Rigobert Song Biography: Net Worth, Family, Age, Career Goals, Wife, Death, Height, Photos

Rigobert Song is a former professional football player of Cameroonian descent and current coach of the Cameroon national team.

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

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He is also the uncle of Cameroonian midfielder Alex Song.

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• Full name: Rigobert Song Bahanag
• Nickname: Big Head
• Date of birth: July 1, 1976
• Age: 47 years old
• male
• Place of birth: Nkenglikok, Cameroon
• Nationality: Cameroon
• Occupation: Soccer coach and former player
• Height: 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
• Parents: Bernadette Song and Paul Song
• Siblings: Not applicable
• Spouse: Gabrielle Esther Nnomo Mballa
• Children: 4
• Relationship status: Married
• Net worth: 5 million USD

Early Life & Education

Rigobert Song, now 47 years old, was born on July 1, 1976 in Nkenglikok, a village in the Nyong-et-Kéllé province of Cameroon, to parents 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 young man, 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 debuted for the national team 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 with Metz in 1994.

Personal life

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

Two of them are also football players. Ronny Song plays for the Cameroon U23 team, while Bryan Song plays for a club in Türkiye. Rigobert Song was a devout Christian and philanthropist.

He founded a charity organization called Rigobert Song Foundation, to support disadvantaged children and young football players 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 plays as a centre-back or right-back and is renowned for his strength, speed, leadership and aerial ability.

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He has won several trophies and awards with his clubs and country. He also holds the record for most appearances for the Cameroon national team, with 137 caps and 5 goals.

He is also the only player, other than 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 as well as the 1996 and 1998 Africa Cup of Nations, where he was the captain of the team.

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

He played 34 matches for the Red Devils but did not win any titles. 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 following their relegation from the Premier League. He then returned to France to join Lens, where he remained for two seasons and played 63 games.

In 2004, Song signed for Galatasaray in Türkiye, where he had the most successful period 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 as well as 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 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 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, his last international tournament. He retired from competition in 2010 at the age of 34.

Song then began a coaching career, starting as 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 led Chad briefly in 2015 but resigned after two matches.

He later became coach of the Cameroon A team, made up of local players, in 2016. He led them to the final of the 2016 African Nations Championship, where they lost to DR Congo.

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

He then took charge of the Cameroon U23 team in 2018 and helped them qualify for the 2019 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations, where they finished fourth and were eliminated from the 2020 Olympics.

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

Net value

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 in 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 continued his coaching duties. 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 behaviour. He also feuded with Samuel Eto’o, who replaced him as captain of the Cameroon national team in 2009.

He accused Eto’o of selfishness and disrespect, and claimed he was behind his exclusion from the team. 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 euros to Galatasaray, but he appealed the decision. He also faced criticism for his performance as a coach, especially after the Cameroon U-23 team failed to qualify for the 2020 Olympics.

Social Media

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

Source: https://anhngunewlight.edu.vn
Category: Biography