Théophile Abega facts for kids
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Théophile Abega Mbida | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 9 July 1954 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Nkomo, Cameroon | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 15 November 2012 (aged 58) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Yaoundé, Cameroon | ||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||
| Lion de Yaoundé | |||||||||||||||||||
| Colombe Sportive | |||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1974–1984 | Canon Yaoundé | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1984–1985 | Toulouse | 22 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1985–1987 | Vevey-Sports | ||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1982 | Cameroon Olympic | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1976–1987 | Cameroon | 37 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||
Théophile Abega Mbida (born July 9, 1954 – died November 15, 2012) was a famous Cameroonian soccer player. People often called him "Doctor" because he was so smart on the field. He played as a midfielder, which means he helped both defend and attack for his team.
Théophile Abega was a big part of the Cameroon national team. He played in all three matches at the 1982 FIFA World Cup. He also led his team as captain to win their very first African Nations Cup in 1984. In that final game, he even scored a goal! After his soccer career, he became a politician.
Playing for Clubs
Théophile Abega started his soccer journey with a team called Lion de Yaoundé. After that, he played for Colombe Sportive du Dja et Lobo.
His most successful time was with Canon Yaoundé. With this club, he won many important titles:
- The 1978 African Cup of Champions Clubs
- The 1980 African Cup of Champions Clubs
- The 1979 African Cup Winners' Cup
He also helped Canon Yaoundé win the Cameroonian championship four times and the Cameroonian Cup five times.
Later in his career, Abega moved to France to play for Toulouse. He then finished his professional playing days in Switzerland with Vevey-Sports.
Playing for His Country
Théophile Abega was a key player for the Cameroon national team. He played in the 1982 FIFA World Cup, which is one of the biggest soccer tournaments in the world.
He was the captain when Cameroon won the 1984 African Cup of Nations. This was a huge moment for his country's soccer history.
In 1986, during the 1986 African Cup of Nations, Abega had a collision with the goalkeeper from the Zambia team. After this, he decided to retire from playing soccer in 1987.
Life After Football
After he stopped playing soccer, Théophile Abega entered the world of politics. He became the mayor of the sixth area (called an arrondissement) of Yaoundé, which is a major city in Cameroon.
In 2006, the CAF, which is the main organization for soccer in Africa, chose him as one of the best 200 African soccer players from the last 50 years. This shows how much of an impact he had on the sport.
Remembering a Legend
Théophile Abega passed away on November 15, 2012. He died from a cardiac arrest (which means his heart stopped working) at the Yaoundé General Hospital in Cameroon. He is remembered as a true legend of Cameroonian and African soccer.
