Émile Mpenza
Eka Basunga Lokonda " Emile " Mpenza ( born July 4, 1978 in Zellik ) is a Belgian footballer of Congolese descent. He was just like his older brother Mbo Mpenza Belgian national team. Most recently, he was active for the Azerbaijani club Neftchi Baku.
Club career
Mpenza learned to play football until 1995 in the youth department of the KV Kortrijk. There he came in the summer in the professional squad of second-division teams and was a regular player. After a season, he followed his brother Mbo Mpenza to Excelsior Mouscron. In his first year in Belgium top flight he prevailed and gained attention in the Belgian top teams. So it was that he left Excelsior after twelve months and was transferred to Standard Liege. When the Red, the young striker further developed and played in the notebooks of scouts European clubs.
The next career leap of sprint strong striker was then the move in the winter of 1999/2000 season for FC Schalke 04, with a transfer fee of 17 million DM Mpenza at the time was the most expensive player of Schalke club's history. His debut in the Bundesliga he was on 5 February 2000 against Arminia Bielefeld. He was able to shine with an assist. Already in the following game he himself was successful, as Mpenza could meet for 2-1 goal against Werder Bremen. His first Premier League brace he scored on 18 March 2000 at the 3-0 win against VfB Stuttgart. With these good performances in his first six months with the Royal Blues to Mpenza developed for service providers and was seated next to Gerald Asamoah and Ebbe Sand storm Schalke. Despite his 15 appearances in the first season he was the third- best scorer with six goals of the team. Mpenza played a key role at Schalke's DFB Cup win and the vice- championship 2001. 2002 won the Belgian national team with Schalke again the trophy.
After a bad season and many quarrels with the Executive Board, in particular Rudi Assauer, he returned in 2003 to Standard Liege back. In the 2003 /04 Jupiler League season Mpenza scored 21 goals, but had to be in the running for the title of the scorer Luigi Pieroni of Excelsior Mouscron beaten and then returned to the Bundesliga for Hamburger SV. There, however, he was never able to establish themselves as key players and usually stood in the shadow of Sergej Barbarez. On 10 January 2006, he spent 1.3 million Euros to Al- Rayyan Sports Club in Qatar. On 16 February 2007 he moved to Manchester City, where he came just a few uses in two season and where attackers behind Darius Vassell as, Bernardo Corradi, Georgios Samaras and the young Stephen Ireland most remained merely a spectator for him. Since he got a new contract in Manchester after his second season and was free transfer to Plymouth Argyle secured the services Mpenzas for the 2008/ 09 season, bringing him into the Football League Championship, the second English league.
In early July 2009 joined Emile Mpenza for Swiss club FC Sion and signed for two years plus an option for a third year. In the 2009/10 season he scored 21 goals for FC Sion in the Axpo Super League, finishing with Cristian and Marco Streller Ianu number two on the scoresheet.
In August 2010 Mpenza moved to Azerbaijan and signed for first division club Neftchi Baku a contract.
National team career
Mpenza was national player of Belgium. With the Belgian national team, he participated in the 1998 World Cup in France and came to the three preliminary games each as a substitute for use. Two years later he was in the squad of the national selection at the European Championships. In this he was seated next to Branko Strupar and Luc Nilis and scored the lone striker hit his team. In the 2002 World Cup he was missing due to injury. After more than two years of abstinence Mpenza celebrated in August 2009, his comeback to the national team. Previously, he completed 57 international matches and scored 19 goals.
Achievements
- DFB Cup winner in 2001 and 2002 ( with FC Schalke 04)
Private / other
- Mpenza is married and has a son.
- He played in the Belgian film by Dominique Standaert Hop with.