Ahmed Kantari

Ahmed Kantari
	Kantari in 2010
Personal information
Date of birth	28 June 1985 (age 41)
Place of birth	Blois, France
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position	Centre-back
Youth career
	Blois Football 41
	Paris Saint-Germain
Senior career*
Years	Team
2005–2006	Paris Saint-Germain
2006–2008	Strasbourg
2007–2008	→ Brest (loan)
2008–2013	Brest
2013–2015	Lens
2015	Toronto FC
2016–2019	Valenciennes
Total
International career
2005–2006	Morocco U20
2005–2014	Morocco
Managerial career
2022–2023	Valenciennes B
2023–2024	Valenciennes
2025–2026	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.

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

↑ "TFC adds Moroccan international Kantari". TSN. 24 July 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
↑ "Toronto FC waives Moroccan defender Kantari – Sportsnet.ca". Sportsnet.ca. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
↑ 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.
↑ "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.
↑ 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.

External links

Ahmed Kantari at L'Équipe Football (in French)
Ahmed Kantari at Soccerway
Ahmed Kantari at Major League Soccer

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[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.

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