Cheikhou Kouyaté

Cheikhou Kouyaté (born 21 December 1989) is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Premier League club Crystal Palace and captains the Senegal national team.[3][4]

Cheikhou Kouyaté

Kouyaté playing for West Ham United in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Cheikhou Kouyaté[1]
Date of birth	(1989-12-21) 21 December 1989
Place of birth	Dakar, Senegal
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)[2]
Playing position(s)	Midfielder, defender
Club information
Current team	Crystal Palace
Number	8
Youth career
1996–2006	ASC Yego Dakar
2006–2007	RWDM Brussels
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2007–2008	RWDM Brussels	10	(0)
2008–2014	Anderlecht	153	(4)
2008–2009	→ Kortrijk (loan)	26	(3)
2014–2018	West Ham United	129	(12)
2018–	Crystal Palace	66	(1)
National team^‡
2007	Senegal U20	3	(2)
2012	Senegal Olympic	4	(0)
2012–	Senegal	57	(2)
Honours Africa Cup of Nations Runner-up 2019 Egypt
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18:13, 26 July 2020 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23:43, 17 November 2019 (UTC)

Kouyaté moved from Senegal to Belgium in 2006, having been offered a youth contract at RWDM Brussels. After breaking into the first team, he went on to play just ten appearances before moving to Anderlecht aged 19. In June 2014, he joined West Ham of the Premier League. He represented the Senegal national team at the 2012 Olympics.

Career

Kouyaté praying before a West Ham match, 2014

Early career

Kouyaté began his footballing career in 1996 in his hometown with ASC Yego Dakar and was scouted by RWDM Brussels in September 2006. RWDM Brussels then signed the player in January the following year.[5] He went on to play ten league appearances for the first team between 2007 and 2008.[6]

Anderlecht

As Kouyaté turned 19, he left Brussels because his former employers did not pay him three months' worth of wages. He subsequently moved to Belgian rivals Anderlecht on a four-year deal for a free transfer.[7] After a loan to KV Kortrijk, he returned to Anderlecht. Kouyaté went on to make 153 league appearances for Anderlecht, scoring four goals in five seasons at the club. He won the 2009–10, 2011–12, 2012–13 and 2013–14 league titles as well as the 2010–11, 2012–13 and 2013–14 Belgian Super Cups.[6][8]

West Ham United

2014–15 season

On 18 June 2014, Kouyaté signed for West Ham United on a four-year contract.[9] He made his West Ham debut on 16 August 2014 in a 1–0 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. His performance was described as "impressive" by the BBC.[10] The following week, manager Sam Allardyce compared him to ex-Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira.[11] On 28 December, Kouyaté scored his first West Ham goal in a 1–2 defeat to Arsenal.[12] His second goal of the season came on 8 February 2015 in a 1–1 draw with Manchester United. His performance in the game won praise from manager Allardyce for Kouyaté's Man of the Match performance which was also singled out as the Individual Performance of the Season, by a West Ham player, at the clubs' annual awards.[13][14] He scored two further goals in the season, in a 2–2 away draw with Tottenham and in a 2–1 away defeat to Leicester City.[15][16] Kouyaté finished the season having played 31 out of a possible 38 Premier League games.[17]

2015–16 season

On 9 August 2015, Kouyaté scored the opening goal in the 43rd minute in a 2–0 win over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.[18] He then scored in a 4–3 home defeat to AFC Bournemouth on 22 August.[19] He scored his third goal of the season in a 2–2 draw with Norwich City on 26 September, netting the equalizer in the 90th minute to rescue a point for West Ham.[20] In March 2016, Kouyate signed a new, five-year contract with West Ham that could keep him at the club until 2021.[21] Kouyaté was sent-off twice during the 2015–16 season and on both occasions had the card rescinded by The Football Association (FA). On 21 February, he was dismissed by referee Jonathan Moss in a 5–1 FA Cup win at Blackburn Rovers, only for the card to be rescinded a few days later.[22][23] On 2 April, he was dismissed in a Premier League game at the Boleyn Ground against Crystal Palace by referee Mark Clattenburg. This too, however, was overturned a few days later.[24]

2016–17 season

On 4 August 2016, Kouyaté scored West Ham's first ever goal at the Olympic Stadium, coming in the eighth minute of a Europa League game against NK Domžale. He also scored the second in the game, which West Ham won 3–0.[25] On 26 October 2016, Kouyaté scored the opening goal in a 2–1 EFL Cup victory against rivals Chelsea.[26] On 8 April 2017, Kouyaté scored a "stunning low 25-yard strike", as West Ham beat relegation rivals Swansea City.[27]

2017–18 season

On 23 September 2017, Kouyaté scored his first goal of the season in a 3–2 loss against Tottenham.[28] Kouyaté's final goal for the club came on 24 November 2017, scoring the equaliser in a 1–1 draw with Leicester City.[29] Kouyaté marked the headed goal with a lowered crossed-armed celebration, designed to help raise awareness about the ongoing slavery in Libya.[30]

Crystal Palace

On 1 August 2018, Kouyaté completed a move to fellow London club Crystal Palace, for an undisclosed fee, believed to be £9.5 million.[31][32]

International career

Kouyaté was called up aged 18 to the Senegal under-20s in the same year as his RWDM Brussels debut. He scored two goals in just three games for the side in 2007.

In February 2012, Kouyaté was called up to the Senegal senior team. In the same year, he was announced to be in the squad for Senegal Olympic football team. He played in every game as Senegal's debut appearance in the tournament ended in a knockout in the quarter-final. In January 2015, he was a member of Senegal's squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, held in Equatorial Guinea.[33] Kouyaté is the current Senegalese captain. In May 2018 he was named in Senegal's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[34]

Career statistics

Club

As of 26 July 2020[8][35]

Club	Season	League			Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
RWDM Brussels	2007–08	Belgian First Division	10	0	0	0	—		—		10	0
Anderlecht	2009–10	Belgian Pro League	21	1	3	1	—		9	0	33	2
	2010–11		23	1	2	0	—		8	0	33	1
	2011–12		38	0	0	0	—		10	0	48	0
	2012–13		33	1	4	0	—		8	0	45	1
	2013–14		38	1	2	0	—		7	0	47	1
	Total		153	4	11	1	—		42	0	206	5
Kortrijk (loan)	2008–09	Belgian First Division	26	3	0	0	—		—		26	3
West Ham United	2014–15	Premier League	31	4	1	0	0	0	—		32	4
	2015–16		34	5	5	0	1	0	2[lower-alpha 1]	0	42	5
	2016–17		31	1	0	0	2	1	3[lower-alpha 1]	2	36	4
	2017–18		33	2	1	0	3	0	—		37	2
	Total		129	12	7	0	6	1	5	2	147	15
Crystal Palace	2018–19	Premier League	31	0	4	0	2	0	—		37	0
	2019–20	Premier League	35	1	1	0	0	0	—		36	1
	Total		66	1	5	0	2	0	0	0	73	1
Career total			382	20	23	1	8	1	47	2	460	24

1. Appearances in UEFA Europa League

International

As of 17 November 2019[36]

Senegal
Year	Apps	Goals
2012	5	0
2013	2	0
2014	5	0
2015	9	2
2016	6	0
2017	10	0
2018	9	0
2019	11	0
Total	57	2

International goals

Scores and results list Senegal's goal tally first.[36]

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	5 September 2015	Sam Nujoma Stadium, Windhoek, Namibia	Namibia	1–0	2–0	2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
2.	15 November 2015	Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor, Dakar, Senegal	Madagascar	1–0	3–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

Anderlecht

• Belgian Pro League: 2009–10, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14[8]
• Belgian Super Cup: 2010, 2012, 2013[8]

References

1. "Squads for 2016/17 Premier League confirmed". Premier League. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
2. "Premier League Player Profile Cheikhou Kouyaté". Premier League. 2015. Archived from the original on 19 February 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
3. "Kouyate Signs For Palace". Retrieved 1 August 2018.
4. "Cheikhou Kouyate: Crystal Palace sign midfielder from West Ham". BBC Sport. 1 August 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
5. FC BRUSSELS Players Archived 30 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine on www.rwdm-brussels.be
6. "CHEIKHOU KOUYATE". West Ham United F.C. Archived from the original on 15 January 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
7. Cheikhou Kouyaté moet van de rechter naar Anderlecht on www.nieuwsblad.be
8. Cheikhou Kouyaté at Soccerway
9. Hammers complete Kouyate transfer Archived 28 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine on www.whufc.com
10. Rose, Gary (16 August 2014). "West Ham United 0–1 Tottenham Hotspur". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
11. "Sam Allardyce: When I look at West Ham signing Cheikhou Kouyate I see Patrick Vieira". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
12. "West Ham United 1–2 Arsenal". Jamaica Observer. Archived from the original on 10 July 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
13. "Allardyce singles out West Ham star for special praise after Manchester United draw". london24.com. Archived from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
14. "Kouyate's vote of thanks". West Ham United F.C. Archived from the original on 11 May 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
15. "Tottenham 2–2 West Ham". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
16. "Leicester City 2–1 West Ham United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
17. "Games played by Cheikhou Kouyaté in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
18. Osborne, Chris (9 August 2015). "Arsenal 0–2 West Ham". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
19. "West Ham United 3 - 4 AFC Bournemouth Match report - 22/08/2015 Premier League — Goal.com". goal.com. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
20. "West Ham United 2–2 Norwich City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
21. "Cheik's in for five more years!". West Ham United F.C. 18 March 2016. Archived from the original on 20 March 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
22. "Blackburn 1–5 West Ham United". BBC Sport. 21 February 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
23. "Kouyate red card rescinded". West Ham United F.C. 23 February 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
24. "West Ham: Cheikhou Kouyate red card rescinded by FA". BBC Sport. 5 April 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
25. "West Ham United 3–0 NK Domzale (agg 4–2)". BBC Sport. 4 August 2016.
26. "West Ham United vs. Chelsea 2–1". Soccerway. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
27. "West Ham United 1–0 Swansea City". BBC Sport. 8 April 2017. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
28. "West Ham United vs. Tottenham Hotspur 2–3". Soccerway. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
29. "West Ham United vs. Leicester City 1–1". Soccerway. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
30. "Pogba's gesture raises Libya slave trade awareness '100-fold'". Goal. 3 December 2017. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
31. "Kouyate Signs For Palace". cpfc.co.uk. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
32. Aarons, Ed (1 August 2018). "Crystal Palace sign Cheikhou Kouyaté and close on Swansea's Jordan Ayew". theguardian.com. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
33. "Senegal off to the perfect start". West Ham United F.C. Archived from the original on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
34. "Revealed: Every World Cup 2018 squad – 23-man & preliminary lists & when will they be announced?". Goal. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
35. "Cheikhou Kouyaté". Soccerbase. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
36. "Cheikhou Kouyaté". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman. Retrieved 15 July 2018.

External links

• Cheikhou Kouyaté at Soccerbase