Stéphane Mbia facts for kids
.jpg)
Mbia playing for Sevilla in 2015
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 20 May 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Yaoundé, Cameroon | ||
| Height | 1.90 m | ||
| Playing position | Defensive midfielder, defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2003–2004 | Kadji Sports Academy | ||
| 2004 | Rennes | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2004–2009 | Rennes | 105 | (4) |
| 2009–2012 | Marseille | 69 | (5) |
| 2012–2014 | Queens Park Rangers | 29 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | → Sevilla (loan) | 20 | (3) |
| 2014–2015 | Sevilla | 23 | (4) |
| 2015–2016 | Trabzonspor | 17 | (2) |
| 2016–2018 | Hebei China Fortune | 39 | (9) |
| 2018–2019 | Toulouse | 5 | (0) |
| 2019 | Wuhan Zall | 24 | (0) |
| 2020–2021 | Shanghai Shenhua | 12 | (0) |
| 2021 | Wuhan | 5 | (1) |
| 2021–2022 | Fuenlabrada | 10 | (0) |
| 2022 | Tuzlaspor | 0 | (0) |
| 2024 | Châteauroux | 8 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2005–2016 | Cameroon | 68 | (5) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
|||
Stéphane Mbia Etoundi (born on May 20, 1986) is a football player from Cameroon. He plays as a defensive midfielder or a defender. These positions are important for protecting the team's goal.
Mbia played 179 games and scored nine goals in the French league, Ligue 1. He played for teams like Rennes, Marseille, and Toulouse. He also spent two years with Sevilla in Spain, where he helped them win the UEFA Europa League twice!
He was also a key player for the Cameroon national team. He played 68 games for his country between 2005 and 2016, scoring five goals. He even played in big tournaments like the 2008 Olympics and two FIFA World Cups.
Contents
Stéphane Mbia's Club Journey
Starting at Rennes
Stéphane Mbia was born in Yaoundé, Cameroon. He started his career at the French club Rennes. He first played for their main team during the 2005–06 season. He scored his first goal in the French league in November 2006. This goal was against Lyon, who were the champions at the time.
Moving to Marseille
On July 14, 2009, Mbia joined Marseille. He moved for about £10.4 million. He became a very important player for Marseille. They won the Ligue 1 title that season. Mbia first played as a defensive midfielder. Later, he became a central defender. He played alongside Souleymane Diawara. This change was a big success. He became one of the best players in the team.
Playing for Queens Park Rangers
On August 31, 2012, Mbia moved to England. He signed a two-year deal with Queens Park Rangers (QPR), a team in the Premier League.
In October 2012, Mbia was sent off in a game against Arsenal. He received a three-match ban for his actions. After QPR was moved down from the Premier League, Mbia wanted to leave. He scored his first goal for QPR in a friendly game in July 2013.
Success with Sevilla
.jpg)
On August 26, 2013, Mbia was loaned to Sevilla, a Spanish club. He made his debut for Sevilla on September 1. He helped his teammate Kevin Gameiro score a goal in a 2–2 draw. In October, he helped two other teammates score goals. His first goal in the Spanish league came in November. He scored a header in a 4–0 win against Real Betis.
Mbia scored an amazing back-heel goal in the Europa League semi-final against Valencia. This helped Sevilla win 2–0. In the second game, he scored a winning header in the last minutes. This goal sent Sevilla to the final. Sevilla won the final against Benfica in a penalty shootout. Mbia scored his penalty kick. He was chosen for the Europa League "Team of the Year."
On August 31, 2014, Mbia officially joined Sevilla. He scored his first goal of the new season in September. This was in a Europa League game against Feyenoord. In October, he scored two goals in a 4–1 win against Deportivo de La Coruña. In May 2015, Mbia helped Sevilla win the Europa League again. This meant they could play in the Champions League next season.
Later Career Teams
After his time at Sevilla, Mbia joined Trabzonspor in Turkey on July 2, 2015. He signed a three-year deal with them.
In January 2016, Mbia moved to China. He signed with Chinese Super League club Hebei China Fortune. He left the club in March 2018.
In August 2018, Mbia returned to France. He joined Toulouse for one season. He left the club in January 2019.
On February 3, 2019, Mbia went back to China. He joined Wuhan Zall. A year later, he moved to Shanghai Greenland Shenhua. After one season there, he rejoined Wuhan Zall, which was renamed Wuhan F.C. He played with his former Sevilla teammate Daniel Carriço there.
On August 31, 2021, Mbia returned to Spain. He joined Fuenlabrada in the Segunda División. He left the club in January 2022 due to "personal problems."
Stéphane Mbia's International Career
Mbia played for Cameroon's youth teams. He was part of the Cameroon squad for the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Finland.
He started playing for the main Cameroon national team in 2005. He helped his team reach the finals of the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations. He scored two goals in a 3–2 win against Tunisia in the quarter-finals.
Mbia also played for Cameroon in the 2008 Olympics in China. He played in all four games and scored one goal. He was also chosen to play in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
In June 2014, Mbia was part of Cameroon's team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. During the tournament, he became the captain of the national team.
Stéphane Mbia's Family
Stéphane Mbia has a younger brother named Franck Etoundi. Franck is also a football player and has played for the Cameroonian national team.
Stéphane Mbia's Achievements
Rennes
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2008
Marseille
- Ligue 1: 2009–10
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12
- Trophée des Champions: 2011
Sevilla
- UEFA Europa League: 2013–14, 2014–15
Cameroon
- Africa Cup of Nations runner-up:2008
Individual Awards
- Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2008
- CAF Team of the Year: 2014
- UEFA Europa League Squad of the season: 2013–14, 2014–15
Images for kids
-
Mbia playing for Sevilla in 2015
-
Mbia playing for Sevilla against Zenit in 2015
-
Fred scoring a goal for Brazil as Mbia (left) and goalkeeper Charles Itandje look on alongside their compatriots during a group stage match at the 2014 FIFA World Cup
See also
In Spanish: Stéphane M'Bia para niños
