 Emaná playing forCameroon in 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Achille Emaná Edzimbi | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1982-06-05)5 June 1982 (age 43)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Yaoundé, Cameroon[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Attacking midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1999 | Babimbi Douala | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Valencia | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2001 | Toulouse | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2008 | Toulouse | 231 | (28) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2011 | Betis | 91 | (34) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Al-Hilal | 11 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | →Al-Ahli (loan) | 11 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Al-Ahli | 12 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | →Al Wasl (loan) | 11 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Cruz Azul | 15 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | →Atlante (loan) | 9 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Gimnàstic | 39 | (9) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Tokushima Vortis | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Gimnàstic | 16 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Mumbai City | 18 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Gerena | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Badalona | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | SS Reyes | 12 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | Jaén | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 476 | (93) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2013 | Cameroon | 42 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Achille Emaná Edzimbi (born 5 June 1982), known asEmaná, is a Cameroonian former professionalfootballer who played as anattacking midfielder.
He spent most of his professional career withToulouse in France andBetis in Spain, playing his later years inArab countries, Mexico, Japan and India, as well as two spells atGimnàstic.
Emaná appeared 42 times forCameroon, representing the country in the2010 World Cup and threeAfrican Cup of Nations tournaments.
Emaná was born inYaoundé. After a brief youth spell in Spain withValencia CF, he moved in 2000 to France and joinedToulouse FC. The following year, at only 19, he became an important first team unit for theLigue 2 club, never playing in less than 32 games in his first four seasons and helping theHaute-Garonne team toachieve promotion toLigue 1 in his second year.
In 2005, followingMichael Essien's departure toChelsea, Emaná reportedly attracted interest from French giantsOlympique Lyonnais who were looking to replace theGhanaian,[2] with fellow ligue sideOlympique de Marseille also joining the race.[3] The player stayed nonetheless at Toulouse, scoring eight times in 36 matches as the clubfinished a best-ever third in the first division, thus achievingUEFA Champions Leaguequalification honours.
Emaná was strongly linked withPremier League clubPortsmouth in the following off-season, where he would have joined a large contingent of African players. His chances of a move were quashed, however, when he was unable to obtain awork permit,[4][5][6] and he subsequently signed a new two-year contract with Toulouse until 2010.[7]
In spring 2008, it was reported that England'sWest Ham United andNewcastle United were interested in acquiring Emaná's services,[8] withLa Liga sideSevilla FC also said to be tracking him.[9] Eventually, nothing came of it again, and he saw out the entire season with the French, whofinished in 17th position, being the first team placed outside the relegation zone.
On 11 June 2008, it was reported thatReal Betis were negotiating with Toulouse for Emaná'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.[10] On 22 July, he finally completed his move to theAndalusians for a fee of£5.5 million.[11]
Emaná scored his first goal for Betis on 19 October 2008, in a 3–0 home win overRCD Mallorca.[12] In mid-April 2009, he added braces againstRacing de Santander (3–2 away win)[13] andSporting de Gijón (2–0 at home),[14] finishinghis first season with 11 goals – squad-best – and sevenassists, but his team were relegated in the last matchday.[15]
In spite of heavy speculation about his future,[16] Emaná continued to be an essential unit in the followingSegunda División seasons. The attacking trio of himself andstrikersRubén Castro andJorge Molina combined for more than 50 league goals in2010–11, as the club returned to the top division after two years of absence.[17]
On 11 August 2011, Emaná moved to Saudi Arabian clubAl Hilal SFC in a deal worthUS$6 million.[18] In January of the following year he was loaned to United Arab Emirates'Shabab Al Ahli Club until June, and the move was made permanent on 27 July.[19]
On 22 January 2013, Emaná was loaned to fellow league teamAl-Wasl F.C. until the end ofthe season, mainly as a replacement to long-term injuredMariano Donda.[20] On 27 August, after his loan expired, he agreed to a permanent deal withCruz Azul from Mexico.[21]
Emaná signed withAtlante F.C. on 17 December 2014 on loan until June,[22] after being transfer listed by his parent club back in June.[23] On 24 July 2015, already as afree agent, he joinedGimnàstic de Tarragona initially on trial,[24] and subsequently penned a one-year contract.[25]
On 20 July 2016, Emaná switched teams and countries again, joiningTokushima Vortis.[26] After making no appearances for theJ2 League side, he returned toNàstic on 12 December.[27]
In August 2017, the 35-year-old Emaná signed withIndian Super League clubMumbai City FC for the2017–18 season.[28] In October 2018, he returned to Spain and joinedCD Gerena of theTercera División,[29] and the following January moved toSegunda División B withCF Badalona;[30] after no matches for either team, mainly due to bureaucratic problems,[31] he joinedUD San Sebastián de los Reyes of the latter competition in August,[32] leaving on 21 January 2020.[33]
Emaná joinedReal Jaén in summer 2020.[34]
An international since 2003, Emaná represented theCameroon national team atthat year'sFIFA Confederations Cup, also appearing for the country in the2006 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,[35] but returned shortly after,[36] appearing in the2008 edition of theAfrica Cup of Nations, where he scored againstZambia in a 5–1 group stage win;[37] the side eventually lost the final toEgypt.[38]
Emaná represented Cameroon at the2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, playing two games (two defeats) in an eventual group stage exit for theLions Indomptables. In exactly ten years of international play, he won 42caps and scored six goals.[39]
Emaná's younger brother,Stephane, was also a footballer. Aforward, he too had spells at Betis (youth only) and Gimnàstic.[40][41]
Toulouse
Betis
Al Ahli
Cruz Azul
Cameroon
Cameroon squads | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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