Ahmed Kantari

Last updated

Ahmed Kantari
Ahmed Kantari.jpg
Kantari in 2010
Personal information
Date of birth (1985-06-28) 28 June 1985 (age 40)
Place of birth Blois, France
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position Centre-back
Team information
Current team
Nantes (head coach)
Youth career
Blois Football 41
Paris Saint-Germain
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2005–2006 Paris Saint-Germain 0 (0)
2006–2008 Strasbourg 8 (0)
2007–2008Brest (loan) 17 (0)
2008–2013 Brest 134 (4)
2013–2015 Lens 59 (2)
2015 Toronto FC 12 (0)
2016–2019 Valenciennes 40 (0)
Total270(6)
International career
2005–2006 Morocco U20 1 (0)
2005–2014 Morocco 16 (0)
Managerial career
2022–2023 Valenciennes B
2023–2024 Valenciennes
2025– Nantes
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ahmed Kantari (born 28 June 1985) is a professional football coach and a former player who played as a centre-back. Born in France, he represented Morocco at international level. He is the current head coach of Ligue 1 club Nantes.

Contents

Club career

After a ten-year career playing in France with various clubs, Kantari signed with Toronto FC in Major League Soccer. [1]

He was released by Toronto on 13 January 2016. [2]

In late January 2019, at the age of 33, Kantari ended his professional career. [3]

International career

Kantari played for Morocco participating in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification.

Coaching career

On 26 November 2024, Valenciennes announced that Kantari was suspended as head coach of the club. [4]

On 10 December 2025, he became head coach of Nantes. [5]

References

  1. "TFC adds Moroccan international Kantari". TSN. 24 July 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  2. "Toronto FC waives Moroccan defender Kantari – Sportsnet.ca". Sportsnet.ca. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  3. Gotte, Richard (28 January 2019). "VAFC : Ahmed Kantari met un terme à sa carrière de joueur" [VAFC: Ahmed Kantari ends his playing career]. La Voix du Nord (in French). Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  4. "Communiqué du VAFC: Ahmed Kantari mis à pied à titre conservatoire" [VAFC press release: Ahmed Kantari suspended as a precautionary measure] (in French). Valenciennes. 26 November 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  5. Penoignon, Christophe; Phelippeau, David (10 December 2025). "FC Nantes. Luis Castro viré, Ahmed Kantari revient" [FC Nantes. Luis Castro sacked, Ahmed Kantari returns]. Ouest France (in French). Retrieved 20 December 2025.