Joseph Minala facts for kids
Minala with Sliema Wanderers in 2024.
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joseph Marie Minala | ||
| Date of birth | 24 August 1996 | ||
| Place of birth | Yaoundé, Cameroon | ||
| Height | 1.84 m | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Gżira United | ||
| Number | 4 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2012–2013 | Vigor Perconti | ||
| 2013–2014 | Lazio | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2014–2021 | Lazio | 3 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | → Bari (loan) | 18 | (3) |
| 2015–2016 | → Latina (loan) | 3 | (1) |
| 2016 | → Bari (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | → Salernitana (loan) | 52 | (4) |
| 2019 | → Salernitana (loan) | 12 | (2) |
| 2020 | → Qingdao Huanghai (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | Lucchese | 19 | (3) |
| 2023 | Liepāja | 2 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | Sliema Wanderers | 19 | (1) |
| 2024– | Gżira United | 4 | (1) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2015 | Cameroon U23 | 2 | (1) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Joseph Marie Minala (born 24 August 1996) is a professional footballer from Cameroon. He plays as a midfielder for Maltese Premier League club Gżira United.
Contents
Joseph Minala's Football Journey
Starting His Career
Joseph Minala began playing football at a young age. He first played for an amateur club called Vigor Perconti. His talent quickly caught the eye of bigger teams. Napoli, a famous Italian club, even gave him a two-month trial.
In 2013, scouts from Lazio noticed him. He was playing for the Lazio region team in a tournament called the Trofeo delle Regioni. Soon after, Minala joined Lazio in the summer of 2013.
Age Controversy Clarified
When Minala joined Lazio, some people questioned his age. They thought he might be older than he said. However, both Lazio and Minala strongly denied these claims. In May 2014, the Italian Football Association looked into the matter. After their investigation, they officially confirmed that his age was correct. No action was taken against him or the club. This showed that the claims were not true.
Playing for Lazio and Other Clubs
Minala started playing for Lazio's main team on 16 March 2014. He was a substitute in a game against Cagliari. His first full game in Serie A, Italy's top league, was on 6 April. He came on as a substitute for the last 13 minutes in a 2–0 win against Sampdoria.
Loan Spells in Italy
To gain more experience, Minala was loaned to other clubs.
- Bari: On 25 August 2014, he joined Serie B team Bari for a season. On 13 December, he scored his first goal, which was the winning goal in a game against Cittadella. He scored two more goals for Bari.
- Latina: On 6 July 2015, he was loaned to another Serie B team, Latina. He scored his first goal for Latina on 27 October. In January 2016, he returned to Bari for a short time.
- Salernitana: On 21 January 2017, Minala joined Salernitana on loan. He played there for a while and then returned to the same club on loan again in 2019.
Playing in China
On 28 February 2020, Minala moved to China. He joined Chinese Super League club Qingdao Huanghai on loan until the end of the year.
Later Career Clubs
After his time in China, Minala continued his football journey with several other clubs.
- Lucchese: On 26 October 2021, he signed with Serie C team Lucchese. He played for them until the end of that season.
- Olbia: On 23 August 2022, Minala joined Olbia. He signed a one-year contract. However, his contract with Olbia ended early on 6 January 2023.
- Liepāja: On 3 March 2023, Minala signed for FK Liepāja, a club in the Latvian Higher League.
- Sliema Wanderers: In the summer of 2023, Minala moved to Malta. He joined Sliema Wanderers, a team in the Maltese Premier League.
International Football
Joseph Minala has also played for his home country, Cameroon. He played for the Cameroon under-23 team. This was during their efforts to qualify for the 2015 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations. He scored a goal against Sierra Leone on 30 May 2015 in a 1–1 draw. However, Cameroon was eliminated from the competition in the second round.
See also
In Spanish: Joseph Minala para niños
