Rigobert Song is a former Cameroonian professional footballer and current manager of the Cameroon national team.
He is known for his defensive skills and a long and successful career as a player and coach. He played in four World Cups, eight African Cup of Nations tournaments and several club competitions in Europe and Turkey.
He is also the uncle of Cameroon midfielder Alex Song.
File
- 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: Cameroon
- Occupation: Football coach and former player
- Height: 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
- Parents: Bernadette Song and Paul Song
- Siblings: None
- Spouse: Gabrielle Esther Nnomo Mballa
- Children: 4
- Relationship status: Married
- Net worth: $5 million
Early life and education
Rigobert Song, now 47, was born on July 1, 1976 in Nkenglikok, a village in the Nyong-et-Kéllé province of Cameroon, to Bernadette Song and Paul Song.
He grew up in a poor family and had to work as a farmer and fisherman to help his parents.
As a child, he developed a passion for football and joined a local club called TKC Yaoundé. He impressed scouts with his talent and was selected for the Cameroon national youth team.
He made his national team debut in 1993 at the age of 17, becoming the youngest player ever to represent Cameroon.
He also moved to France to begin his professional career at 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 them are also footballers. Ronny Song plays for the Cameroon under-23 team, while Bryan Song plays for a club in Türkiye. Rigobert Song is a devout Christian and a philanthropist.
He founded a charity called the Rigobert Song Foundation, which supports disadvantaged 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 notable career as a footballer and a coach. He played as a centre-back or right-back and was known for his strength, speed, leadership and aerial ability.
He has won numerous titles and awards with his clubs and country. He also holds the record for most appearances for the Cameroon national team, with 137 caps and five goals.
He is also the only player, alongside Zinedine Zidane, to be sent off in two different World Cups, in 1994 and 1998.
Song began his professional career with Metz in 1994 and helped the club 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 served as 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 moving to Liverpool in January 1999.
He played 34 games for the Reds but did not 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 their relegation 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 with Galatasaray in Türkiye, where he had the most successful period of his club career.
He won two Süper Lig titles, a Turkish Cup and a 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 captained the team.
He became a fan favorite and was nicknamed “Big Chief” by Turkish fans.
He left Galatasaray in 2008 and joined rivals Trabzonspor, where he won another Turkish Cup and played in the 2010 World Cup and the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, his final international tournament. He retired in 2010 at the age of 34.
Song then embarked on a coaching career, starting as an assistant coach for the Cameroon national team in 2012. He has worked under a number of 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 coach of the Cameroon A team, consisting of local players, in 2016. He led the team to the final of the 2016 African Nations Championship, where they lost to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He also served as interim coach for the national team in 2018 after Broos left.
He then took over the Cameroon U23 team in 2018 and helped them qualify for the 2019 Africa U23 Cup of Nations, where they finished fourth and failed to qualify for the 2020 Olympics.
In March 2022, he was appointed as the permanent coach of the Cameroon national team by the country’s president, Paul Biya. He replaced Toni Conceicao, who led the team to third place at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
Net worth
Rigobert Song has an estimated net worth of $5 million.
He earned his 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 taken to 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 work. He thanked God and his fans for their prayers and support.
Argumentative
Rigobert Song has been involved in a number of controversies during his career, both on and off the field.
He was sent off twice at the World Cup, in 1994 and 1998, for violent conduct. He also had a falling out with Samuel Eto’o, who replaced him as captain of the Cameroon national team in 2009.
He accused Eto’o of being selfish and disrespectful and claimed that 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 Galatasaray €1.5 million, but he appealed the decision. He has also faced criticism for his performance as a coach, particularly after failing to qualify Cameroon’s under-23 team for the 2020 Olympics.
Social media
- Instagram Name: @rigobertsong
- Twitter Username: @RigobertSong
