Peguy Luyindula facts for kids

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Peguy Luyindula

Luyindula with Paris Saint-Germain in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Guy Luyindula Makanda
Date of birth	(1979-05-25) 25 May 1979 (age 46)
Place of birth	Kinshasa, Zaire
Height	1.78 m
Playing position	Forward
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1997–1998	Niort	27	(8)
1998–2001	Strasbourg	85	(19)
2002–2004	Lyon	91	(33)
2004–2007	Marseille	37	(10)
2005–2006	→ Auxerre (loan)	33	(10)
2006–2007	→ Levante (loan)	10	(0)
2007–2012	Paris Saint-Germain	130	(19)
2013–2015	New York Red Bulls	48	(6)
Total		461	(105)
National team
1999–2002	France U21	26	(14)
2004–2009	France	6	(1)
Honours Men's football Representing  France UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2002 Switzerland
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Guy Luyindula Makanda (born May 25, 1979), known as Peguy Luyindula, is a former professional football player. He played as a forward, which means he was usually trying to score goals. Peguy was born in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) and played for the French national team.

Club Career Highlights

Starting Out in France

Peguy Luyindula began his football journey at Niort when he was 18 years old. In his first season as a professional, he scored eight goals. This impressive start caught the attention of Strasbourg, a bigger club.

He joined Strasbourg in 1998. During his time there, he scored 19 goals in 85 league matches. He also helped Strasbourg win the French Cup in 2001. On February 2, 2000, he scored three goals in one game against Lyon. People started to see him as one of the most promising young players in French football.

Success with Lyon

Luyindula continued to move up in his career. In January 2002, he joined the French football giant Lyon. He quickly showed his skill, scoring 6 goals and helping Lyon win the French league title that year.

He stayed at Lyon for two more seasons, winning two more league championships. His best season was 2003–04, when he scored 16 league goals. This helped Lyon win another Ligue 1 title. On May 24, 2004, he scored a goal in a 3–0 win against Lille, which sealed the championship.

Time at Marseille and Loans

After Didier Drogba left Marseille, the club wanted Luyindula to replace him. Even though Luyindula wanted to stay at Lyon, he moved to Marseille for a transfer fee.

However, he soon found himself not playing as much at Marseille. He was loaned out to AJ Auxerre for the 2005–06 season. There, he played under his old coach from Lyon, Jacques Santini. But Auxerre decided not to keep him permanently. In 2006, he returned to Marseille but was still not playing regularly. He then went on another loan, this time to the Spanish club Levante UD. His loan there ended early in February 2007.

Playing for Paris Saint-Germain

Luyindula with Paris Saint-Germain in 2011

On February 1, 2007, Luyindula joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). He signed a 3.5-year contract. He made his first appearance for PSG on February 10, 2007. Two months later, he scored his first goal for the club against Le Mans. This was an important goal in the fight to avoid being moved down to a lower league. He scored two more goals that season, helping PSG stay in the top division.

In the summer of 2007, PSG bought Luyindula permanently. The 2007–08 season was tough for the club. They only avoided relegation on the very last day. Luyindula scored only 5 goals that season.

The 2008–09 season was much better for him. Even though PSG brought in many new attacking players, Luyindula became a valuable player who often came off the bench. He played especially well in UEFA Cup games. He scored two goals in a 4–0 win against FC Twente in December 2008. This helped PSG move to the next round of the UEFA Cup.

In September 2009, Luyindula signed a new contract with PSG, keeping him at the club until 2012. Later, he had a disagreement with the manager, Antoine Kombouare, and was sent to play with the reserve team. He returned to the first team under new manager Carlo Ancelotti but played only one League Cup match in 2012. During his time at PSG, Luyindula played in 180 official matches and scored 37 goals.

Moving to New York Red Bulls

Luyindula training with New York Red Bulls in 2013

In December 2012, reports said that Luyindula would leave PSG to join the New York Red Bulls in the United States. New York officially announced his signing on March 19, 2013. Luyindula scored his first goal for his new team on July 13 against Montreal Impact.

In his first year with New York, Luyindula played in 22 league matches and scored 1 goal. He also had 7 assists, which was the second-highest on the team. During this season, he started playing as a central midfielder. He was very important in helping New York win the Supporters' Shield on the last day of the season. He assisted on three goals in a 5–2 win against Chicago Fire.

In his second season with New York, Luyindula continued to be a key player. He helped the team reach the league playoffs, playing in 26 league matches and scoring 5 goals. He was crucial in the playoffs, assisting two goals in a 2–1 win over Sporting Kansas City. He also scored two goals against rivals D.C. United, helping his team win their series and reach the Eastern Conference final.

International Career

Peguy Luyindula played for the French national team six times. He scored his only goal for France in a friendly match against Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2004. In 2009, he played two more games for France against Lithuania in the 2010 World Cup Qualification games.

After Playing Football

In July 2019, Luyindula joined the management team of Dijon FCO. He became a "strategic advisor" for the club.

Honours and Awards

Peguy Luyindula won several important trophies and awards during his career:

With Strasbourg

• Coupe de France: 2000–01 (French Cup)

With Lyon

• Division/Ligue 1: 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04 (French League Championship)
• Trophée des Champions: 2002 (French Super Cup)

With Paris Saint-Germain

• Coupe de France: 2009–10 (French Cup)
• Coupe de la Ligue: 2007–08 (French League Cup)

With New York Red Bulls

• Supporters' Shield: 2013 (Award for the best regular-season team in MLS)

Individual Awards

• UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: January 2005, April 2007, January 2009 (Award for the best player in the French league for that month)