Vicente Engonga facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Vicente Engonga Maté | ||
| Date of birth | 20 October 1965 | ||
| Place of birth | Barcelona, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Central midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Gimnástica | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1984–1986 | Gimnástica | 51 | (2) |
| 1986–1991 | Sporting Mahonés | 112 | (3) |
| 1991–1992 | Valladolid | 37 | (2) |
| 1992–1994 | Celta | 72 | (0) |
| 1994–1997 | Valencia | 69 | (2) |
| 1997–2002 | Mallorca | 149 | (4) |
| 2002–2003 | Oviedo | 11 | (1) |
| 2003 | → Coventry City (loan) | 8 | (0) |
| Total | 509 | (14) | |
| International career | |||
| 1997–2000 | Cantabria | 2 | (0) |
| 1998–2000 | Spain | 14 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2008–2009 | Equatorial Guinea | ||
| 2011 | Mallorca B | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Vicente Engonga Maté, born on October 20, 1965, is a former Spanish professional footballer. He mostly played as a central midfielder, helping his team control the middle of the field. Sometimes, he also played as a sweeper, a defender who helps cover the back.
Vicente played for six different football clubs during his career. His most successful time was with Mallorca, even though he joined them when he was 32 years old. He played in 327 matches in Spain's top league, La Liga, scoring eight goals over 11 seasons. He also played for the Spanish national team for two years. He even represented Spain in a big tournament called Euro 2000.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Early Career and First Steps
Vicente Engonga was born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. His family came from Equatorial Guinea. He grew up in the Cantabria region, where his dad was also a footballer. Vicente started playing professional football with smaller teams. These included Gimnástica de Torrelavega and then CF Sporting Mahonés.
In 1991, Engonga moved to Real Valladolid in La Liga, Spain's top football league. In his first year, the club was moved down to a lower league. After that, he joined RC Celta de Vigo. With Celta, he reached the final of the Copa del Rey cup competition in 1994.
Time at Valencia CF
In the summer of 1994, Engonga was bought by a big team, Valencia CF. He spent three seasons playing at their home stadium, Mestalla Stadium. After a bit of a slow start, he played in 35 games during the 1996–97 season. Valencia finished tenth in the league that year.
Success with Mallorca
Later, Engonga signed with RCD Mallorca. He joined them along with five other players he had played with before. He played his best football with Mallorca. He helped them win the 1998 Supercopa de España in 1998. They beat FC Barcelona with a total score of 3–1 over two games.
In the same year, Mallorca also reached the final of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. This was a big European competition. They lost 2–1 to S.S. Lazio in the final match.
During the 2000–01 season, Engonga scored two goals in 31 league games. His team finished third in the league. This meant they qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the very first time. In their first Champions League match, he scored the only goal. It was an 11th-minute penalty kick. This goal helped Mallorca beat Arsenal at their home stadium, Son Moix.
Later Career and Retirement
In 2002, Engonga's contract with Mallorca ended. He then joined Real Oviedo, a team in the second division. He played there for six months. In January 2003, he moved to England. He signed a six-month loan deal with Coventry City. They played in the Football League Division One. At the end of that season, at 37 years old, Vicente Engonga retired from playing football. After retiring, he worked with Mallorca in different coaching roles.
Playing for Spain
National Team Debut
On September 23, 1998, when he was almost 33 years old, Engonga played his first game for the Spanish national team. He played the whole game in a 1–0 friendly win against Russia in Granada. He was one of the oldest players to play for Spain for the first time.
First International Goal
Engonga scored his only goal for Spain on May 5, 1999. It was in a friendly game against Croatia. His goal tied the score, and Spain went on to win 3–1 in Seville.
He was chosen to be part of the Spanish team for UEFA Euro 2000. He came on as a substitute late in a group stage game. Spain won that match 2–1 against Slovenia at the Amsterdam Arena. This was his last of 14 games playing for Spain.
Vicente Engonga was the first Spanish-born black player to play for the national team. During his career, he also played for the unofficial Cantabria team between 1997 and 2000. In August 2008, Engonga became the manager of the Equatorial Guinea national team.
Family Life
Vicente Engonga's younger brother, Óscar, was also a professional midfielder. He played most of his career in the lower leagues of Spain. He was at Valladolid at the same time as Vicente.
Engonga's nephew, Igor, was chosen to play for Equatorial Guinea in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
Career Achievements
Club Honours
- Celta
- Copa del Rey runner-up: 1993–94
- Valencia
- Copa del Rey runner-up: 1994–95
- Mallorca
- Supercopa de España: 1998
- Copa del Rey runner-up: 1997–98
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup runner-up: 1998–99
See also
In Spanish: Vicente Engonga para niños
