Rigobert Song

Rigobert Song is undoubtedly one of the best African defenders in history. A tough defender with tight marking, he left his mark on the 90s and 2000s.

648

Games

Goals

Assists

Trophies

1992/94 Tonnerre Yaoundé (CAM)

1994/98 FC Metz (FRA) 146 matches, 4 goals

(French Championship: 123 matches, 3 goals)

(French Cup: 6 matches)

(League Cup: 6 matches)

(UEFA Cup: 10 matches, 1 goal)

(Intertoto Cup: 1 match)

1998/99 Salernitana (ITA) 6 matches, 1 goal

(Italian Championship: 4 matches, 1 goal)

(Italian Cup: 2 matches)

1999/2000 Liverpool (ENG) 37 matches

(English Championship: 33 matches)

(English Cup: 1 match)

(English League Cup: 2 matches)

(UEFA Cup: 1 match)

2000/02 West Ham (ENG) 26 matches

(English Premier League: 24 matches)

(FAC: 1 match)

(English League Cup: 2 matches)

2001/02 FC Cologne (GER) (loan) 19 matches, 1 goal

(German Premier League: 16 matches)

(German Cup: 3 matches, 1 goal)

2002/04 RC Lens (FRA) 83 matches, 4 goals

(French Premier League: 63 matches, 3 goals)

(French Cup: 2 matches)

(League Cup: 4 matches)

(Champions League: 6 matches)

(UEFA Cup: 8 matches, 1 goal)

2004/08 Galatasaray (TUR) 138 matches, 6 goals

(Turkish League: 108 matches, 4 goals)

(Turkish Cup: 12 matches, 1 goal)

(Turkish Super Cup: 1 match)

(Champions League: 7 matches)

(UEFA Cup: 10 matches, 1 goal)

2008/10 Trabzonspor (TUR) 56 matches, 2 goals

(Turkish League: 46 matches)

(Turkish Cup: 8 matches, 1 goal)

(UEFA Cup: 2 matches, 1 goal)

With the National Team :

137 caps, 5 goals

(Friendly matches: 36 caps, 1 goal)

(World Cup qualifiers: 36 caps, 3 goals)

(World Cup: 9 caps)

(Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers: 13 caps, 1 goal)

(Africa Cup of Nations: 36 caps)

(Confederations Cup: 7 caps)

1st cap: September 22, 1993 against Mexico (0-1)

Last cap: June 24, 2010 against the Netherlands (1-2)

Rigobert Bahanag Song

Born July 1, 1976 in Nkenglicock (CAM)

Cameroonian, central defender, 1m83

Nicknames: "Magnan", Rigo

One of the greatest legends of FC Metz

Rigobert Song was born on July 1, 1976 in Nkenglicock, Cameroon. He learned the sport at the Brasseries du Cameroun football school for 4 years before joining Red Star Bangou. He began his professional career at Tonnerre Yaoundé where he played for 2 years.

With undeniable talent, he was spotted by one of the clubs that bet the most on African players in Europe, FC Metz. Adapting very quickly to the French championship, he quietly established himself as one of the prominent faces of his team and the championship. Right-back then established as a central defender, his versatility allowed him and his team to shine. He finished the 1994/95 season in 8th place in the championship.

This is how the best defense in the history of FC Metz was born, composed of Song, Kastendeuch, Gaillot and Pierre. During the 1995/96 season, the club would once again surprise France by finishing in 4th place in the championship with the best defense, only 30 goals conceded in 38 matches. That year, they won the Coupe de la Ligue for the first time in their history by beating Olympique Lyonnais on penalties.

The following season, FC Metz qualified for the Europa League, they were finally eliminated in the round of 16 by Newcastle United, after beating FC Tirol and Sporting Lisbon. Another successful season since the club finished in 5th place in the championship. With once again the best defense and another 30 goals conceded.

The 1997/98 season will be the peak of this FC Metz team which finishes to everyone's surprise in 2nd place in the championship. The club will have conceded only 28 goals in 34 games. After this exceptional season, the player decides like most of his teammates to leave the ship. He then joins a small club in the Italian championship which has just been promoted, Salernitana.

Short trips to Europe and back to France

The adventure will be short-lived since he only plays 4 games before finally being recruited the following season by Liverpool. There, the player is very appreciated by the supporters despite a substitute place. He then decides to join West Ham, a new failure since he is loaned in the process to FC Cologne. It is finally in France, at RC Lens that he finds his best level.

Playing in the Champions League with the club from the north of France, the player will become the true leader of the team and a figure of experience necessary for the team. After 2 very good seasons, he decided at 28 to join Turkey and the Galatasaray project which had a very good team at the time.

Initially in conflict with the coach at the time, the legend Eric Gerets, he ended up becoming an undisputed starter for the team. A team that won 2 Turkish Championships and 1 Turkish Cup. In 2008, he joined Trabzonspor where he won a second Turkish Cup. He finally ended his career in 2010, at the age of 34.

One of the best Cameroonian players of all time

Where Rigobert Song particularly shone was with his country. Indeed, with Cameroon, he was a leader of the team for no less than 17 years and until his football retirement. He will have written one of the most beautiful periods in the history of his country, winning 2 African Cups of Nations in 2000 and 2002, being a finalist in 2008 and having been a finalist of the Confederations Cup in 2003. In total, he will have played 137 times for his country, scoring 5 goals.