Mansour Assoumani Gammali (born 30 January 1983) is a French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 born Malian

Mali national football team

The Mali national football team, nicknamed Les Aigles , is the national team of Mali and is controlled by the Fédération Malienne de Football. They have never qualified for the World Cup finals.-History:...

  footballer. A centre-back who can also play at right full-back, he is 6 feet 2 inches tall. His parents originate from the Comoros

Comoros

The Comoros , officially the Union of the Comoros is an archipelago island nation in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Africa, on the northern end of the Mozambique Channel, between northeastern Mozambique and northwestern Madagascar...

.

Career

Assoumani began his career in the French First Division with Montpellier HSC

Montpellier HSC

Montpellier Hérault Sport Club is a French association football club based in the city of Montpellier. The club was founded in 1919 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Montpellier plays its home matches at the Stade de la Mosson, located within the city...

 on 18 August 2001. He played 72 matches for the club (43 in D1, 29 in D2) and registered four goals (two in D1 and two in D2). After five seasons he joined the German club 1. FC Saarbrücken

1. FC Saarbrücken

1. FC Saarbrücken is a German association football club based in the city of Saarbrücken, Saarland. The club began its existence as the football department of Turnverein Malstatt formed in 1903...

 and, subsequently, Sportfreunde Siegen

Sportfreunde Siegen

Sportfreunde Siegen is a German association football club based in Siegen, North Rhine-Westphalia. The club was founded in 1899 as the football department of the gymnastics club Turn Verein Jahn von 1879 Siegen...

. Prior to joining Leeds United, Assoumani spent time on trial at Sheffield United

Sheffield United F.C.

Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...

 but failed to impress sufficiently to earn a permanent deal.

Leeds United

On 17 December 2008, Assoumani was handed a one-month contract with League One

Football League One

Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

 team Leeds United

Leeds United A.F.C.

Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...

 after a successful trial which also saw him score a goal in a reserve team

Reserve team

Large professional sports clubs often have far more players under contract than could possibly play in a match. As a result, many of these clubs create second teams composed of players who need playing time, but have little hope of playing on the first team. The players on this second team are...

 game against York City

York City F.C.

York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions...

. He made his debut three days later in a 3–1 defeat to Milton Keynes Dons

Milton Keynes Dons F.C.

.Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 2004 and based since 2007 at Stadium mk, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire...

. He played the first half at right-back, but due to the substitution of Ľubomír Michalík

Lubomír Michalík

Ľubomír Michalík is a Slovakian footballer who plays as a centre back for Carlisle United and the Slovakian national team.-Bolton Wanderers:...

 at half-time, Assoumani played the second half in his more favoured position of centre-back.

Assoumani was unfortunate that Gary McAllister

Gary McAllister

Gary McAllister MBE is a Scottish former professional footballer.McAllister played primarily as a midfielder, in a successful career spanning over nineteen years. He started his career at local side Motherwell before moving south of the border to Leicester City at the age of 20...

 who signed him was sacked after the game after a run of 5 defeats in a row. Assoumani didn't figure at all under new manager Simon Grayson

Simon Grayson

Simon Nicholas Grayson is a retired English footballer and current manager of Leeds United. He is the elder brother of cricketer Paul Grayson....

. He was released on January 18, 2009. On 22 January 2009 he was offered a week long trial with Crewe Alexandra

Crewe Alexandra F.C.

Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...

 however he was released without being offered a contract.

Wrexham

On 26 March 2009, Assoumani joined Conference National

Conference National

Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...

 side Wrexham, making his debut on 7 April in a 0–0 draw with Histon

Histon F.C.

Histon Football Club is an English football club based in the twin villages of Histon and Impington, approximately north of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire. From the 2007–08 season they competed in the Conference National, the highest level that the club has ever reached in the English football league...

.

Stockport County

Assounami signed for League Two side Stockport County

Stockport County F.C.

Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...

 on 2 August 2010. Assoumani scored his first goal for County in their 2-0 win over Macclesfield Town

Macclesfield Town F.C.

Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...

 on 4 September 2010.

After making 36 appearances for county, in May 2011 he was informed that he would not be offered a contract by the club for the 2011/12 season.

Assoumani Thistle FC

In tribute to Mansour, a group of university students set up a football team in honour of his name. Assoumani Thistle F.C compete in the University of Central Lancashire

University of Central Lancashire

The University of Central Lancashire is a university based in Preston, Lancashire, England.The university has its roots in The Institution For The Diffusion Of Useful Knowledge which was founded in 1828. In 1992 it was granted University status by the Privy Council...

's Student Union League. After winning their opening game in the division 9-1, Thistle have since gone on to lose the next six matches.

External links

• Official website
• Mansour Assoumani profile at the Wrexham website