Mathias Chago
Encyclopedia
Mathias Dellgoue Chago de Confiance (born 6 March 1983 in Bakou, Cameroon
), commonly known simply as Chago, is a Cameroonian professional footballer
who is also a Croatia
n citizen as from January 2006. Formerly a player of Olympic Mvolyé
, Racing FC Bafoussam
and NK Metalac
, he currently plays for Croatian top division
champions NK Dinamo Zagreb. Chago also represents Cameroon
at the international level, debuting in a first–team against Ivory Coast in a friendly match that was played on 13 June 2009.
. There he played for two seasons before joining the MTN Elite one side Racing FC Bafoussam
in 2000, where he until 2003.
, hoping to succeed in professional football there in order to feed his family of ten brothers and sisters back in Cameroon. The manager that brought them left them broke on the streets of Zagreb
. Without any money to return to Cameroon, the players didn't have any choice but to stay in Croatia
. Soon after the players were contacted by Croatian football icon Miroslav Blažević
, who gave them his own flat to sleep at, also providing players with training sessions at the Maksimir football centre
. The players had to hide from the Croatian police
since they didn't have the visas
which were required for their prolonged stay in Croatia.
During one of the training sessions Croatian manager Boro Ivković (to who Chago also refers as his "dad") spotted Chago's talents and immediately brought him to Osijek
. His new manager linked him with a Croatian second division club NK Metalac
. Chago impressed everyone in his new club and was signed on a long–term deal. Chago spent three seasons playing for Metalac, before he went on a trial to Osijek
's best club, first division side NK Osijek
. Chago didn't succeed at the trial but had another chance, this time with NK Dinamo Zagreb, Croatia's most successful football club.
Chago was back on his way to Zagreb again, this time needing to prove his qualities in Dinamo's friendly match against Slovenia
n football club NK Aluminij
. Having his poor family depending on him, Chago was determined to give his best in the forthcoming match and force Dinamo into signing him onto a professional contract. Before the match Chago held a speech in the dressing room for his teammates, to which he never interacted before, saying:
Chago played well and amazed everyone in the club, especially the club's physios who couldn't believe that Chago endured the whole match with painful blisters all over his feet. The injury was so serious that he had to undertake surgery
after the match. With his driven attitude, determination and bravery Chago immediately won over hearts both of his teammates and fans. With €30,000 per season contract on his hands, all he had to do now is to concentrate on his game.
His debut season at his new club went well. At the end of Prva HNL season 2005–06 Chago had 27 league appearances, also bagging 3 goals. Unfortunately for Chago, before the start of the next season he suffered a serious anterior abdominal wall injury. Which made things worse the injury didn't seem to be short–termed. This made Chago miss the whole 2006–07
campaign, making no appearances for Dinamo in that season. Meanwhile, Chago's manager Boro Ivković started negotiations with his club concerning Chago's annual wage. The new contract was signed by the player and manager, a 3–year €75,000 per season deal. His salary was almost matching the salaries of the club's stars at the time, The Spurs'
footballers Luka Modrić
and Vedran Ćorluka
.
Chago was finally back for the 2007–08
season, but struggled to make any impact since he had to be careful with his abdomen which was not completely recovered. He played a total of 10 league matches, not scoring any goals. He continued his struggle with injuries in the next season as well. He missed out on most of the matches in the summer part of Prva HNL 2008–09, but came back fully recovered and eager to play in the winter part of the campaign. Chago made a total of 16 appearances, scoring 2 goals, including the one in the last week of the season against Dinamo's fierce rivals HNK Hajduk Split
. He also made 4 appearances in UEFA Champions League 2008–09
qualifying rounds and 3 appearances in Croatian Cup
.
's World Cup
qualifier against Morocco
. On the next day he reported to Cameroon's training camp in Belgium
where he started training with his new teammates. According to Chago, the national team staff was scouting him for a longer while with him knowing nothing about it. He didn't make the appearance on the match against Morocco, but he started in the friendly match against Ivory Coast and played for 60 minutes before being subbed. For the sport section of the Croatian daily newspaper
Večernji list
, Chago gave an interview in which he stated that Samuel Eto'o
himself encouraged him before the kick–off, alluding on Eto'o being a great player and a man of great character.
|-
|2003–04||rowspan="2"|Metalac
||rowspan="2"|Druga HNL||15||5||0||0||0||0||15||5
|-
|2004–05||18||3||0||0||0||0||18||3
|-
|2005–06||rowspan="5"|Dinamo Zagreb
||rowspan="7"|Prva HNL||27||3||0||0||0||0||27||3
|-
|2006–07||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|2007–08||10||0||1||0||2||0||13||0
|-
|2008–09||16||2||3||0||5||0||24||2
|-
|rowspan="2"|2009–10||3||0||4||1||5||0||12||1
|-
|Istra 1961||12||1||0||0||0||0||12||1
|-
|2010–11
||Dinamo Zagreb
||16||2||1||0||6||0||171||1
117||16||9||0||18||0||138||16
1 Including the 2010 Croatian Supercup
match against Hajduk Split.
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
), commonly known simply as Chago, is a Cameroonian professional footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who is also a Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n citizen as from January 2006. Formerly a player of Olympic Mvolyé
Olympic Mvolyé
Olympic Mvolyé, also known as Olympique Mvolyé, is a Cameroonian football club based in Mvolyé.Olympic enjoyed some success in the mid-to-late 1990s as they won the Cameroonian Cup twice in 1992 and 1994 and then went on to compete in Elite One, the country's top level, from 1997 to 2001.They also...
, Racing FC Bafoussam
Racing FC Bafoussam
Racing FC Bafoussam is a Cameroonian football club based in Bafoussam. They are a member of Fédération Camerounaise de Football. Their home stadium is Stade Municipal de Bamendzi...
and NK Metalac
NK Metalac
NK Metalac is a Croatian football club based in the town of Osijek....
, he currently plays for Croatian top division
Prva HNL 2008-09
The 2008–09 Prva HNL season was the 18th since its establishment. It started on 27 July 2008 and ended on 31 May 2009. Dinamo Zagreb were the defending champions, having won their 10th championship title the previous season.-Promotion and relegation:...
champions NK Dinamo Zagreb. Chago also represents Cameroon
Cameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
at the international level, debuting in a first–team against Ivory Coast in a friendly match that was played on 13 June 2009.
Early career in Cameroon
Chago started his football career at a youth club Olympic MvolyéOlympic Mvolyé
Olympic Mvolyé, also known as Olympique Mvolyé, is a Cameroonian football club based in Mvolyé.Olympic enjoyed some success in the mid-to-late 1990s as they won the Cameroonian Cup twice in 1992 and 1994 and then went on to compete in Elite One, the country's top level, from 1997 to 2001.They also...
. There he played for two seasons before joining the MTN Elite one side Racing FC Bafoussam
Racing FC Bafoussam
Racing FC Bafoussam is a Cameroonian football club based in Bafoussam. They are a member of Fédération Camerounaise de Football. Their home stadium is Stade Municipal de Bamendzi...
in 2000, where he until 2003.
Career in Croatia
At the age of 19, Chago and two other Cameroonian players ran away to CroatiaCroatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, hoping to succeed in professional football there in order to feed his family of ten brothers and sisters back in Cameroon. The manager that brought them left them broke on the streets of Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
. Without any money to return to Cameroon, the players didn't have any choice but to stay in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. Soon after the players were contacted by Croatian football icon Miroslav Blažević
Miroslav Blaževic
Miroslav "Ćiro" Blažević is a Bosnian Croat football manager. He is the current head coach of Mes Kerman in Iran Pro League....
, who gave them his own flat to sleep at, also providing players with training sessions at the Maksimir football centre
Maksimir Stadium
Maksimir Stadium is a stadium in the Croatian capital of Zagreb. It takes its name from the neighbourhood of Maksimir. It is primarily the home of Dinamo Zagreb, the top football team in the country. It is also home to Dinamo Zagreb's farm team NK Lokomotiva....
. The players had to hide from the Croatian police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
since they didn't have the visas
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
which were required for their prolonged stay in Croatia.
During one of the training sessions Croatian manager Boro Ivković (to who Chago also refers as his "dad") spotted Chago's talents and immediately brought him to Osijek
Osijek
Osijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 83,496 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja county...
. His new manager linked him with a Croatian second division club NK Metalac
NK Metalac
NK Metalac is a Croatian football club based in the town of Osijek....
. Chago impressed everyone in his new club and was signed on a long–term deal. Chago spent three seasons playing for Metalac, before he went on a trial to Osijek
Osijek
Osijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 83,496 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja county...
's best club, first division side NK Osijek
NK Osijek
NK Osijek is a Croatian football club, from Osijek in eastern Croatia.- History :NK Osijek's early roots are found in club called NK Udarnik that was formed in 1945 under FPR Yugoslavia's new communist authorities on the ashes of dissolved HŠK Slavija...
. Chago didn't succeed at the trial but had another chance, this time with NK Dinamo Zagreb, Croatia's most successful football club.
Chago was back on his way to Zagreb again, this time needing to prove his qualities in Dinamo's friendly match against Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n football club NK Aluminij
NK Aluminij
NK Aluminij is a Slovenian football club from Kidričevo, which plays in the Slovenian Second Division.- Current squad :As of September 2010- Domestic league and cup results :...
. Having his poor family depending on him, Chago was determined to give his best in the forthcoming match and force Dinamo into signing him onto a professional contract. Before the match Chago held a speech in the dressing room for his teammates, to which he never interacted before, saying:
- "Guys, I'm poor. I came all the way from Cameroon to earn money so I could feed my family. You all have contracts and earn a lot. Please, help me to play well in this match, so I can sign a contract with Dinamo."
Chago played well and amazed everyone in the club, especially the club's physios who couldn't believe that Chago endured the whole match with painful blisters all over his feet. The injury was so serious that he had to undertake surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
after the match. With his driven attitude, determination and bravery Chago immediately won over hearts both of his teammates and fans. With €30,000 per season contract on his hands, all he had to do now is to concentrate on his game.
His debut season at his new club went well. At the end of Prva HNL season 2005–06 Chago had 27 league appearances, also bagging 3 goals. Unfortunately for Chago, before the start of the next season he suffered a serious anterior abdominal wall injury. Which made things worse the injury didn't seem to be short–termed. This made Chago miss the whole 2006–07
Prva HNL 2006-07
The 2006-07 Prva HNL season , the 16th since its establishment, started on July 29, 2006 and finished on May 19, 2007...
campaign, making no appearances for Dinamo in that season. Meanwhile, Chago's manager Boro Ivković started negotiations with his club concerning Chago's annual wage. The new contract was signed by the player and manager, a 3–year €75,000 per season deal. His salary was almost matching the salaries of the club's stars at the time, The Spurs'
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
footballers Luka Modrić
Luka Modric
Luka Modrić is a Croatian footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur and for the Croatia national football team.Modrić's childhood coincided with the Croatian War of Independence. After showing promise in hometown club Zadar's youth team, he was signed by Dinamo Zagreb as a teenager in 2002. His...
and Vedran Ćorluka
Vedran Corluka
Vedran Ćorluka is a Croatian footballer who plays for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur as a defender. He is also a part of the Croatia national team...
.
Chago was finally back for the 2007–08
Prva HNL 2007-08
The 2007-08 Prva HNL season was the seventeenth since its establishment, and started on 20 July 2007...
season, but struggled to make any impact since he had to be careful with his abdomen which was not completely recovered. He played a total of 10 league matches, not scoring any goals. He continued his struggle with injuries in the next season as well. He missed out on most of the matches in the summer part of Prva HNL 2008–09, but came back fully recovered and eager to play in the winter part of the campaign. Chago made a total of 16 appearances, scoring 2 goals, including the one in the last week of the season against Dinamo's fierce rivals HNK Hajduk Split
HNK Hajduk Split
HNK Hajduk Split, commonly referred to as Hajduk Split or simply Hajduk, is a Croatian football club founded in 1911 and based in the city of Split. The club's home ground since 1979 is the 35,000-seater Poljud Stadium and the team's traditional home colours are white shirts with blue shorts and...
. He also made 4 appearances in UEFA Champions League 2008–09
UEFA Champions League 2008–09
The 2008–09 UEFA Champions League was the 54th edition of Europe's premier club football tournament and the 17th edition under the current UEFA Champions League format. The final was played at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on 27 May 2009. It was the eighth time the European Cup final has been held in...
qualifying rounds and 3 appearances in Croatian Cup
Croatian Cup
The Croatian Cup is an annually held football tournament for Croatian football clubs and is the second most important competition in Croatian football after the Prva HNL league championship. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation and usually runs from late August to May...
.
National team
Chago was first called–up for the national squad on the 30 May in 2009, a week before CameroonCameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
's World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification - CAF Third Round
This page provides the summaries of the CAF Third Round matches for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification. The 20 qualifiers were split into 5 groups of four, in the draw held on 22 October 2008 in Zürich, Switzerland...
qualifier against Morocco
Morocco national football team
The Morocco national football team , nicknamed أسود الأطلس , is the national team of Morocco and is managed by Eric Gerets. Winners of the African Nations Cup in 1976, they were the first African team to win a group at the World Cup, which they did in 1986, finishing ahead of Portugal, Poland, and...
. On the next day he reported to Cameroon's training camp in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
where he started training with his new teammates. According to Chago, the national team staff was scouting him for a longer while with him knowing nothing about it. He didn't make the appearance on the match against Morocco, but he started in the friendly match against Ivory Coast and played for 60 minutes before being subbed. For the sport section of the Croatian daily newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
Večernji list
Vecernji list
Večernji list is a Croatian daily newspaper published in Zagreb.The newspaper was started in the 1950s and it is today one of two largest daily newspapers in Croatia...
, Chago gave an interview in which he stated that Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o Fils is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala. He is also the current captain of the Cameroon national team.Eto'o trained at Kadji Sports Academy...
himself encouraged him before the kick–off, alluding on Eto'o being a great player and a man of great character.
Personal life
Chago was born in a poor Cameroonian family, sharing the same fate with his 10 brothers and sisters. He ran away from Cameroon in order to earn money for his family. He came to Croatia where he eventually succeeded at a top of professional football. Chago now lives happily married with his Croatian wife Daša and their two daughters Melissa and Marceline.Honours
- Croatian First League (5): 2005–06, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–102009–10 Prva HNLThe 2009–10 Prva HNL season was the nineteenth season of the Prva HNL since its establishment in 1992. It began on 24 July 2009 and ended on 13 May 2010...
, 2010–112010–11 Prva HNLThe 2010–11 Prva HNL season was the twentieth season of the Prva HNL since its establishment in 1992. It began on 23 July 2010 and ended on 21 May 2011... - Croatian CupCroatian CupThe Croatian Cup is an annually held football tournament for Croatian football clubs and is the second most important competition in Croatian football after the Prva HNL league championship. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation and usually runs from late August to May...
(4): 2006–072006–07 Croatian CupThe 2006–07 Croatian Cup was the sixteenth season of Croatia's football knockout competition.-Calendar:-Preliminary round:The preliminary round was held on 30 August, 2006.-First round:Matches played on 20 September, 2006.-Second round:...
, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010-11 - Croatian Super Cup (2): 2006, 2010
Career statistics
- Note: the Croatian CupCroatian CupThe Croatian Cup is an annually held football tournament for Croatian football clubs and is the second most important competition in Croatian football after the Prva HNL league championship. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation and usually runs from late August to May...
appearances for Dinamo Zagreb can be viewed at the official website of the club nk-dinamo.hr under the The Match section.
|-
|2003–04||rowspan="2"|Metalac
NK Metalac
NK Metalac is a Croatian football club based in the town of Osijek....
||rowspan="2"|Druga HNL||15||5||0||0||0||0||15||5
|-
|2004–05||18||3||0||0||0||0||18||3
|-
|2005–06||rowspan="5"|Dinamo Zagreb
Dinamo Zagreb
GNK Dinamo Zagreb, commonly referred to as Dinamo Zagreb , or by their nickname Modri are a Croatian football club based in Zagreb. They play their home matches at Stadion Maksimir. They are the most successful club in Croatian football, having won thirteen Croatian championship titles, ten...
||rowspan="7"|Prva HNL||27||3||0||0||0||0||27||3
|-
|2006–07||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|2007–08||10||0||1||0||2||0||13||0
|-
|2008–09||16||2||3||0||5||0||24||2
|-
|rowspan="2"|2009–10||3||0||4||1||5||0||12||1
|-
|Istra 1961||12||1||0||0||0||0||12||1
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Prva HNL
The 2010–11 Prva HNL season was the twentieth season of the Prva HNL since its establishment in 1992. It began on 23 July 2010 and ended on 21 May 2011...
||Dinamo Zagreb
Dinamo Zagreb
GNK Dinamo Zagreb, commonly referred to as Dinamo Zagreb , or by their nickname Modri are a Croatian football club based in Zagreb. They play their home matches at Stadion Maksimir. They are the most successful club in Croatian football, having won thirteen Croatian championship titles, ten...
||16||2||1||0||6||0||171||1
117||16||9||0||18||0||138||16
1 Including the 2010 Croatian Supercup
Croatian Supercup
The Croatian Supercup is a football match between the winners of the Prva HNL and the Croatian Cup. The Supercup serves as a curtain raiser of the new football season and is only held when different clubs happen to win the two most important competitions during the previous season The Croatian...
match against Hajduk Split.
External links
- Mathias Chago at Transfermarkt.