Patrick Mboma
The striker behind Cameroon's golden year
Born in 1970
Related city : Douala
Who are they?
A striker born in Douala in 1970. After spells at Paris Saint-Germain, Châteauroux and Metz, he broke through in Japan with Gamba Osaka, moved on to Cagliari and Parma in Italy, and ended his career back in Japan.
What made them famous
2000 was his year: he won the African Cup of Nations, then Olympic gold in Sydney, scoring four goals including a free kick against Brazil in the quarter-final. He was named African Footballer of the Year the same year.
Key facts
- Top scorer in the Japanese league in 1997 with Gamba Osaka.
- Scored a famous overhead kick in a friendly against France in 2000.
- A two-time African Cup of Nations winner (2000 and 2002), he was top scorer at the 2002 edition.
- He has said that nothing in football gave him more pleasure than Olympic gold.