Full name Souleymane Youla Years Team Weight 80 kg Number 99 Height 1.80 m | Playing position Role Football player Place of birth Conakry, Guinea Name Souleymane Youla | |
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Date of birth (1981-11-29) 29 November 1981 (age 34) Current team Budapest Honved FC (#99 / Forward) | ||
Souleymane Youla (born 29 November 1981) is a Guinean football player, who plays for Ronse. He has Turkish citizenship with the name Süleyman Yula.
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Club
Youla's professional career started in Belgium in 1999, when Lokeren signed him to replace the departed Jan Koller, who had moved to Anderlecht. Scoring 9 goals in 14 matches, Youla played a successful season, before also being signed by Anderlecht. At Anderlecht, he faced fierce competition in the likes of Koller, Tomasz Radzinski, Aruna Dindane and Oleg Iachtchouk. He only remained for one season but is remembered by Anderlecht fans for his injury time winner against PSV Eindhoven in the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League, allowing Anderlecht to qualify for the Round of 16 as group winners. Youla moved to Turkey where he signed for Gençlerbirliği SK and played five seasons as a first team player. He signed for Beşiktaş J.K., got much less playing time and was loaned out for one season to French side FC Metz. At Metz, he was noticed by Lille, who signed him in 2007. After again a season where he did not receive much opportunities, he was loaned out back to Turkish side Eskişehirspor where he partnered up with Ümit Karan. The following season, the transfer was made permanent. Thereafter, Youla enjoyed two more seasons in Turkey, with Denizlispor and Orduspor. Following the 2010–11 season, he stayed unemployed until November 2012, when he was hired by Belgian team Sint-Niklaas to help the team remain in the Belgian Second Division. On 11 June 2016, Youla signed for North American Soccer League side Indy Eleven.
International
He was part of the Guinean 2004 African Nations Cup team who finished second in their group in the first round of competition. The team progressed to the quarter finals, where they lost to Mali. Youla is still a part of the Guinean National Team.
Career statistics
International
Statistics accurate as of match played 14 November 2009