1. Overview
Issa Kallon (born January 3, 1996) is a professional footballer who plays primarily as a winger for Chinese Super League club Chengdu Rongcheng. Born in the Netherlands, Kallon represented the Netherlands at various youth levels before choosing to play for the Sierra Leone national team at the senior level. His career has seen him play for several clubs across the Netherlands and China, achieving league titles in both countries.
2. Early Life and Background
Issa Kallon was born on January 3, 1996, in Zeist, Netherlands. He holds Sierra Leonean descent, which later influenced his decision regarding international representation. Standing at 70 in (179 cm) tall, Kallon began his football journey in his native Netherlands.
3. Club Career
Issa Kallon's professional football journey began in the youth ranks of Dutch clubs before he transitioned to senior play and subsequently moved to the Chinese football league.
3.1. Youth Career
Kallon started his youth football career with VV Jonathan from 2003 to 2005. He then joined the youth academy of SBV Vitesse in 2005, where he developed his skills until 2014. Following his time at Vitesse, he transferred to the youth system of FC Utrecht before making his professional debut.
3.2. Senior Career
Kallon's senior career began at FC Utrecht. He made his Eredivisie debut on August 24, 2014, in an away match against Feyenoord, which Utrecht won 2-1.
On July 27, 2016, Kallon moved to FC Emmen on a one-year loan deal for the 2016-17 season. After his loan spell, on August 14, 2017, he permanently joined SC Cambuur and signed a two-year contract. Kallon spent five years with Cambuur, becoming a key player, before his contract expired on June 30, 2022, leading to his departure.
Following his successful stint in the Netherlands, Kallon ventured to Asia, joining Chinese Super League club Shanghai Port on July 28, 2022. He remained with Shanghai Port for a period before moving to another Chinese club. On February 9, 2024, Kallon transferred to Nantong Zhiyun, a fellow Chinese Super League team. His most recent move saw him join Chengdu Rongcheng on February 18, 2024.
4. International Career
Born in the Netherlands, Issa Kallon holds Sierra Leonean descent. He was a prominent youth international for the Netherlands, representing them across several age groups.
Kallon's youth international career for the Netherlands included:
- Netherlands U-15 from 2010 to 2011, appearing in 5 matches and scoring 1 goal.
- Netherlands U-16 from 2011 to 2012, with 4 appearances and 1 goal.
- Netherlands U-17 in 2012, making 5 appearances.
- Netherlands U-18 in 2013, playing in 3 matches.
- Netherlands U-19 from 2013 to 2015, featuring in 15 matches and scoring 2 goals.
- Netherlands U-20 in 2015, with 1 appearance.
At the senior level, Kallon decided to represent Sierra Leone. He was included in the Sierra Leone squad for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations. His senior debut for Sierra Leone occurred on January 16, 2022, in a 2-2 draw against the Ivory Coast. As of February 3, 2022, he had earned 4 caps for Sierra Leone.
5. Career Statistics
As of July 23, 2024, Issa Kallon's career statistics are as follows:
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Utrecht | 2014-15 | Eredivisie | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 5 | 0 | ||
| 2015-16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| Emmen (loan) | 2016-17 | Eerste Divisie | 37 | 4 | 4 | 1 | - | 4 | 1 | 41 | 5 | |
| Cambuur | 2017-18 | Eerste Divisie | 31 | 2 | 3 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 35 | 4 | |
| 2018-19 | 27 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 4 | 0 | 34 | 0 | |||
| 2019-20 | 22 | 6 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 23 | 6 | ||||
| 2020-21 | 31 | 11 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 32 | 11 | ||||
| 2021-22 | Eredivisie | 32 | 5 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 33 | 5 | |||
| Total | 143 | 24 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 157 | 26 | ||
| Shanghai Port | 2022 | Chinese Super League | 18 | 1 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 21 | 2 | ||
| 2023 | 23 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 24 | 5 | |||
| Total | 41 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 7 | ||
| Nantong Zhiyun | 2024 | Chinese Super League | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 13 | 3 | ||
| Career Total | 240 | 37 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 266 | 42 | ||
6. Honours
Issa Kallon has achieved the following honours with his clubs:
Cambuur
- Eerste Divisie: 2020-21
Shanghai Port
- Chinese Super League: 2023