Tony Tchani facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tony Tchani

Tchani playing for New York Red Bulls in 2010
Personal information
Full name	Tony Ghislain Tchani
Date of birth	(1989-04-13) 13 April 1989 (age 36)
Place of birth	Douala, Cameroon
Height	1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
2004–2008	Beach FC
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2008–2009	Virginia Cavaliers	37	(17)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2008	Hampton Roads Piranhas	1	(0)
2010–2011	New York Red Bulls	29	(1)
2011	Toronto FC	13	(1)
2011–2017	Columbus Crew SC	130	(8)
2017	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	27	(4)
2018	Chicago Fire	13	(1)
2019	FC Edmonton	5	(0)
2021	FC Motown
2021	Maryland Bobcats	2	(0)
International career‡
2016	United States	1	(0)
2016	Cameroon	2	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 3 April2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 7 September 2016

Tony Ghislain Tchani is a retired professional soccer player from Cameroon. He was born on April 13, 1989. Tony played as a midfielder, which is a key position in the middle of the field.

Tony's Early Soccer Journey

Moving to the United States

Tony Tchani moved from Cameroon to the United States in 2004. He settled in Norfolk, Virginia. He went to Maury High School and played club soccer for a team called Beach FC.

College Soccer Success

After high school, Tony played college soccer at the University of Virginia. In his first year, he started 12 games and scored 9 goals. He was named the ACC Freshman of the Year in 2008. He also earned other important awards for his great playing.

In 2009, Tony continued to play very well. He was named First-Team All-America by College Soccer News. That same year, his team, the UVa Men's Soccer team, won the National Championship. They won in a penalty shootout, and Tony scored one of Virginia's penalty kicks. During his college years, he also played for the Hampton Roads Piranhas in a league called the Premier Development League.

Professional Club Career

Starting with New York Red Bulls

Tony Tchani was chosen very early in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft by the New York Red Bulls. He was the second player picked overall! He played his first professional game on March 27, 2010. This was the opening game of the 2010 MLS season against Chicago Fire.

Tony scored his first professional goal on May 20, 2010. It was a header in a game against Columbus Crew. As the season went on, Tony became a very important player for the Red Bulls. He played in 27 regular season games and helped his team win the Eastern Conference title in 2010.

Time with Toronto FC

In April 2011, Tony was traded to Toronto FC. He made his debut for Toronto the very next day. He scored his first goal for Toronto on April 23, 2011, in a game against Columbus Crew. After scoring, he got a second yellow card and was sent off the field.

Playing for Columbus Crew

On July 15, 2011, Tony was traded again, this time to Columbus Crew. He had a knee injury when he arrived and needed surgery. He finally played his first game for Columbus on October 27, 2011.

Tony signed a new deal with Columbus in December 2012. In 2013, he started 13 games for the team. In 2014, he became a regular starter, playing in 33 out of 34 league matches. He continued to play for Columbus until 2017.

Moving to Vancouver and Chicago

In March 2017, Tony was traded to Vancouver Whitecaps FC. He played 27 games for them and scored 4 goals. In February 2018, he moved to the Chicago Fire. He played 13 games for Chicago before leaving the team in August 2018.

Later Career Teams

Tony continued his career by signing with FC Edmonton in the Canadian Premier League in August 2019. He played 5 games for them. Later, in July 2021, he signed with Maryland Bobcats in the NISA league.

International Soccer Career

Tony Tchani had the chance to play for two different national teams.

Playing for Cameroon

In November 2015, Tony was called up to play for the Cameroon team. He was going to play in World Cup Qualifying matches. However, he got injured and could not join the team at that time. In March 2016, he accepted another call-up from Cameroon. He played in a game against South Africa. After playing in this game, he was officially tied to playing for Cameroon.

Playing for the United States

In January 2016, Tony was also called up by the United States team. He played his first game for the U.S. on January 31 against Iceland. He came into the game as a substitute. This friendly game did not officially tie him to the U.S. team, which meant he could still choose to play for Cameroon later.

Personal Life

Tony Tchani became a citizen of the United States in 2013.

Career Statistics

Awards and Achievements

University of Virginia

• NCAA Men's Division I Soccer Championship: 2009

Toronto FC

• Canadian Championship: 2011

See also

In Spanish: Tony Tchani para niños