Rigobert Song is a Cameroonian-born former professional footballer and the current manager of the Cameroon national team.

He is known for his defensive skills and long and successful player and coach career. He has played in four World Cups, eight Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, and several clubs in Europe and Turkey.

He is also the uncle of fellow Cameroon midfielder Alex Song.

Profile

• Full name: Rigobert Song Bahanag
• Nickname: Big Chief
• Date of birth: July 1, 1976
• Age: 47 years old
• Gender: Male
• Place of birth: Nkenglikok, Cameroon
• Nationality: Cameroonian
• Profession: Football manager and former player
• Height: 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
• Parents: Bernadette Song and Paul Song
• Siblings: N/A
• Spouse: Gabrielle Esther Nnomo Mballa
• Children: 4
• Relationship status: Married
• Net worth: $5 million

Early Life & Education

Rigobert Song, currently 47, was born on July 1, 1976, in Nkenglikok, a village in the Nyong-et-Kéllé department of Cameroon, to parents Bernadette Song and Paul Song.

He grew up in a poor family and had to work as a farmer and a fisherman to help his parents.

At a young age, he developed a passion for football and joined a local club called TKC Yaoundé. He impressed the scouts with his talent and was selected to join the Cameroon national youth team.

He made his senior debut for the national team in 1993 at 17, becoming the youngest player ever to represent Cameroon.

He also moved to France to start his professional career with Metz in 1994.

Personal Life

Rigobert Song is married to Gabrielle Esther Nnomo Mballa, a former Miss Cameroon. They have four children: Ronny, Bryan, Yohanna, and Hillary.

Two of whom are also footballers. Ronny Song plays for the Cameroon U23 team, while Bryan Song plays for a club in Turkey. Rigobert Song is a devout Christian and a philanthropist.

He has founded a charity called the Rigobert Song Foundation, which supports underprivileged children and young footballers in Cameroon.

He is also the uncle of Alex Song, who plays for AS Arta/Solar7 and the Cameroon national team.

Career

Rigobert Song had a remarkable career as a footballer and a coach. He played as a center-back or a right-back and was known for his strength, speed, leadership, and aerial ability.

He won several trophies and accolades with his clubs and his country. He also holds the record for the most appearances for the Cameroon national team, with 137 caps and five goals.

He is also the only player, besides Zinedine Zidane, to have been sent off in two different World Cups, in 1994 and 1998.

Song started his professional career with Metz in 1994 and helped the club to win the Coupe de la Ligue in 1996. He also played in the 1994 and 1998 World Cups and the 1996 and 1998 Africa Cup of Nations, where he was the team’s captain.

He then moved to Italy to join Salernitana, a newly promoted Serie A club, in 1998. However, he only stayed there for six months before transferring to Liverpool in January 1999.

He played 34 games for the Reds but failed to win any trophies. He joined West Ham United in January 2001 but was loaned to 1. FC Köln in November 2001.

He returned to West Ham in June 2002 but left the club after they were relegated from the Premier League. He then moved back to France to join Lens, where he stayed for two seasons and played 63 games.

In 2004, Song signed for Galatasaray in Turkey, where he enjoyed the most successful spell of his club career.

He won two Süper Lig titles, one Turkish Cup, and one Turkish Super Cup with the club. He also played in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and the 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, where he won two titles and was the team’s captain.

He became a fan favorite and was nicknamed “Big Chief” by the Turkish supporters.

He left Galatasaray in 2008 and joined their rivals Trabzonspor, where he won another Turkish Cup and played in the 2010 World Cup and the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, his last international tournament. He retired from playing in 2010 at the age of 34.

Song then began a coaching career, starting as an assistant manager for the Cameroon national team in 2012. He worked under several head coaches, including Volker Finke, Denis Lavagne, Jean-Paul Akono, and Hugo Broos.

He also briefly managed Chad in 2015 but resigned after two games.

He then became the manager of the Cameroon A team, composed of local players, in 2016. He led them to the final of the 2016 African Nations Championship, where they lost to DR Congo.

He also served as a caretaker manager for the senior national team in 2018 after the departure of Broos.

He then took charge of the Cameroon U23 team in 2018 and qualified them for the 2019 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations, where they finished fourth and missed out on the 2020 Olympics.

In March 2022, he was appointed the permanent manager of the Cameroon national team on the orders of the country’s president, Paul Biya. He replaced Toni Conceicao, who led the team to a third-place finish at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

Net Worth

Rigobert Song has an estimated net worth of $5 million.

He earned wealth from his long and successful football and coaching career. He also has endorsement deals with brands such as Adidas, Pepsi, and MTN.

Death

Rigobert Song is still alive and well as of 2023. However, he had a near-death experience in 2016 when he suffered a stroke and fell into a coma.

He was rushed to a hospital in Yaoundé, where he underwent surgery. He was then flown to France, where he received further treatment.

He recovered after several months and resumed his coaching duties. He thanked God and his fans for their prayers and support.

Controversy

Rigobert Song has been involved in some controversies during his career, both on and off the pitch.

He was sent off twice in the World Cup, in 1994 and 1998, for violent conduct. He also had a feud with Samuel Eto’o, who replaced him as the captain of the Cameroon national team in 2009.

He accused Eto’o of being selfish and disrespectful and claimed he was behind his exclusion from the squad. He also had a dispute with his former club, Galatasaray, who sued him for breach of contract after he joined Trabzonspor in 2008.

He was ordered to pay €1.5 million to Galatasaray, but he appealed the decision. He also faced criticism for his performance as a coach, especially after failing to qualify the Cameroon U-23 team for the 2020 Olympics.

Social Media

• Instagram handle: @rigobertsong
• Twitter handle: @RigobertSong

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