Twice winner and top scorer of the African Cup with Cameroon, gold medalist and best player of the Sydney Olympic Games, Patrick Mboma, African Ballon D'Or winner 2000, collected trophies during his international career.
He was "Magic", Patrick Mboma. Considered one of the best strikers in the history of the African continent, it was enough to see him in his green jersey of Cameroon, number 10 on the back. It was enough to see him stall, dribble, hit and score with his left foot, to measure the extent of his talent. It was also enough for his team to get a free-kick to judge his power.
The consecration in 2000
Of course, this was an era that the younger generation of Indomitable Lions did not experience. Many were barely one or two years old. Others were not old enough to measure the talent of Patrick Mboma who was the happiness of the Cameroonian selection during those years. Because, it is precisely from the year 2000, that the Cameroonian striker enters the legend. Winner of the African Cup of Nations in Nigeria, Mboma (30 years), managed to conquer the world a few months later.
Alongside Samuel Eto'o (19 years old at the time), still a young Lion, Mboma offered his nation its first Olympic gold medal at the Sydney Games. During this tournament, the Cameroonian nickname "Magic Mboma" scored against Ronaldinho's Brazil in the quarter, Iván Zamorano's Chile in the half and Xavi's Spain in the final.
Africa, his pointe fort
"When I leave for the Olympics, I had already achieved everything I hoped for with the national team. And I can't imagine getting a medal," Mboma told Fifa.com. And 15 days later, we win. And you have to know that at that time, Cameroon had never won gold. The joy was just immeasurable. I still try to describe it more than 20 years later. This gold medal is my greatest joy as a footballer. As an additional reward after this Olympic medal, the native of Douala won the African Golden Ball the same year.
Two years later, the Indomitable Lions won again the AFCON (2002). Mboma finished top scorer with 3 goals. He did it again at the AFCON 2004, this time scoring 4 goals. He announced his international retirement on the evening of the elimination of his country in the quarterfinals. With 33 goals in 55 appearances, he has the best ratio of goals/game in the history of the Cameroonian selection.
A professional career not so brilliant
Consultant for the French channel Canal+, Patrick Mboma is not one of those soccer geniuses to whom the sky has given everything. From an early age, he quickly understood that talent is built and maintained. Leaving Douala at the age of 12, his scoring skills opened the doors of Paris Saint-Germain in 1990. But he played for a long time in the reserves, blocked on the front line by a trio of galactics formed by George Weah, David Ginola and Amara Simba.
Convinced that a great career awaited him, he decided to force his fate. He first joined Châteauroux on loan (1992), then Metz (1995). Mboma played about sixty games with these two clubs, and scored 26 goals. He then flew to Japan where he signed with Gamba Osaka in 1997. Mboma's confidence grew and he finished as the top scorer in the J League with 25 goals in 28 games.
Shortly before the 1998 World Cup, Mboma returned to Europe for a chance to be selected with Cameroon. The author of the masterly bicycle of October 4, 2000 at the Stade de France (1-1 in a friendly against Les Bleus) signed with Cagliari (1998) and Parma (2000). But repeated injuries and the back and forth with the national team penalized him. He left Parma after a season and a half for England. But the stay in Sunderland goes badly (9 games played, 1 goal scored). Direction Al-Ittihad Tripoli in Libya, before a return to Japan to finish at Vissel Kobe (2004-2005). Nearly 17 years after hanging up his boots, the 52-year-old consultant is again playing for the Indomitable Lions. But this time, as an ambassador.
