Merlin Tandjigora

Merlin Abdoulaye Tandjigora (born 6 April 1990) is a Gabonese professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for S.C. Vila Real.

Merlin Tandjigora
Personal information
Full name Merlin Koumba Abdoulaye Tandjigora[1]
Date of birth (1990-04-06) 6 April 1990
Place of birth Port-Gentil, Gabon
Height 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s) Central midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Vila Real
Number 19
Youth career
1998–2004 Stade Mandji
2004–2008 ENF Port-Gentil
2009–2010 Metz
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2009 Stade Mandji
2010–2011 Metz 6 (0)
2010–2011 Metz B 24 (0)
2011–2014 Carquefou 70 (2)
2015 Istres 7 (0)
2015 Leixões 15 (3)
2016 Meizhou Hakka 25 (0)
2017–2018 Belenenses 8 (1)
2018–2019 Belenenses SAD 0 (0)
2019– Vila Real 7 (0)
International career‡
2008 Gabon U20 2 (0)
2010– Gabon 28 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10:02, 2 May 2020 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10:02, 2 May 2020 (UTC)

Career

Born in Port-Gentil, Tandjigora was a player of the national football school located in his hometown.[2] On 9 July 2010, he became the first player from the academy to sign a professional contract with a European club after signing a one-year contract with Metz.[3][4]

Tandjigora arrived at Metz in 2009 and joined the club's Championnat de France amateur 2 team for the 2009–10 season. He played in 21 matches and scored two goals as the reserve team of Metz were crowned champions of the league finishing with 107 points.[5] After the season, Tandjigora signed his first professional contract and was, subsequently, promoted to the senior team and assigned the number 12 shirt by new manager Dominique Bijotat. He made his professional debut on 30 July 2010 in a Coupe de la Ligue match against Clermont. Tandjigora started the match and played 76 minutes in a 3–1 defeat.[6] He made his league debut a week later in a 2–0 defeat to Évian.[7]

Tandjigora was formerly a Gabonese youth international having earned caps with the nation's under-20 team in qualification for the 2009 African Youth Championship. On 30 September 2010, he was called up to the senior team for the first time by coach Gernot Rohr for matches against Oman and Saudi Arabia.[8] He competed for Gabon at the 2012 Summer Olympics.[9]

On 13 December 2019 it was confirmed, that Tandjigore had joined S.C. Vila Real.[10]

Honours

Club

Stade Mandji

References
  1. "Un sélectionné olympique à l'I2 des professionnels!" (in French). Ligue Atlantique. 5 April 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  2. "Merlin le travailleur" (in French). Le Républicain Lorrain. 10 August 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  3. "Tandjigora porte le drapeau" (in French). FC Metz. 19 July 2010. Archived from the original on 22 July 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  4. "Premier contrat professionnel de Tandjigora" (in French). Allez Les Pantheres. 15 July 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  5. "Tandjigora passe pro" (in French). Foot Africa 365. 9 July 2010. Archived from the original on 11 July 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  6. "Clermont v. Metz Match Report" (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 30 July 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  7. "Metz v. Évian Match Report" (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 6 August 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  8. "Les 22 Panthères de Rohr pour le théâtre arabe" (in French). Gaboneco. 30 September 2010. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  9. "Merlin Tandjigora Bio, Stats, and Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  10. Merlin Tandjigora é reforço do SC Vila Real, desportivotransmontano.com, 13 December 2019
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