Eyong Enoh facts for kids
Enoh in 2008
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Eyong Tarkang Enoh | ||
| Date of birth | 23 March 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Kumba, Cameroon | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2002–2002 | Université de Buéa | ||
| 2002–2003 | Little Foot FC | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2003–2004 | Mount Cameroon | 18 | (4) |
| 2004–2005 | Mağusa Türk Gücü | 36 | (1) |
| 2005–2006 | Türk Ocağı Limasol | 0 | (0) |
| 2006–2008 | Ajax Cape Town | 36 | (1) |
| 2008–2014 | Ajax | 98 | (3) |
| 2013 | → Fulham (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2013 | Jong Ajax | 9 | (0) |
| 2014 | → Antalyaspor (loan) | 8 | (0) |
| 2014–2017 | Standard Liège | 54 | (1) |
| 2018 | Willem II | 5 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | Enosis Neon Paralimni | 24 | (1) |
| 2019–2020 | Olympiakos Nicosia | 8 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | Ajax Amateurs | 1 | (0) |
| Total | 306 | (11) | |
| International career | |||
| 2009–2016 | Cameroon | 51 | (2) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Eyong Tarkang Enoh (born on March 23, 1986) is a former professional footballer from Cameroon. He played as a midfielder, helping his teams control the middle of the field.
Eyong Enoh played for many different clubs in eight countries during his career. These countries included Cyprus, the Netherlands, Belgium, England, Turkey, Cameroon, and South Africa. Some of the famous teams he played for were Ajax, Ajax Cape Town, Willem II, and Standard Liège.
He was also an important player for the Cameroon national team. He played in the FIFA World Cup twice, in 2010 and 2014. He also took part in the African Cup of Nations in 2010 and 2015.
Eyong Enoh's son, Bashan Enoh, is also a footballer. He currently plays in the youth teams of the Ajax Youth Academy.
Contents
Eyong Enoh's Football Journey
Starting in Cameroon
Eyong Enoh grew up in the Southwest Region of Cameroon. His dad worked for the local government. Eyong started his football journey in the youth teams of a local club called Little Foot FC. He played there for five seasons.
He was noticed by Mount Cameroon FC while playing for Little Foot. He joined Mount Cameroon FC in 2003. This team played in the top football league in Cameroon. While at Little Foot, he was nicknamed "Verón" after a famous Argentine midfielder. This was because they played in a similar style. He kept this nickname at his new club. During this time, he also started playing for Cameroon's national youth teams.
Playing in Cyprus
After playing in Cameroon, Enoh moved to Mağusa Türk Gücü S.K., a club in Northern Cyprus. He played 36 matches for them and scored one goal. He played in the top league there.
After one season, he moved to another club in Northern Cyprus, Türk Ocağı Limasol. However, this move did not go well. He did not get to play any matches. After six months, he ended his contract with the club.
Success in South Africa
After his time in Northern Cyprus, Enoh returned to Cameroon. In 2006, he signed with Ajax Cape Town in South Africa. This team played in the Premier Soccer League. In his first season, he played nine matches.
A year later, he helped Ajax Cape Town win the ABSA Cup. He became a very important player for the team. He was even made team captain. At the end of the 2007–2008 season, he won the Ajax Cape Town Player of the Year award.
In 2008, Enoh tried out for many teams in Europe. He visited France, Denmark, Sweden, and England. He almost signed with a team from Israel, but they could not agree on terms. He also tried to join Portsmouth in England, but he could not get the necessary work permit in time.
Joining AFC Ajax in the Netherlands
In August 2008, Eyong Enoh signed a contract with AFC Ajax in Amsterdam. He was the first player from Cameroon to ever play for Ajax. He made a great first impression in his debut match against Feyenoord in September 2008. He quickly became a regular player for the team.
He scored his first goal in a European competition against Olympique Marseille in March 2009. Fans really liked him because of his hard work on the field. He was a regular starter under the new manager, Martin Jol. Eyong Enoh and many other Ajax players were injured during the 2011–12 season. He returned to the team and scored in an important 2–0 win against PSV Eindhoven. Later, when Frank de Boer became manager, Enoh played less often as a starter.
Loan to Fulham
On January 31, 2013, Enoh joined Premier League team Fulham on a loan deal. This meant he would play for them until the end of the season. Fulham also had the option to buy him permanently. At Fulham, Enoh was reunited with his former Ajax manager, Martin Jol. He played his first match for Fulham in March 2013, coming on as a substitute in a 1–0 win against Tottenham Hotspur.
Returning to Ajax and Other Clubs
After his loan spell at Fulham, Enoh returned to Ajax in July 2013. He had played 9 matches for Fulham. He had lost his starting spot at Ajax, and Fulham decided not to buy him. So, Ajax allowed him to talk to other clubs. He stayed in Amsterdam because he could not find a new team right away. He played some matches for Jong Ajax, which is the reserve team.
Eyong Enoh left Ajax after playing 98 league matches and scoring 3 goals. He also played in cup matches and European games for Ajax.
Loan to Antalyaspor
In January 2014, Enoh signed with Antalyaspor, a Turkish club. He played for them on a 6-month loan. He made his debut in a Turkish Cup match and then in a league game.
Playing in Belgium and Back to the Netherlands
In August 2014, Enoh moved to Standard Liège, a team in the Belgian Pro League. He signed a two-year contract. In his first match for the club, he received a red card just 10 minutes into the game. In 2017, he left Standard Liège. He wanted to play for a club in England, but he could not find one before the transfer window closed. He was without a club for six months.
On January 31, 2018, Willem II signed Enoh. He joined them on a 6-month contract. This meant he returned to the Eredivisie league in the Netherlands, where he had played for Ajax.
Back to Cyprus
After his time at Willem II, Enoh returned to Cyprus in the summer of 2018. He signed with Enosis Neon Paralimni FC, a team that had just been promoted to the top league in Cyprus. In June 2019, he joined another newly promoted team in the Cypriot First Division, Olympiakos Nicosia, for six months.
Playing for Ajax Amateurs
After his professional career, Eyong Enoh played one season for the Ajax Amateurs team. This team plays in the fourth tier of football in the Netherlands.
Playing for Cameroon
International Debut and World Cups
Eyong Enoh played his first match for the Cameroon national team on June 7, 2009. It was a World Cup qualifying match against Morocco. He played the whole game, which ended in a 0–0 draw. He played in more World Cup qualifiers and was chosen for the 2010 African Cup of Nations.
In the 2010 African Cup of Nations, Cameroon reached the quarter-finals. Enoh played in some of these matches. Cameroon lost to Egypt in the quarter-finals, ending their tournament.
Cameroon qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Enoh played in their first match against Japan, which they lost. He also started in the next match against Denmark. Cameroon was eliminated in the group stage of the tournament.
In August 2010, Enoh was named the vice-captain of the Cameroon national team. He helped Cameroon qualify for their seventh FIFA World Cup in 2014. They beat Tunisia 4–1 at home to secure their spot in the tournament in Brazil. Enoh played a very important role in the middle of the field during this qualifying campaign.
Personal Life
Eyong Enoh is a Christian. He has said that he believes God gave him his football talents. He sees football as a way to share his faith with people who look up to him.
Career Statistics
Club Matches
| Club | League | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental1 | Other2 | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Mount Cameroon FC | Elite One | 2003–04 | 18 | 4 | – | – | – | – | 18 | 4 | ||||
| Mağusa Türk Gücü | Birinci Lig | 2004–05 | 36 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 36 | 1 | ||||
| Türk Ocağı Limasol| | 2005–06 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Ajax Cape Town | Premier Soccer League | 2006–07 | 9 | 0 | - | – | – | – | 9 | 0 | ||||
| 2007–08 | 27 | 1 | - | – | – | – | 27 | 1 | ||||||
| Ajax | Eredivisie | 2008–09 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | 5 | 1 | – | 25 | 2 | ||
| 2009–10 | 27 | 1 | 5 | 0 | – | 9 | 0 | – | 41 | 1 | ||||
| 2010–11 | 27 | 1 | 4 | 0 | – | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 1 | |||
| 2011–12 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0 | |||
| 2012–13 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |||
| Fulham (loan) | Premier League | 2012–13 | 9 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 9 | 0 | ||||
| Jong Ajax | Eerste Divisie | 2013–14 | 9 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 9 | 0 | ||||
| Antalyaspor (loan) | Süper Lig | 2013–14 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | 10 | 0 | |||
| Standard Liège | Belgian Pro League | 2014–15 | 3 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Total | Cameroon | 18 | 4 | – | – | – | – | 18 | 4 | |||||
| Northern Cyprus | 36 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 36 | 1 | ||||||
| South Africa | 36 | 1 | - | – | – | – | 36 | 1 | ||||||
| Netherlands | 107 | 3 | 14 | 0 | – | 36 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 158 | 4 | |||
| England | 9 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 9 | 0 | ||||||
| Turkey | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | 10 | 0 | |||||
| Belgium | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 3 | 0 | |||||
| Career total | 217 | 9 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 270 | 10 | ||
1 Includes UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup / Europa League matches.
2 Includes Johan Cruijff Shield matches.
International Matches
| Cameroon national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2009 | 7 | 0 |
| 2010 | 11 | 1 |
| 2011 | 8 | 1 |
| 2012 | 1 | 0 |
| 2013 | 6 | 0 |
| 2014 | 5 | 0 |
| Total | 38 | 2 |
International Goals
- Scores and results list Cameroons' goal tally first.
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 29 May 2010 | Wörthersee Stadion, Klagenfurt, Austria |  Slovakia |
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Friendly |
| 2. | 11 November 2011 | Stade de Marrakech, Marrakech, Morocco |  Sudan |
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Friendly |
Awards and Trophies
Club Honours
Ajax Cape Town
- ABSA Cup: 2007
Ajax
- Eredivisie: 2010–11, 2011–12
- KNVB Cup: 2009–10
Standard Liège
- Belgian Cup: 2015–16
Individual Awards
- Ajax Cape Town Player of the Year: 2008
See also
In Spanish: Eyong Enoh para niños
