McDonald Mariga facts for kids
Mariga with Inter Milan in 2010
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | McDonald Mariga Wanyama | ||
| Date of birth | 4 April 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Nairobi, Kenya | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Ulinzi Stars | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2003–2004 | Tusker | ||
| 2004–2005 | Kenya Pipeline | ||
| 2005–2006 | Enköpings SK | 1 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | Helsingborgs IF | 37 | (6) |
| 2007–2010 | Parma | 62 | (4) |
| 2010–2014 | Inter Milan | 21 | (1) |
| 2011–2012 | → Real Sociedad (loan) | 14 | (0) |
| 2013 | → Parma (loan) | 13 | (1) |
| 2014–2015 | Parma | 9 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Latina | 41 | (2) |
| 2017–2018 | Real Oviedo | 15 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | Cuneo Calcio | 0 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2003–2018 | Kenya | 40 | (5) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
McDonald Mariga Wanyama (born 4 April 1987) is a Kenyan politician and a former professional football player. He played as a defensive midfielder, which is a player who helps protect the defense. In 2010, he made history by becoming the first Kenyan footballer to play in and win the UEFA Champions League with Inter Milan.
Contents
Football Career Highlights
Starting Out in Kenya
Mariga began his football journey at Ulinzi Stars. He then moved to Tusker FC and later to Kenya Pipeline. He was part of the famous 'Golden Boys' team at Kamukunji High School. This team, which also included Kenyan striker Dennis Oliech, won two national championships in 2002 and 2003.
Playing in Europe
In 2005, Mariga moved to Sweden to play for Enköpings SK. After just one season, he joined Helsingborgs IF in 2006. He quickly became successful there. English club Portsmouth showed interest in him, but he could not get a work permit to play in England at that time.
Time with Parma
In August 2007, Mariga moved to the Italian club Parma on a loan deal. Parma later had the option to buy him. He played 35 games for Parma in the Serie B league during the 2008–09 season. He scored three goals, helping the team return to the top Italian league, Serie A, for the 2009–10 season.
In January 2010, Mariga almost joined English club Manchester City. However, he again faced issues getting a work permit. His brother, Victor Wanyama, later became the first Kenyan to play in the top English league when he joined Southampton in 2013.
Winning with Inter Milan
On 1 February 2010, Mariga joined Inter Milan. The club's chairman, Massimo Moratti, was very happy about Mariga joining. Mariga made his debut for Inter Milan in a cup match against Fiorentina. In March 2010, he became the first Kenyan to play in the UEFA Champions League when he came on as a substitute against Chelsea.
Inter Milan fully bought Mariga in June 2010. He later went on loan to Real Sociedad in Spain for the 2011–12 season. After returning to Inter, he was loaned back to Parma in January 2013. He scored one goal during this loan spell. He returned to Inter again but left the club in May 2014.
Later Club Teams
- Return to Parma: On 4 September 2014, Mariga rejoined Parma, the team he had left to join Inter Milan in 2010.
- Latina: In January 2016, he signed with Latina, another Italian club.
- Oviedo: On 31 July 2017, Mariga signed a one-year deal with Spanish club Real Oviedo.
- Cuneo Calcio: He played for Cuneo Calcio from 2018 to 2019.
Playing for Kenya
Mariga scored his first goal for the Kenyan national team against Swaziland on 25 March 2007. He played for Kenya from 2003 to 2018.
Mariga's Family
Mariga comes from a family of footballers. His father, Noah Wanyama, was also a football player for the Kenya national football team. His younger brother, Victor Wanyama, is also a professional football player. Victor currently plays for Major League Soccer club Montreal Impact. Mariga's other brothers, Thomas and Sylvester, also play football in Kenya. His younger sister, Mercy, was the captain of her high school basketball team.
In 2013, Mariga ended his engagement to his long-time fiancée, Ariane Umutoni.
Political Interests
In September 2019, Mariga entered politics in Kenya. He announced his plans to run for a parliamentary seat in a special election in the Kibra area. He was chosen by the Jubilee Party to be their candidate. The election was held because the previous Member of Parliament had passed away.
However, the Kenyan election commission (IEBC) initially did not allow Mariga to participate. They said his name was not on their voter register. Mariga appealed this decision.
Career Statistics
International Goals
Mariga scored 5 goals for the Kenyan national team. Here are the details:
| No | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 25 March 2007 | Moi International Sports Centre, Nairobi, Kenya |  Swaziland |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 2. | 14 June 2008 | Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi, Kenya |  Zimbabwe |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3. | 20 June 2009 | Moi International Sports Centre, Nairobi, Kenya |  Mozambique |
2–1 | 2–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4. | 11 August 2010 | National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |  Tanzania |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 5. | 26 March 2011 | Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi, Kenya |  Angola |
2–1 | 2–1 | 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
Awards and Trophies
Helsingborgs IF
- Svenska Cupen: 2006 (Swedish Cup)
Inter Milan
- Serie A: 2009–10 (Italian League Title)
- Coppa Italia: 2009–10, 2010–11 (Italian Cup)
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2010 (Italian Super Cup)
- UEFA Champions League: 2009–10 (Europe's Top Club Competition)
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2010 (World Club Championship)
See also
In Spanish: McDonald Mariga para niños
