Achille Emana
Encyclopedia
Achille Emana Edzimbi known as Emana, is a Cameroon
ian footballer who plays for Al-Hilal FC in Saudi Arabia
, as an attacking midfielder.
with Valencia CF
, Emana moved in 2000 to France
and joined Toulouse FC
. The following year, at only 19, he became an important first-team unit for the Ligue 2
club, never playing in less than 32 matches in his first four seasons combined, and helping the Haute-Garonne
side achieve promotion to the top level
in his second year. yahya
In 2005, following Michael Essien
's departure to Chelsea
, Emana reportedly attracted interest from French giants Olympique Lyonnais
who were looking to replace the Ghana
ian, with fellow ligue club Olympique de Marseille
also joining the race. The player stayed nonetheless at Toulouse, netting eight times in 36 matches as the club finished a best-ever third in the first division, thus achieving UEFA Champions League
qualification honours.
During the following off-season, Emana was strongly linked with English
Premier League club Portsmouth
, where he would have joined a large contingent of Africa
n players. His chances of a move were quashed, however, when he was unable to obtain a work permit
, and he subsequently penned a new two-year contract with Toulouse, until 2010.
In spring 2008, it was reported that English sides West Ham United
and Newcastle United
were interested in acquiring Emana's services, with La Liga
outfit Sevilla FC
also said to be tracking the Cameroonian. Eventually, nothing came of it again, and he saw out the entire season with the French, which finished in 17th position, being the first team placed outside the relegation zone.
were negotiating with Toulouse for Emana's transfer. The player was quoted as being keen to secure a move to Spain
to further his career, even though his current club had apparently already rejected two bids for his signature. On 22 July, he finally completed his move to the Andalusia
ns, for a fee of £
5.5 millon.
On 19 October 2008, Emana scored his first goal for Betis, in a 3–0 home win over RCD Mallorca
. In mid-April 2009, he added braces against Racing de Santander
(3–2 away win) and Sporting de Gijón
(2–0 at home), finishing his first season with 11 goals - club's best - and seven assists
, but his team was relegated in the last matchday.
In spite of heavy speculation about his future, Emana continued to be an essential unit for Betis in the following Segunda División
seasons.
The attacking trio of Emana and strikers Rubén Castro and Jorge Molina
combined for more than 50 league goals in 2010–11
, as Betis returned to the top division after two years of absence.
at that year
's FIFA Confederations Cup
, also appearing for the country in the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, where his side exited in the quarter-finals.
Late in 2007, frustrated with the treatment he received whilst at the service of the national team, he retired from international play, but returned shortly after, appearing in the 2008 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, where he scored against Zambia
in a 5–1 group stage win. Cameroon eventually lost in the final to Egypt.
Emana represented Cameroon at the 2010 FIFA World Cup
in South Africa
, playing in two matches (two defeats) in an eventual group stage exit for the Lions Indomptables.
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...
ian footballer who plays for Al-Hilal FC in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, as an attacking midfielder.
Toulouse
After a brief youth spell in SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
with Valencia CF
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
, Emana moved in 2000 to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and joined Toulouse FC
Toulouse FC
Toulouse Football Club is a French association football club based in the city of Toulouse. The club was founded in 1970 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Toulouse plays its home matches at the Stadium Municipal located within the city. The first team is managed by...
. The following year, at only 19, he became an important first-team unit for the Ligue 2
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
club, never playing in less than 32 matches in his first four seasons combined, and helping the Haute-Garonne
Haute-Garonne
Haute-Garonne is a department in the southwest of France named after the Garonne river. Its main city is Toulouse.-History:Haute-Garonne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Languedoc.The...
side achieve promotion to the top level
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
in his second year. yahya
In 2005, following Michael Essien
Michael Essien
Michael Kojo Essien is a Ghanaian footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Ghanaian national team. He is a midfielder who has often been touted as a box-to-box midfielder for his ability to exert boundless energy in supporting offensive and defensive play...
's departure to Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, Emana reportedly attracted interest from French giants Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
who were looking to replace the Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
ian, with fellow ligue club Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
also joining the race. The player stayed nonetheless at Toulouse, netting eight times in 36 matches as the club finished a best-ever third in the first division, thus achieving UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
qualification honours.
During the following off-season, Emana was strongly linked with English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Premier League club Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
, where he would have joined a large contingent of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n players. His chances of a move were quashed, however, when he was unable to obtain a work permit
Work permit
Work permit is a generic term for a legal authorization which allows a person to take employment.It is most often used in reference to instances where a person is given permission to work in a country where one does not hold citizenship, but is also used in reference to minors, who in some...
, and he subsequently penned a new two-year contract with Toulouse, until 2010.
In spring 2008, it was reported that English sides West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
and Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
were interested in acquiring Emana's services, with La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
outfit Sevilla FC
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
also said to be tracking the Cameroonian. Eventually, nothing came of it again, and he saw out the entire season with the French, which finished in 17th position, being the first team placed outside the relegation zone.
Betis
On 11 June 2008, it was reported that Real BetisReal Betis
Real Betis Balompié S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 12 September 1907, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio Benito Villamarín....
were negotiating with Toulouse for Emana's transfer. The player was quoted as being keen to secure a move to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to further his career, even though his current club had apparently already rejected two bids for his signature. On 22 July, he finally completed his move to the Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
ns, for a fee of £
Pound sign
The pound sign is the symbol for the pound sterling—the currency of the United Kingdom . The same symbol is used for similarly named currencies in some other countries and territories, such as the Irish pound, Gibraltar pound, Australian pound and the Italian lira...
5.5 millon.
On 19 October 2008, Emana scored his first goal for Betis, in a 3–0 home win over RCD Mallorca
RCD Mallorca
Real Club Deportivo Mallorca is a Spanish football team based on Palma, Majorca, in the Balearic Islands. Founded on 5 March 1916, the team currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at Son Moix....
. In mid-April 2009, he added braces against Racing de Santander
Racing de Santander
Real Racing Club de Santander, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Santander, in the autonomous community of Cantabria. Founded in 1913, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio El Sardinero, with a capacity for 22,400 spectators....
(3–2 away win) and Sporting de Gijón
Sporting de Gijón
Real Sporting de Gijón, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club from Gijón, Asturias. Founded in 1 June 1905, it currently plays in Spanish first division....
(2–0 at home), finishing his first season with 11 goals - club's best - and seven assists
Assist (football)
In association football, an assist is a contribution by a player which helps to score a goal. Statistics for assists made by players may be kept officially by the organisers of a competition, or unofficially by, for example, journalists or organisers of fantasy football competitions...
, but his team was relegated in the last matchday.
In spite of heavy speculation about his future, Emana continued to be an essential unit for Betis in the following Segunda División
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
seasons.
The attacking trio of Emana and strikers Rubén Castro and Jorge Molina
Jorge Molina Vidal
Jorge Molina Vidal is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Real Betis as a centre forward.-Football career:...
combined for more than 50 league goals in 2010–11
2010–11 Segunda División
-Personnel and sponsorship:-Managerial changes:-League table:||style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|||rowspan=11 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|-Positions by round:Source: -Results:...
, as Betis returned to the top division after two years of absence.
International career
An international since 2003, Emana represented the Cameroonian national teamCameroon 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 that year
2003 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's...
's FIFA Confederations Cup
FIFA Confederations Cup
The FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...
, also appearing for the country in the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, where his side exited in the quarter-finals.
Late in 2007, frustrated with the treatment he received whilst at the service of the national team, he retired from international play, but returned shortly after, appearing in the 2008 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, where he scored against Zambia
Zambia national football team
The Zambia national football team represents the country of Zambia in the sport of association football and is governed by the Football Association of Zambia. Before independence they were known as the Northern Rhodesia national football team. The side is nicknamed Chipolopolo as copper is one of...
in a 5–1 group stage win. Cameroon eventually lost in the final to Egypt.
Emana represented Cameroon at the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, playing in two matches (two defeats) in an eventual group stage exit for the Lions Indomptables.