Rigobert Song facts for kids
Song with Cameroon in 2008
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rigobert Song Bahanag | ||
| Date of birth | 1 July 1976 | ||
| Place of birth | Nkenglikok, Cameroon | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1993–1998 | Metz | 123 | (3) |
| 1998 | Salernitana | 4 | (1) |
| 1999–2000 | Liverpool | 34 | (0) |
| 2000–2002 | West Ham United | 24 | (0) |
| 2001–2002 | → 1. FC Köln (loan) | 16 | (0) |
| 2002–2004 | Lens | 63 | (3) |
| 2004–2008 | Galatasaray | 104 | (4) |
| 2008–2010 | Trabzonspor | 46 | (0) |
| Total | 414 | (11) | |
| International career | |||
| 1993–2010 | Cameroon | 137 | (5) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2016–2018 | Cameroon A | ||
| 2017–2018 | Cameroon (caretaker) | ||
| 2018–2022 | Cameroon U23 | ||
| 2022–2024 | Cameroon | ||
| 2025– | Central African Republic | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Rigobert Song Bahanag (born 1 July 1976) is a famous former footballer from Cameroon. He is currently the manager of the Central African Republic national team.
Song was known for his strong defensive skills. He usually played as a centre-back, but could also play as a right-back. He played in a record eight Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. He was captain in five of these tournaments. He also holds the record for playing 35 consecutive games in the tournament. Song won two Africa Cup of Nations titles in 2000 and 2002. With 137 appearances, he is the most capped player for the Cameroon national team. He also played in four World Cups: in 1994, 1998, 2002, and 2010.
Song started his career with Metz in France. He helped them win the Coupe de la Ligue in 1996. After playing in the 1998 World Cup, he moved to Salernitana in Italy. In 1999, he joined Liverpool, then West Ham United, and 1. FC Köln. He later returned to France to play for Lens. From 2004 to 2008, he played for Galatasaray in Turkey. There, he won two Süper Lig titles and the Turkish Cup. Song then joined Trabzonspor in 2008, winning another Turkish Cup before retiring in 2010.
Rigobert Song is one of only two players, along with Zinedine Zidane, to be sent off in two different World Cups. He was sent off against Brazil in 1994 and against Chile in 1998. He also holds the record as the youngest player ever sent off in a World Cup, at just 17 years old. Fans in Turkey called him "Big Chief." He is also the uncle of fellow footballer Alex Song.
Contents
Early Life and Start in Football
Rigobert Song Bahanag was born on 1 July 1976 in Nkenglikok, Cameroon. His father passed away when Rigobert was young.
Song began his professional football journey at Metz in France. His strong performances there helped him get selected for Cameroon's national team, known as The Indomitable Lions, for the 1994 World Cup.
Playing for Top Clubs
Time at Liverpool (1999–2000)
After playing in Italy, Song moved to Liverpool in England in January 1999. He was the first player from Cameroon to play for the Reds. Fans quickly liked him for his strength and effort.
Song usually played as a centre-back, but he also played as a right-back at Liverpool. He became very popular with the fans. In the 1999–2000 season, he missed three months to play for Cameroon. During this time, he captained his country to victory in the 2000 African Nations Cup. He even scored the winning penalty in the final against Nigeria.
Song played 38 games for Liverpool. He left the club in November 2000 to join West Ham United.
West Ham, Köln, and Lens (2000–2004)
Song joined West Ham for £2.5 million. He made his debut in November 2000. He played 27 games for West Ham without scoring a goal. In November 2001, he went on loan to 1. FC Köln in Germany for the rest of the 2001–02 season.
In June 2002, Song moved back to France to play for Lens. He stayed there until 2004.
Success at Galatasaray (2004–2008)
In 2004, Song signed with Galatasaray in Turkey. He quickly became a fan favorite. He formed a strong defense with his teammate Stjepan Tomas.
Song became the new captain of Galatasaray in the 2007–08 season. He was a very important player for the team. After returning from the Africa Cup of Nations, he faced some injuries. Galatasaray won their 16th league title that season. Song decided to leave at the end of the 2007–08 season. He signed with another Turkish club, Trabzonspor.
Final Years at Trabzonspor (2008–2010)
Song joined Trabzonspor for free. He quickly became popular with the fans in Trabzon. He played 28 league games in his first season without getting any yellow or red cards.
In December 2009, Song became Trabzonspor's new captain. Trabzonspor was the last club of his professional career.
Playing for Cameroon
Rigobert Song was a key player for the Cameroon for over ten years. He played in the 1994, 1998, 2002, and 2010 World Cups. He first played for his country on 22 September 1993, against Mexico.
At just 17 years old, Song was chosen for the 1994 World Cup. He played two games and received a red card against Brazil. This made him the youngest player ever to be sent off in a World Cup.
Song also played in the 1998 World Cup. He received another red card in the last game against Chile. This made him the first player ever to be sent off in two different World Cups.
Song was part of the Cameroon teams that won the 2000 and 2002 Africa Cup of Nations. After these wins, the team played in the 2002 World Cup.
In the 2003 Confederations Cup, Cameroon reached the semi-finals. During their game against Colombia, Song's friend and teammate Marc-Vivien Foé sadly collapsed and passed away. Cameroon won that game but lost the final to France.
Song became the most capped player in Cameroon's history during the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations. In 2008, he led Cameroon to the final of the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, but they lost to Egypt.
In 2009, Song was no longer the captain of the national team. Samuel Eto'o became the new captain. However, Song remained a very important player for the team. He played in a record eight Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. He holds the record for playing 35 consecutive games in the tournament.
Song was still selected for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. This made him the only player to play in both the 1994 and 2010 World Cup finals. He was the most experienced player in the 2010 tournament with 136 caps. Song played his last World Cup game against the Netherlands. On 1 August 2010, he retired from international football after playing 137 games for his country.
Coaching Career
In February 2016, Song was appointed manager of the Cameroon A' team. This team is made up of players who play in Cameroon. After recovering from a serious illness, he continued his coaching duties.
In April 2018, Song was considered for the main Cameroon national team job. He took on the role as a temporary manager later that year.
In October 2018, Song became the coach of the Cameroon under-23 team.
On 28 February 2022, Song became the manager of the main Cameroon national team. He led Cameroon to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. At the World Cup, his team did not get past the group stage. However, they achieved a surprising 1–0 win against Brazil, which was Cameroon's first World Cup victory since 2002.
On 29 February 2024, he was removed from his coaching role after Cameroon's performance in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
In January 2025, he became the manager of the Central African Republic national football team.
Life Outside Football
Family Life
Rigobert Song is married to Esther Song. They have four children: Ronny Paul, Bryan, Yohanna Bernadette, and Hillary Veronique Liliane. They live in Liverpool, England. Rigobert is also a national ambassador for Cameroon.
His nephew, Alex Song, also played professional football as a defensive midfielder. Alex often sought advice from Rigobert because of his experience.
Health Scare
On 3 October 2016, Rigobert Song suffered a stroke and was hospitalized in Cameroon. He was in a coma for two days. After treatment, he returned to Cameroon in April 2017 and resumed his coaching work later that year.
Honours and Awards
Metz
- Coupe de la Ligue: 1995–96
Liverpool
- UEFA Cup: 2000–01
Galatasaray
- Süper Lig: 2005–06, 2007–08
- Turkish Cup: 2004–05
Trabzonspor
- Turkish Cup: 2009–10
Cameroon
- African Cup of Nations: 2000, 2002; runner-up: 2008
- Confederations Cup runner-up: 2003
Individual Awards
- Africa Cup of Nations Player of the Tournament: 2002
- Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2000, 2002, 2006
- UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 1997–98
- IFFHS All-time Africa Men's Dream Team: 2021
- CAF Legends Award: 2012
Orders
Knight of the Order of Valour
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See also
In Spanish: Rigobert Song para niños
