Roger Milla facts for kids
Milla in 2008
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Albert Roger Miller | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 20 May 1952 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Yaoundé, Cameroon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1965–1967 | Eclair de Douala | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1967–1970 | Eclair de Douala | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1970–1974 | Léopard Douala | 116 | (89) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1974–1977 | Tonnerre | 87 | (69) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1977–1979 | Valenciennes | 28 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1979–1980 | Monaco | 17 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1980–1984 | Bastia | 113 | (35) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1984–1986 | Saint-Étienne | 59 | (31) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1986–1989 | Montpellier | 95 | (37) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1990 | Saint-Pierroise | 23 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1994 | Tonnerre | 116 | (89) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | Pelita Jaya | 23 | (23) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Putra Samarinda | 12 | (18) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 666+ | (405+) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1973–1994 | Cameroon | 77 | (43) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2007 | Montpellier (coaching staff) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2011 | Tonnerre | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Tonnerre (director of football) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albert Roger Miller (born 20 May 1952), known as Roger Milla, is a famous Cameroonian former footballer. He played as a forward, scoring many goals. He was one of the first African players to become a big star around the world. He played in three World Cups for the Cameroon national team.
Roger Milla became famous at 38 years old, an age when most forwards have already stopped playing. He scored four goals at the 1990 FIFA World Cup, becoming the oldest goalscorer in World Cup history at that time. He helped Cameroon become the first African team to reach the World Cup quarter-finals. Four years later, at 42, Milla broke his own record by scoring against Russia in the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
Milla often celebrated his goals by running to the corner flag and doing a dance. In 2004, the legendary footballer Pelé included him in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players. In 2007, the Confederation of African Football named Milla the best African player of the past 50 years.
Contents
About Roger Milla
Roger Milla's real name is Albert Roger Miller. His last name was accidentally written as 'Miller' on his birth certificate instead of 'Milla'. His parents wanted to use his uncle's surname, 'Milla'. Because of this, some people, even in big international matches like the World Cup, called him Miller.
His family moved to Douala when he was 11 years old. His father worked on trains, so Roger traveled a lot around Cameroon as a child. He grew up in the streets of Yaoundé in a middle-class family and got a good education. However, his parents were not happy at first when they saw him focusing on football.
He learned to play football barefoot with other kids on dirt streets. They often used an orange or a tin can instead of a ball. He also kicked lemons and rags tied together. At that time, Cameroon did not have special football academies for children. They played on dusty fields without trained coaches. Roger Milla played football just for fun and did not think of it as a career at first. He improved his skills during school holidays.
Roger Milla once said he finished high school, but some writers from Cameroon disagree. He has three brothers with different last names. He almost stopped playing football when his mother passed away and when his wife was expecting their second child.
Club Football Career
Early Years in Cameroon
Roger Milla started playing for Eclair de Douala's junior team at 13. He only played in school tournaments at first. After showing how good he was in youth games, he convinced his parents to let him play more.
He joined Eclair de Douala's main team in the second division of Cameroon's league at 15. Two years later, at 17, he became the Cameroonian schools high jump champion. In 1970, at 18, he joined Léopard Douala, a top team. He helped them win three Cameroonian championship titles. He scored 89 goals in 116 games for Léopard Douala over four years. In 1974, he moved to Tonnerre Yaoundé. With Tonnerre, he won the African Cup Winners' Cup. He scored 69 goals in 87 games for Tonnerre Yaoundé.
Playing in France
In 1977, at 25, Roger Milla moved to France. He played there for 12 years for different clubs. He joined Valenciennes and scored 6 goals in 28 games over two seasons. In 1979, he moved to AS Monaco. He won the French Cup with Monaco in 1980, scoring 5 goals in 25 games. He had some injuries there, and the team let him go.
The next year, he joined Bastia, where he played for four seasons. Milla scored 42 goals in 133 games and helped Bastia win the French Cup in 1981.
In 1984, he moved to Saint-Etienne. The club was recovering from a big scandal and had sold many of its best players. Milla became a very important player for them. He played 69 matches and scored 36 goals, helping the club return to the first division. Then, he played for Montpellier from 1986 to 1989. After he stopped playing in France, he became a coach for Montpellier. In his first season, Milla scored 18 goals in 33 games, helping Montpellier get back into Division 1. He scored 41 goals in 103 games for Montpellier.
Later Years and Retirement
Roger Milla left French football at 37 in 1989. He moved to Réunion in the Indian Ocean and played for JS Saint-Pierroise. After his success at the World Cup, he returned to Tonnerre in Cameroon for four more seasons. He finished his playing career with two clubs in Indonesia after the 1994 World Cup. He retired from football at the end of the 1996 season. In Indonesia, he scored more goals than games he played, with 41 goals in just 35 matches over two years.
International Football Career
Roger Milla played 77 times for the Cameroon national team and scored 43 goals. He first played for Cameroon in 1973 in a World Cup qualifying match against Zaire.
He made his World Cup debut in 1982, which was also Cameroon's first time in the 1982 FIFA World Cup. Milla played a key role in helping Cameroon qualify by scoring the most goals in the African qualifying games. In the 1982 World Cup, Cameroon drew all three of their first-round games and did not move forward. Two years later, he was part of the team that played at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Milla was also a vital player when Cameroon won the 1984 African Cup of Nations. Cameroon beat Nigeria 3-1 in the final to win their first ever continental title. He was also a key player when Cameroon finished second to Egypt in the final of the 1986 African Cup of Nations. He won the best player award in that tournament for being the top goal scorer with 4 goals. He was also named in the 1986 African Cup of Nations team of the tournament. He was also one of the top goalscorers in the 1988 African Cup of Nations with 2 goals. He played a big part in Cameroon's win at the 1988 African Cup of Nations. For his great performances, he was named the player of the tournament and was also included in the 1988 African Cup of Nations team of the tournament.
The 1990 World Cup Sensation
In 1988, at 36, Milla announced he was retiring from international football. However, in 1990, the President of Cameroon, Paul Biya, called him and asked him to come back to the national team. Milla agreed and went to Italy with the Indomitable Lions for the 1990 World Cup, where he became a huge star. President Biya wanted Milla to play after seeing him score two goals in a charity match in Douala. Milla officially announced his return to international football in May 1990.
It was reported that many of Milla's teammates and the national coach, Valery Nepomnyashchy, did not want him in the 1990 World Cup team. But President Biya issued a special order, telling the coach to pick Milla for the squad. Sports writers and fans in Cameroon also wanted Milla back after Cameroon's poor performance in the 1990 African Cup of Nations.
Milla scored all four of his goals in the 1990 tournament as a substitute, meaning he started every game on the bench. He came into the game in the second half in four out of five matches. His two most important goals came in the second half against Romania in extra time. After his amazing performance, he was celebrated as a hero in Cameroon. The coach, Valery Nepomnyashchy, decided to bring Milla in earlier against Romania, knowing a win would help Cameroon reach the knockout stages. The coach later recognized how important Milla was after his late appearance helped Cameroon upset the defending champions, Argentina. At 38, Milla was the oldest outfield player in the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
Roger Milla became one of the biggest stars of the tournament. He scored four goals in Italy. After each goal, he celebrated with a dance around the corner flag, which became a very popular goal celebration. Two of his goals were against Romania, and two more came in extra time against Colombia in the round of 16. These goals helped Cameroon reach the quarter-finals, which was the furthest an African team had ever gone in the World Cup at that time. In the quarter-final match against England, Milla came in during the second half when Cameroon was losing 1–0. He helped win a penalty and then set up a goal for Ekeke, giving Cameroon a 2–1 lead. England later scored two penalties to win 3–2 after extra time. Because of his great play in Italy, he was again named African Footballer of the Year.
His second goal celebration against Colombia became famous worldwide. It was even used by Coca-Cola in advertisements for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The 1994 World Cup
Milla returned for the 1994 FIFA World Cup at 42 years old. He was the oldest player ever to appear in a World Cup until the 2014 tournament. In 2014, Colombia's Faryd Mondragón played at 43 years and 3 days old. Mondragon's record was then broken by Essam El Hadary in 2018. Cameroon was knocked out in the group stages in 1994. However, Milla scored a goal against Russia, setting a new record as the oldest goalscorer in a World Cup tournament. His last international game was a friendly match against South Africa in December 1994.
After Playing Football
Roger Milla is now a traveling ambassador for African causes. He also volunteers for different groups, including the World Wide Fund for Nature. He started two companies that recycle plastic into paving slabs. In 2004, he was named to the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers chosen by Pelé for FIFA's 100th birthday.
He coached Montpellier from 2001 to 2007. He also managed Tonnerre for four years, from 2007 to 2011.
Roger Milla's Legacy
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In March 2008, he was made the honorary president of the Cameroonian Football Federation. However, he was removed from this role in May 2012. This happened after he criticized the top officials of the Cameroon Football Federation for banning Samuel Eto'o for a long time.
On 24 November 2022, FIFA honored Roger Milla for his achievements. The FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, gave him a special plaque before the group stage match between Cameroon and Switzerland at the Al Janoub Stadium. Milla was also invited as a special guest by the FIFA President to watch the match.
His clever celebration, a kind of Makossa dance at the corner flag during the 1990 FIFA World Cup, changed how people saw African football in a good way. His celebrations were an instant hit and brought positive energy to viewers during the World Cup. He became the talk of the tournament in 1990 because of his skills, dance celebrations, and technique. He was later called "King of the Corner Flag."
In 2020, Roger Milla and his Cameroonian teammates received three-bedroom bungalows as gifts. This was to recognize their amazing performance during the 1990 FIFA World Cup. However, they had to wait 30 years to get the gifts, even though President Paul Biya promised them in 1990. The project was delayed for a long time due to concerns about corruption related to the list of 44 people who were supposed to receive the gifts.
Honours and Awards
Léopards Douala
- Cameroon Première Division: 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74
Tonnerre Yaoundé
- African Cup Winners' Cup: 1975
- Cameroonian Cup: 1991
Monaco
- Coupe de France: 1979–80
Bastia
- Coupe de France: 1980–81
Montpellier
- Division 2: 1986–87
Cameroon
- Africa Cup of Nations: 1984, 1988
Individual Awards
- African Footballer of the Year: 1976, 1990
- Africa Cup of Nations best player: 1986, 1988
- Africa Cup of Nations top scorer: 1986, 1988
- FIFA World Cup Bronze Boot: 1990
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1990
- FIFA 100
- CAF Best African Player of the last 50 years: 2007
- Golden Foot Legends Award: 2014
- IFFHS Legends
- World Soccer: The 100 Greatest Footballers of All Time
- CAF Golden Jubilee #1 Best Player
Orders
See also
In Spanish: Roger Milla para niños
- List of men's footballers with 500 or more goals
