Amadou Kassaraté

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Amadou Kassaraté

| image =

| fullname =

| height =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|1|14|df=y}}

| birth_place = London, England

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub = Folkestone Invicta

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Tottenham Hotspur

| youthyears2 = {{0|0000}}–2015

| youthclubs2 = Welling United

| years1 = 2015

| clubs1 = Walton Casuals

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 2016–2017

| clubs2 = Dumbarton

| caps2 = 0

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2016–2017

| clubs3 = → Kirkintilloch Rob Roy (loan)

| caps3 =

| goals3 =

| years4 = 2017

| clubs4 = → Stranraer (loan)

| caps4 = 13

| goals4 = 2

| years5 = 2017-2018

| clubs5 = Cheshunt

| caps5 = 10

| goals5 = 1

| years6 = 2018–2019

| clubs6 = Thesprotos

| caps6 = 15

| goals6 = 4

| years7 = 2019–2020

| clubs7 = Cheshunt

| caps7 = 18

| goals7 = 3

| years8 = 2021–2022

| clubs8 = Cheshunt

| caps8 = 29

| goals8 = 6

| years9 = 2022–2023

| clubs9 = Welling United

| caps9 = 52

| goals9 = 1

| years10 = 2023–2024

| clubs10 = Bishop's Stortford

| caps10 = 21

| goals10 = 2

| years11 = 2024–

| clubs11 = Folkestone Invicta

| caps11 = 1

| goals11 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2015

| nationalteam1 = Senegal U20

| nationalcaps1 = 2

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| club-update = 11:25, 26 August 2024 (UTC)

}}

Amadou Kassaraté (born 14 January 1996) is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for {{English football updater|FolkestI}} club Folkestone Invicta. He is also eligible to play for the Senegal national football team, on account of his parents' birth in Senegal.

Early life and education

Amadou Kassaraté was born on 14 January 1996 in London, England,{{cite web |title=Amadou Kassaraté |website=Soccerway |url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/amadou-kassarate/449455/ |access-date=14 October 2024}} to Senegalese parents.

He attended Thomas Tallis Secondary School.{{cite web|url=http://www.esfa.co.uk/competitions/?2009/Boys/u14b_sc/1 |title=2009–10 Boys Competition |publisher=ESFA Official Website |accessdate=17 July 2016 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160717105942/http://www.esfa.co.uk/competitions/?2009%2FBoys%2Fu14b_sc%2F1 |archivedate=17 July 2016 |url-status=live }}

Career

After starting his career with Welling United, Kassarate joined Walton Casuals in February 2015.{{cite web|title=AMADOU KASSARATE COMPLETES MOVE|url=http://www.waltoncasuals.com/news/amadou-kassarate-completes-move/|accessdate=15 July 2016 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160717110325/http://www.waltoncasuals.com/news/amadou-kassarate-completes-move/|archivedate=17 July 2016|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} However, he failed to make an appearance for the Isthmian Division One South club and left at the end of the season.

In December 2015, he joined Scottish Championship side Dumbarton's under-20 side. After impressing for them he signed a first team deal in July 2016 alongside fellow under-20s player Ryan Clark,{{cite web|title=Development Players Sign |url=http://www.dumbartonfootballclub.com/news/?mode=view&id=2553 |accessdate=15 July 2016 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160715215635/http://www.dumbartonfootballclub.com/news/?mode=view&id=2553|archivedate=15 July 2016 |url-status=live}} having made his debut as a trialist in a pre-season friendly with Dundee.{{cite web|title=Dumbarton (1) v Dundee (2)|url=http://www.dumbartonfootballclub.com/matchreports/?id=886 |accessdate=15 July 2016 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160717111247/http://www.dumbartonfootballclub.com/matchreports/?id=886|archivedate=17 July 2016|url-status=live}} He made his senior debut for the club as a substitute in a 6–2 defeat to Dundee.{{cite web|last1=Christie|first1=James|title=Dundee vs Dumbarton |url=http://www.dundeefc.co.uk/fixtures-and-results/dundee-vs-dumbarton-3 |accessdate=23 July 2016 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160724163110/http://www.dundeefc.co.uk/fixtures-and-results/dundee-vs-dumbarton-3|archivedate=2016-07-24|url-status=live}}

He joined Junior side Kirkintilloch Rob Roy on loan in September 2016.{{cite web|last1=Findlay|first1=Alan|title=Amadou Kassarate joins Rob Roy on loan |url=http://www.dumbartonfootballclub.com/news/?mode=view&id=2701 |accessdate=30 September 2016}}

On 3 February 2017, Kassaraté moved on loan to Scottish League One side Stranraer, joining up with former Dumbarton assistant manager and current Stranraer boss, Stephen Farrell.{{cite web |url=http://www.stranraerfc.org/index.php/latest-news/682-amadou-kassarate |title=Amadou Kassaraté |publisher=Stranraer FC |date=3 February 2017 |accessdate=3 February 2017 |archive-date=4 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204170229/http://www.stranraerfc.org/index.php/latest-news/682-amadou-kassarate |url-status=dead }} He scored his first senior goal with a spectacular bicycle kick against Stenhousemuir in April 2017.{{cite web|title=Stranraer 3-0 Stenhouse Muir |url=http://www.stranraerfc.org/index.php/latest-news/739-stenny-20170401 |website=Stranraer FC|accessdate=1 April 2017|archive-date=2 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170402081120/http://www.stranraerfc.org/index.php/latest-news/739-stenny-20170401|url-status=dead}}

On 5 October 2018, Kassaraté joined Greek side Thesprotos.{{cite web |url=https://theball.gr/paiktis-toy-thesprotoy-o-kasarate/|title=Παίκτης του Θεσπρωτού ο Κασαρατέ|website=theball.gr|date=5 October 2018|accessdate=8 October 2018|language=Greek|trans-title=Player of Thesproto Kassarate}}[https://englishplayersabroad.com/2020/06/25/amadou-kassarate-securing-promotion-in-greece-after-a-roller-coaster-year/ Amadou Kassaraté: Securing promotion in Greece after a roller-coaster year] englishplayersabroad.com On his second appearance for his new club on 4 November 2018, he scored his first goal, a header in a 3–0 win over Souli Paramythia.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcRCxKSsT6c|title=Θεσπρωτός - Σούλι Παραμυθιάς 3-0 (theball.gr)|work=theball|date=4 November 2018|accessdate=7 November 2018|trans-title=Thesprotos - Souli Paramythias 3-0}} He was part of the side who secured promotion to the Greek Football League after winning 3–0 on aggregate in the Gamma Ethniki promotion playoffs.{{cite web|url=https://www.agonasport.com/agonasport-allnews/ionikos-and-thesprotos-return-to-professional-football-historic-promotion-for-triglia|title=IONIKOS AND THESPROTOS RETURN TO PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL, HISTORIC 'PROMOTION' FOR TRIGLIA|website=agonasport.com|date=12 May 2019|accessdate=13 May 2019}}

In November 2019, Kassaraté rejoined Isthmian League Premier Division side Cheshunt.{{cite web |url=https://www.isthmian.co.uk/ambers-signalmost-everyone-59566|title=Ambers Sign...Almost Everyone|website=isthmian.co.uk|date=2 November 2019|accessdate=25 June 2020}} He went on to make 16 appearances in all competitions, scoring three times.{{cite web |url=https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/cheshunt/appearances/amadou-kassarate/799040|title=Cheshunt – Appearances – Amadou Kassarate|website=footballwebpages.co.uk|accessdate=25 June 2020}} In May 2022, he scored in the play-off final to help Cheshunt secure promotion to National League South.{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/may/05/best-non-league-football-stories-you-may-have-missed-dover-cheshunt-scarborough-taunton-isle-of-man |title=Zeros and heroes: the best non-league football stories you may have missed |website=theguardian.com|date=5 May 2022|accessdate=10 May 2022}}

Following a season-and-a-half with Welling United, Kassaraté joined National League North club Bishop's Stortford in December 2023.{{cite web |url=https://www.bsfc.co.uk/club-news/a-festive-feast-of-signings/|title=A festive feast of signings|website=www.bsfc.co.uk|date=23 December 2023|accessdate= 24 December 2023}}

In August 2024, Kassaraté joined Isthmian League Premier Division club Folkestone Invicta.{{cite web |url=https://folkestoneinvictafc.co.uk/2024/08/welcome-amadou-kassarate/|title=Welcome: Amadou Kassaraté|website=folkestoneinvictafc.co.uk|date=24 August 2024|accessdate=26 August 2024}}

International career

Kassaraté is eligible to play for England, through his birth country and Senegal, through his parents.{{citation needed|date=November 2019}} In April 2015, he was called up by Manager Joseph Koto to play for Senegal under-20s.{{cite news|title=Mondial U20 : Le Sénégal débute les préparatifs ce mardi|trans-title=U20 WORLD CUP: SENEGAL BEGINS PREPARATIONS ON TUESDAY|url=http://www.africatopsports.com/2015/04/14/mondial-u20-le-senegal-debute-les-preparatifs-ce-mardi/|publisher=Africa Top Sports|language=French|date=14 April 2015|accessdate=17 July 2016}} Kassaraté was expected to be included in the Senegal squad for the FIFA U-20 World Cup, but a foot injury prevented him from joining the squad.{{citation needed|date=November 2019}}

Personal life

Kassaraté is a former student of University of East London{{cite tweet|user=UEL_News|number=1266385770421653506|title=Amadou Kassarate pitches his luxury streetwear brand, made for those of African Decent [sic]|date=29 May 2020|accessdate=25 January 2021}} where he graduated with a degree in sport and exercise science. He is the founder of urban streetwear clothing brand Sapécomejamais.{{cite web|url=https://www.itv.com/news/london/2020-09-08/meet-the-footballer-launching-clothing-range-inspired-by-african-culture|title=Meet the footballer launching clothing range inspired by African culture|website=itv.com|date=25 January 2021|accessdate=25 January 2021}}

Career statistics

=Club=

rowspan=2\|Club !rowspan=2\|Season !colspan=3\|League !colspan=2\|Cup !colspan=2\|League Cup !colspan=2\|Other !colspan=2\|Total
class=wikitable style="text-align: center;" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
rowspan=1\|Dumbarton \|2016–17 \|Scottish Championship \|0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	2	0
rowspan=1\|Stranraer \|2016–17 \|Scottish League One \|13	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	13	2
colspan=3\|Scotland total !13	2	0	0	2	0	0	0	15	2
rowspan=1\|Thesprotos \|2018–19 \|Gamma Ethniki \|15	4	0	0	0	0	2{{efn\|Appearances in Gamma Ethniki play-offs}}	0	17	4
colspan=3\|Greece total !15	4	0	0	0	0	2	0	17	4
colspan=3\|Career total !28	6	0	0	2	0	2	0	32	6