian, who was the season's top scorer at his club in the 2007/08 Ligue 1 season. He scored two goals in PSG's last game of the season to ensure they stayed in the top flight of French football, in what would be his last game for the club earning him the status of a cult hero at PSG.

In July 2008 Diané was transferred from PSG to Qatari club Al-Rayyan Sports Club for a fee believed to be in the region of €8 million.[5] He signed a contract worth €10 million over four years.Than he signed a contract with Al Gharafa Sports Club. Diané cited mainly financial reasons for he decision to move to Qatar stating "From now I want to ensure my family's financial future. And only a Qatari club can permit me to do it."[6]

On 26 October 2011, Diané switched team from Gharafa to UAE Pro-League side Al-Nasr SC for Ecuadorian striker Carlos Tenorio.[7]

After a short spell in Belgium's second division Tubize he retired.

National team

He was called up to the Ivory Coast national team for their friendly against Senegal on 18 August 2006. However, due to a groin injury he missed out on playing, also missing the African Cup of Nations qualifier against Gabon where the Elephants won 5–0, with Arouna Koné scoring a hat trick. He was again called up to the national squad for the friendly against Sweden on 15 November 2006, along with fellow PSG player and former Cote d'Ivoire captain Bonaventure Kalou. However, he was an unused substitute in the game.

In March 2007 he was one of four players to receive a late call-up for the Ivorian's African Cup of Nations qualifier against Madagascar in Antananarivo, due to injuries to other members of the squad.[8] Amara made his presence felt in the tie against Madagascar with the third goal, and his first for the Elephants, in the team's 3–0 victory. Amara was named in the Elephants provisional squad for the 2008 African Cup of Nations in Ghana, but was left out of the final squad, with the Ivorian's wealth of attacking options limiting his chances.

International goals

Scores and results list Ivory Coast's goal tally first.[9]
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.25 March 2007Stade Municipal de Mahamasima, Antananarivo, Madagascar Madagascar3–03–02008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
2.21 November 2007Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar Qatar1–16–1Friendly
3.3–1

Honours

PSG

Al-Rayyan Sports Club

Al-Gharafa Sports Club

References

  1. ↑ Big Guns eye New Drogba
  2. ↑ PSG Make Second Capture
  3. ↑ Newcastle chase Amara
  4. ↑ Diane potential for Portsmouth
  5. ↑ Toon Target Diané Leaves PSG For Qatar
  6. ↑ Prem: Diane on future – Setanta Sports
  7. ↑ Al Nasr release star striker Bangoura until January gulfnews.com
  8. ↑ Late Call-up for Diané
  9. ↑ "Diané, Amara". National Football Teams. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
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