Amadou Bakayoko

Amadou Bakayoko (born 1 January 1996) is a Sierra Leonean professional footballer who plays as a forward for Scottish Premiership club Dundee, on loan from EFL League Two club Forest Green Rovers, and the Sierra Leone national team.

Not to be confused with Amadou Bagayoko.

Amadou Bakayoko
Personal information
Full name Amadou Bakayoko[1]
Date of birth (1996-01-01) 1 January 1996[2]
Place of birth Kenema, Sierra Leone
Height 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Dundee
(on loan from Forest Green Rovers)
Number 9
Youth career
0000–2013 Walsall
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2018 Walsall 93 (9)
2014–2015 → Southport (loan) 11 (2)
2015 → AFC Telford United (loan) 6 (0)
2016 → Worcester City (loan) 9 (3)
2018–2021 Coventry City 68 (11)
2021–2023 Bolton Wanderers 52 (11)
2023– Forest Green Rovers 19 (0)
2023– → Dundee (loan) 8 (1)
International career‡
2022– Sierra Leone 10 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:00, 24 October 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19:00, 17 October 2022 (UTC)

Club career

Bakayoko was born in Sierra Leone but lived in Guinea until the age of six, before moving to the Netherlands where he lived until he was 10.[3] After moving to England, he began playing in Birmingham before winning a scholarship at Walsall.[3] After prolific goalscoring at youth and reserve team level, Bakayoko was offered a one-year professional contract at Walsall in December 2013.[4] He made his debut for the "Saddlers" on 5 April, replacing Michael Ngoo 68 minutes into a 1–0 defeat to Port Vale at Vale Park.[5]

On 9 October 2014, Bakayoko joined Conference Premier side Southport on a month's loan.[6] He made a scoring debut as a substitute in Southport's 2–0 victory over Braintree Town.[7] Bakayoko scored his second goal for Southport in a 3–2 victory over Nuneaton Town on 22 November 2014.[8]

Bakayoko joined Worcester City on a one–month loan deal on 15 January 2016[9] and scored three league goals in the National League North for the club.

He scored his first goals for Walsall when he scored a hat-trick in an EFL Trophy tie against Grimsby Town on 30 August 2016.[10] He scored his first league goal in a 3–2 win over Shrewsbury Town on 15 October 2016, though he was later sent off in the same match.[11]

His contract was extended by Walsall at the end of the 2017–18 season after the club exercised an option.[12]

On 7 August 2018, Bakayoko joined League One side Coventry City for an undisclosed fee, signing a two-year deal.[13] On 12 May 2021, it was announced that he would leave Coventry at the end of the season, following the expiry of his contract.[14]

On 25 June 2021, Bakayoko joined League One side Bolton Wanderers on a two-year deal.[15] His competitive debut came on 7 August in a 3–3 draw against Milton Keynes Dons, with him scoring on his debut to put Bolton 2–1 up.[16]

On 12 January 2023, Bakayoko joined fellow League One club Forest Green Rovers on a permanent deal for an undisclosed fee.[17][18]

On 27 July 2023, Bakayoko joined Scottish Premiership club Dundee on a season-long loan from Rovers.[19] He made his debut for the Dark Blues as a substitute in a Scottish League Cup group stage win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle.[20] While a potential first goal against St Johnstone was given to teammate Scott Tiffoney instead,[21] Bakayoko's first undisputed goal came in a league game at home to Kilmarnock.[22]

International career

On 17 March 2022, Bakayoko was called up for the Sierra Leone national team for the first time in his career.[23] He was also eligible for the Guinea national team.[23]

He made his debut for Sierra Leone on 23 March 2022, as the side lost 3–0 to Togo in an international friendly.[24] He scored his first goal for them five days later, as he scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Liberia.[25]

Career statistics
As of match played 24 October 2023
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Walsall 2013–14[26] League One 6000000060
2014–15[27] League One 7000000070
2015–16[28] League One 0010000010
2016–17[29] League One 39410104[lower-alpha 1]64510
2017–18[30] League One 41511114[lower-alpha 1]1478
Total 93931218710618
Southport (loan) 2014–15[27][31] Conference Premier 11210—4[lower-alpha 2]1163
AFC Telford United (loan) 2015–16[32] National League North 6000—0060
Worcester City (loan) 2015–16[32] National League North 9300—0093
Coventry City 2018–19[33] League One 31700103[lower-alpha 1]0357
2019–20[34] League One 23451213[lower-alpha 1]0336
2020–21[35] Championship 1401020—170
Total 68116151608513
Bolton Wanderers 2021–22[36] League One 321021102[lower-alpha 1]23713
2022–23[37] League One 20110105[lower-alpha 1]2273
Total 52113120746416
Forest Green Rovers 2022–23[37] League One 190———190
Dundee (loan) 2023–24[38] Scottish Premiership 8100100091
Career total 26437133102251231154
  1. Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy
  2. Two appearances in FA Trophy; one appearance one goal in Liverpool Senior Cup, one appearance in Lancashire Senior Cup

    International goals
    As of match played 17 October 2023
    Appearances and goals by national team and year
    National team Year Apps Goals
    Sierra Leone 2022 7 1
    2023 3 1
    Total 10 2
    Scores and results list Sierra Leone's goal tally first.[39]
    No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
    1.27 March 2022Mardan Sports Complex, Aksu, Turkey Liberia1–01–0Friendly
    2.11 September 2023Estádio 24 de Setembro, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau1–01–22023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

    References
    1. "Professional Retain List & Free Transfers 2012/13" (PDF). The Football League. 3 June 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
    2. "Amadou Bakayoko". 11v11. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
    3. "HOW ARE FOOTBALLERS DEALING WITH LOCKDOWN?│AMADOU BAKAYOKO'S JOURNEY TO FOOTBALL". YouTube. 4 May 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
    4. "Amadou Bakayoko 'proud' to be given professional contract". BBC Sport. 2 December 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
    5. "Port Vale 1–0 Walsall". BBC Sport. 5 April 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
    6. "Walsall's Amadou Bakayoko joins Southport". Express & Star. 9 October 2014. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
    7. "Braintree 0–2 Southport". BBC Sport. 11 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
    8. "Nuneaton Town 2–3 Southport". BBC Sport. 22 November 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
    9. Briggs, Daniel (15 January 2016). "Bakayoko joins Worcester on loan". Walsall Football Club. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
    10. "Walsall 5 Grimsby 2". expressandstar.com. 30 August 2016. Archived from the original on 4 October 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
    11. "Walsall 3–2 Shrewsbury". BBC. 15 October 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
    12. "Erhun Oztumer: Walsall midfielder says he would like to leave Saddlers". BBC Sport. 11 May 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
    13. "Amadou Bakayoko: Coventry City sign striker from Walsall". BBC Sport. 7 August 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
    14. "NEWS: Coventry City confirm players that are leaving the Club at the end of the 2020/21 season". www.ccfc.co.uk.
    15. "Bakayoko is a Wanderer". twitter.com. 25 June 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
    16. BBC Sport: "Bolton Wanderers 3–3 Milton Keynes Dons"
    17. "Baka Seals Forest Green Switch". www.bwfc.co.uk. 12 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
    18. "Bakayoko is a Green". www.fgr.co.uk. 12 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
    19. petermceleny (27 July 2023). "Amadou joins the Dark Blues". Dundee Football Club - Official Website. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
    20. "Dundee bow out despite beating Inverness". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
    21. "Kucheriavyi nets late double in Dundee draw". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
    22. "Ten-man Dundee stun Kilmarnock with late leveller". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
    23. BWFC: "Baka Gets International Call"
    24. "BREAKING: Leone Stars Suffers Heavy Defeat to Togo. Checkout Full Time Scores". 24 March 2022.
    25. The Bolton News: "Sierra Leone coach's reaction to Bolton Wanderers' Amadou Bakayoko's first goal"
    26. "Games played by Amadou Bakayoko in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
    27. "Games played by Amadou Bakayoko in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
    28. "Games played by Amadou Bakayoko in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
    29. "Games played by Amadou Bakayoko in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
    30. "Games played by Amadou Bakayoko in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
    31. "Player Details: Amadou Bakayoko". SFC FPA. 9 November 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
    32. "Sierra Leone - A. Bakayoko - Profile with news, career statistics and history". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
    33. "Games played by Amadou Bakayoko in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
    34. "Games played by Amadou Bakayoko in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
    35. "Games played by Amadou Bakayoko in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
    36. "Games played by Amadou Bakayoko in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
    37. "Games played by Amadou Bakayoko in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
    38. "Games played by Amadou Bakayoko in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
    39. "Amadou Bakayoko". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
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