Émile Mpenza facts for kids
Mpenza with Manchester City in 2007
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Eka Basunga Lokonda Mpenza | ||
| Date of birth | 4 July 1978 | ||
| Place of birth | Zellik, Belgium | ||
| Height | 1.77 m | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1986–1989 | LC Mesvins | ||
| 1989–1995 | Kortrijk | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1995–1996 | Kortrijk | 32 | (5) |
| 1996–1997 | Mouscron | 31 | (12) |
| 1997–1999 | Standard Liège | 46 | (20) |
| 2000–2003 | Schalke 04 | 79 | (28) |
| 2003–2004 | Standard Liège | 28 | (21) |
| 2004–2006 | Hamburger SV | 36 | (5) |
| 2006–2007 | Al-Rayyan | 19 | (9) |
| 2007–2008 | Manchester City | 25 | (5) |
| 2008–2009 | Plymouth Argyle | 9 | (2) |
| 2009–2010 | Sion | 31 | (21) |
| 2010–2012 | Neftchi Baku | 31 | (6) |
| 2013–2014 | Eendracht Aalst | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 367 | (134) | |
| National team | |||
| 1995–1996 | Belgium U18 | 7 | (6) |
| 1995 | Belgium U19 | 7 | (0) |
| 1996 | Belgium U21 | 3 | (0) |
| 1997–2009 | Belgium | 57 | (19) |
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Eka Basunga Lokonda "Émile" Mpenza (born 4 July 1978) is a famous former football player from Belgium. He was known for being a powerful striker, which means he was great at scoring goals. Émile played for many different clubs around the world and also represented his country, Belgium, in international matches. His older brother, Mbo, was also a professional footballer and played alongside him for Belgium.
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Émile Mpenza's Club Journey
Émile Mpenza played for many football clubs during his career. He started in Belgium, then moved to Germany, Qatar, England, Switzerland, and Azerbaijan.
Early Days in Belgium and Germany
Mpenza began his professional career at K.V. Kortrijk in Belgium. He quickly moved to R.E. Mouscron and then to Standard Liège. At these Belgian clubs, his older brother Mbo Mpenza often played on the same team.
In 2000, Émile moved to Germany to play for Bundesliga team FC Schalke 04. He was very successful there, scoring many goals. He played alongside his Belgian teammate Marc Wilmots and another striker, Ebbe Sand. They almost won the German league title but missed out on the very last day of the season.
After three years, Mpenza returned to Standard Liège in Belgium. In 2004, he went back to Germany to play for Hamburger SV. However, in 2006, he made a surprising move to Al-Rayyan, a team in Qatar.
Playing for Manchester City
On 14 February 2007, Mpenza joined Manchester City in England. He had a trial match where he played well and scored, which helped him get the contract. He told a Belgian radio station that he wanted to prove himself and show that he was still a top player after his time in Qatar.
Émile made his first appearance for Manchester City on 3 March 2007. He scored his first goal for the club on 17 March 2007 against Middlesbrough. He scored again against Newcastle United and one more time against Tottenham Hotspur that season.
He signed a contract to stay until the end of the 2007–08 season. Mpenza scored in some pre-season games. However, Manchester City signed many new strikers that summer, like Rolando Bianchi, Valeri Bojinov, Geovanni, and Elano. This meant Mpenza faced a lot of competition for a spot in the team. He didn't score after September 2007 and left the club in July 2008.
Adventures in Plymouth and Switzerland
After leaving Manchester City, Mpenza signed with Championship team Plymouth Argyle on 2 September 2008. He made his debut on 13 September and scored his first goal for them against Charlton Athletic. He scored again in a win against Cardiff City. However, injuries affected his time at Plymouth, and he was not offered a new contract.
For the 2009–10 season, Mpenza moved to Switzerland and signed a one-year contract with FC Sion. Here, he found his goal-scoring form again, scoring 21 goals in 32 matches.
Later Career in Azerbaijan and Belgium
In August 2010, Mpenza signed a three-year contract with Azerbaijan Premier League club Neftchi Baku. He played there until January 2012. Later, in 2015, FIFA (the world football governing body) ordered Neftchi Baku to pay Mpenza €1 million in unpaid wages.
After looking for a club for over a year, Mpenza finally signed a one-year contract with Eendracht Aalst in Belgium on 1 October 2013.
Émile Mpenza's International Career
Émile Mpenza played for the Belgium national football team from 1997 to 2009. He often faced injuries when it was time for international matches. He played alongside his brother Mbo in the 1998 World Cup and in Euro 2000. In Euro 2000, he scored a goal in the opening match against Sweden, which Belgium won 2–1. However, he missed the 2002 World Cup because of a groin injury.
Career Statistics: International Goals
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 June 1997 | Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels |  San Marino |
6–0 | Won | 1998 World Cup Qualification |
| 2 | ||||||
| 3 | 3 February 1999 | Tsirion Stadium, Limassol |  Cyprus |
0–1 | Won | Friendly |
| 4 | 18 August 1999 | Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges |  Finland |
3–4 | Lost | Friendly |
| 5 | 4 September 1999 | Feijenoord Stadion, Rotterdam |  Netherlands |
5–5 | Drawn | Friendly |
| 6 | 7 September 1999 | Stade Maurice Dufrasne, Liège |  Morocco |
4–0 | Won | Friendly |
| 7 | 29 March 2000 | Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels | Netherlands |
2–2 | Drawn | Friendly |
| 8 | 10 June 2000 | Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels |  Sweden |
2–1 | Won | Euro 2000 |
| 9 | 16 August 2000 | Georgi Asparuhov Stadium, Sofia |  Bulgaria |
1–3 | Won | Friendly |
| 10 | 28 February 2001 | Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels | San Marino |
10–1 | Won | 2002 World Cup Qualification |
| 11 | 25 April 2001 | Letná Stadium, Prague |  Czech Republic |
1–1 | Draw | Friendly |
| 12 | 2 June 2001 | Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels |  Latvia |
3–1 | Won | 2002 World Cup Qualification |
| 13 | 12 February 2003 | Stade 19 Mai 1956, Annaba |  Algeria |
1–3 | Won | Friendly |
| 14 | ||||||
| 15 | 26 March 2005 | Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
4–1 | Won | 2006 World Cup Qualification |
| 16 | ||||||
| 17 | 17 August 2005 | Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels |  Greece |
2–0 | Won | Friendly |
| 18 | 10 October 2009 | Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels |  Turkey |
2–0 | Won | 2010 World Cup Qualification |
| 19 |
Awards and Achievements
Émile Mpenza won several awards and trophies during his football career:
Club Trophies
- Schalke 04
- DFB-Pokal (German Cup): 2000–01, 2001–02
- Hamburger SV
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2005
- Neftchi Baku
- Azerbaijan Premier League: 2010–11
Individual Awards
- Belgian Young Professional Footballer of the Year: 1996–97
- Belgian Ebony Shoe: 1997 (This award is for the best African player or player of African origin in the Belgian league.)
- Best Belgian Footballer Abroad: 2000 (Award for the best Belgian player playing outside Belgium.)
- kicker German Football Rankings - International Class Player: 2000-01
- Standard Liège Man of the Season: 2003–04
See also
In Spanish: Émile Mpenza para niños
