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Salou Ibrahim
Personal information
Full name	Salou Ibrahim
Date of birth	29 May 1979 (age 45)
Place of birth	Kumasi, Ghana
Height	1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Hoboken
Youth career
1996–1998	King Faisal Babes
Senior career*
Years	Team
1998–1999	Wandsbek 81
2000–2004	Turnhout
2004–2005	Kortrijk
2005–2006	Zulte Waregem
2006–2008	Club Brugge
2008–2009	MSV Duisburg
2009–2010	Vejle
2010–2011	New York Red Bulls
2012	OH Leuven
2012–2013	La Louvière Centre
2013–2014	Hoogstraten
2015–2016	Destelbergen
2016–	Hoboken
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 29 May 2014

Salou Ibrahim (also sometimes known as Ibrahim Salou; born 29 May 1979 in Kumasi) is a Ghanaian footballer currently with Hoboken playing in the Belgian Provincial leagues.^[1]

Club career

Early career

Salou started to play for King Faisal Babes, a Ghanaian football club based in the Ashanti city of Kumasi. After two seasons, he was signed by German club TuS Wandsbek 81.

Belgium

In 2000, he signed for FC Turnhout in Belgium, where he stayed for four seasons. During the 2003–04 season, Salou scored 16 goals in 26 appearances for FC Turnhout and began to draw attention from higher-level clubs.

In 2004, he signed for KV Kortrijk, that started his first season in the Belgian Second Division. After one season he went to S.V. Zulte-Waregem in the Belgian First Division and scored nine goals in 29 league appearances (14 goals in all competitions),^[2] helping his side capture the 2006 Belgian Cup.

As a result of his play with Zulte-Waregem, Salou received offers from the top two sides in Belgian football RSC Anderlecht and Club Brugge as well as other European sides including AEK Athens and RC Lens. He decided on Club Brugge and joined the club in 2006.^[3] On 2 November 2006, Salou scored his clubs lone goal in a 3–1 loss to Premier League club Tottenham in a UEFA Cup match played at White Hart Lane.^[4] In two seasons with the club, Salou appeared in 46 Belgian First Division matches scoring five goals.^[5] He also helped the club capture the 2006–07 Belgian Cup. There he also stayed for two seasons before returning to Germany.

MSV Duisburg

In 2008, he moved to MSV Duisburg.^[6] Prior to joining Duisburg, Salou was close to signing with FC Rapid București.^[7] On 8 August 2010, Salou scored eleven minutes into his debut with MSV Duisburg in a DFB-Pokal match against ASV Bergedorf that ended in a 5–1 victory.^[8]

Vejle

After only six months in Duisburg, Salou signed with Vejle Boldklub. On 1 March 2009, Salou scored his first goal in the Danish Superliga in a 1–1 draw with AGF Aarhus. During his time at the club Salou appeared in 20 official matches and scored 4 goals.

New York Red Bulls

Salou went on trial for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer during March 2010.^[9] On 20 March 2010, Salou started and played 67 minutes for Red Bulls in a 3–1 victory against Santos FC, which was the first match played at the new Red Bull Arena.^[10] After impressing during his trial spell, Salou was signed on 23 March 2010 by New York Red Bulls. On 24 April 2010, Salou scored his first league goal for New York in a 2–1 victory over Philadelphia Union.^[11] On 21 October 2010, Salou started and played a full 90 minutes for Red Bulls in a 2–0 victory over New England Revolution helping his side clinch the regular season Eastern Conference title.^[12]

Salou began the 2011 season with New York but was waived on 21 March 2011, two days after the club's first match of the season.^[13]

Return to Belgium

Salou returned to Belgium in the beginning of 2012, signing for newly promoted Oud-Heverlee Leuven on 20 January 2012.^[14] Although mostly as a substitute, he played in 9 matches for OHL during the second half of the 2011–12 season, but failed to get on the score sheet in the process. At the end of the season, he was released.

Salou signed with La Louvière Centre in July 2012.^[15] After one season there, Salou signed with Hoogstraten in July 2013.^[16]

In November 2014 Salou signed with Destelbergen.^[17]

International career

Salou was born in Ghana, but received his Belgian nationality in 2005. Following a successful campaign with S.V. Zulte-Waregem during the 2005–06 season, Salou started to garner interest from the Belgium national football team.^[18] After deciding to represent his native country, in 2006 Salou was called up for Ghana but decided not to join the national side due to a dispute involving obtaining his visa.^[19] Coach Claude Le Roy made efforts to persuade him to join the Black Stars, but Salou declined.^[20]