A sold out Parc des Princes had come to see Paris Saint-Germain’s new signing Vikash Dhorasoo, but it was another new boy that stole the show: Bonaventure Kalou.

A deafening chant of “Kalou! Kalou! Kalou!” rained down from a stands as PSG’s new star was replaced with just under five minutes left in Paris’ first game against Metz. Bonaventure Kalou had already won over his new public.

In fact, it had taken the 27-year-old all of five minutes to ensure his debut would be a successful one as he climbed to powerfully head home Jérôme Rothen’s corner. When he laid on a second goal for Edouard Cissé with a perfectly weighted flick of the right foot you got the feeling it was going to be a night to remember.

The second half was barely underway when Kalou supplied Rothen with a devilish cross from the right that eliminated the entire Metz defence for number three, before rounding out the evening with a pin-point chip – this time with the left boot – onto the head of Christophe Landrin to make it four.

PSG had won their opening game of the season for the first time since 2002 and scored four goals in a match for the first time since February 2004.

The Kalou Show had arrived in town.

Born in the tiny Ivory Coast town of Oumé in 1978, Kalou was picked up at an early age by the country’s mythical club ASEC Mimosas – prodigious producers of footballing talent with a list of former players that includes Kolo Touré, Didier Zokora and Aruna Dindane.

From Abidjan, Kalou was swept up by Dutch giants Feyenoord Rotterdam where he would develop his eye for goal and his electric dribbling skills, playing a crucial role in winning the 2002 UEFA Cup.

From there it was onto Auxerre in the summer of 2003 and further progression under the tutelage of Guy Roux who transformed the winger into a true playmaker, ducking and weaving, probing and prodding behind, first, Djibril Cissé and then Benjani. He signed off from the Stade l’Abbe Deschamps in typical fashion with the winning goal just seconds from the end of the 2005 Coupe de France Final.

By now the clubs were lining up for his signature but Kalou only had ears for one. “PSG is a legendary club,” he said upon penning his contract. “It’s got a great team, a great stadium and great supporters. It’s the club I dreamed about when I was a kid in the Ivory Coast. Players like Weah, Rai, Ginola… Paris and me, it’s a marriage made in heaven.”

PSG’s training ground - the Camp des Loges – has more recently been the scene of ugly confrontations between players and fans, come to air their frustrations and grievances borne out of a typically shambolic season. However, less than 24 hours after PSG had beaten Metz, more than 300 supporters had turned out to continue celebrating a win that spoke as much of deliverance than of a simple three points.

The last player to leave after ceaselessly signing autographs and posing for fans photos, Bonaventure drove his stylish black BMW four-wheel drive out of the Camp des Loges to the now familiar cries of “Kalou! Kalou! Kalou!”