Jacques Songo'o

Jacques Celestin Songo'o (born 17 March 1964) is a Cameroonian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and is the current goalkeeper coach of the Cameroon national team.

"Songo'o" redirects here. For his sons, also footballers, see Franck Songo'o and Yann Songo'o.

Jacques Songo'o
Songo'o in 2022
Personal information
Full name Jacques Celestin Songo'o
Date of birth (1964-03-17) 17 March 1964
Place of birth Sackbayeme, Cameroon
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 Cameroon (goalkeeper coach)
Youth career
Canon Yaoundé
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1984–1989 Canon Yaoundé
1989–1993 Toulon 22 (0)
1992–1993 → Le Mans (loan) 22 (0)
1993–1996 Metz 101 (0)
1996–2001 Deportivo La Coruña 150 (0)
2001–2003 Metz 26 (0)
2003–2004 Deportivo La Coruña 1 (0)
Total 322 (0)
International career
1984–2002 Cameroon 98 (0)
Managerial career
2010 Cameroon (caretaker)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He spent the vast majority of his professional career in France and Spain, most notably with Deportivo de La Coruña, appearing in more than 200 official games over the course of six seasons and winning the 1999–2000 La Liga.[1]

Songo'o represented the Cameroon national team in four World Cups, being first-choice in 1998.

Club career

Songo'o was born in Sackbayeme, in the Yaoundé suburbs. After first establishing himself as a professional in France, with Ligue 1 club FC Metz, he was voted Best African Goalkeeper in 1996, then arguably lived his most successful period at Spain's Deportivo de La Coruña.

With the Galicians, Songo'o won the 1996–97 edition of the Ricardo Zamora Trophy (awarded to the best goalkeeper of the season), and was his side's undisputed starter in his first four years, which ended with a first-ever title in La Liga.[1] When Depor bought José Francisco Molina in 2000, he soon lost his place and was eventually transferred to old team Metz; on 13 February of that year, from a corner kick, he was supposed to have scored his first career goal, but it was wrongfully disallowed in a 1–0 away loss against CD Numancia.[2]

After two seasons, Songo'o returned to Deportivo and A Coruña, again in a free transfer.[3][4] He settled there after having retired from football, aged 40.[5][6][7]

International career

Songo'o featured for Cameroon in every FIFA World Cup from 1990 to 2002, although only as first-choice in 1998. He was also a member of the squad that competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

After retiring in 2004, Songo'o was hired as the national team's goalkeeper coach.[8] He left the position in 2006, returning four years later as a replacement for Thomas N'Kono.[9]

In the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Songo'o was part of Paul Le Guen's coaching staff. After the tournament, which ended in the group stage, he led Cameroon to a 3–0 victory over Poland on an interim basis, the nation's first win in ten competitive games.[10][11][12]

Songo'o returned for a third spell in the same capacity in September 2019, now under newly hired manager Toni Conceição.[13]

Personal life

Songo'o also held French citizenship. Both of his sons, Franck and Yann, were also professional footballers.[14][15]

Honours

Canon

Metz

Deportivo

Cameroon

Individual

References
  1. Santos Durán, Laura (13 July 2016). "20 años de la llegada de Songo'o al Dépor" [20th anniversary of Songo'o's arrival at Dépor] (in Spanish). Vavel. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  2. Sanz, Óscar (14 February 2000). "Anulado un gol válido a Songo'o – El portero del Deportivo cabeceó un córner y le sancionaron por una falta que no cometió" [Songo'o valid goal disallowed – Deportivo goalkeeper headed from a corner and he was called on a infraction he did not commit]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  3. "Jaque [sic] Songo'o regresa al Deportivo como tercer portero" [Jacques Songo'o returns to Deportivo as third goalkeeper]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 29 August 2003. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  4. "Songo'o vuelve a una convocatoria del Depor tres años después" [Songo'o returns to a Depor callup three years later]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 2 September 2003. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  5. "Última alegría para el Deportivo" [Last joy for Deportivo] (in Spanish). ESPN Deportes. 21 May 2004. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  6. "Los futbolistas con más edad que han jugado en LaLiga" [Oldest footballers to have played in LaLiga]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 28 December 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  7. "Songo'o, ex del Deportivo, impulsa su cuarta empresa en Galicia" [Songo'o, formerly of Deportivo, kickstarts his fourth business in Galicia] (in Spanish). Economía Digital. 11 June 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  8. Nsigué, Guy (8 February 2005). "Lions indomptables: Jacques Songo'o nommé entraîneur des gardiens" [Indomitable Lions: Jacques Songo’o named goalkeeper coach] (in French). Camfoot. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  9. "Entraîneur des gardiens des Lions indomptables du Cameroun: Jacques Songo'o remplace Thomas Nkono" [Cameroon Indomitable Lions' goalkeeper coach: Jacques Songo'o replaces Thomas Nkono]. People's Daily (in French). 20 February 2010. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  10. Lekoa, Aimé Richard (12 August 2010). "Le Cameroun dompte la Pologne à Szczecin (3–0)" [Cameroon tame Poland at Szczecin (3–0)]. Journal du Cameroun (in French). Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  11. Sunou, Stephen (12 August 2010). "Songo'o brise le signe indien" [Songo’o breaks the jinx] (in French). Camfoot. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  12. "Seven observations from Cameroon's first win in 10 games". Gef's Football Club. 13 August 2010. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  13. Barreiros, Pedro José (21 September 2019). "El exdeportivista Songo'o regresa a la selección de Camerún" [Former Deportivo man Songo'o returns to the Cameroon national team]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  14. Zola Ndé Tchoussi, Emile (23 February 2011). "Footballeur de père en fils (V): Franck et Yann Songo'o, les espoirs à confirmer" [Like father like son in football (V): Franck and Yann Songo’o, prospects looking for affirmation]. Journal du Cameroun (in French). Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  15. Wilson, Jeremy (7 January 2017). "Liverpool vs Plymouth: Promotion the key for Argyle linchpin Yann Songo'o". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
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