 Kameni playing forCameroon in 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Idris Carlos Kameni[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1984-02-18)18 February 1984 (age 41)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Douala, Cameroon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–2000 | Kadji Sports | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2004 | Le Havre | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | →Saint-Étienne (loan) | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2012 | Espanyol | 222 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2017 | Málaga | 113 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | Fenerbahçe | 9 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Arta/Solar7 | 20 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Santa Coloma | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Antequera | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | Cameroon U20 | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Cameroon U23 | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2019 | Cameroon | 71 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 12:45, 6 March 2024 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Idris Carlos Kameni (born 18 February 1984) is a Cameroonian professionalfootballer who plays as agoalkeeper.
He spent the vast majority of his career in Spain, mainly withEspanyol for whom he appeared in 229 official games over eightLa Liga seasons.[3] He also competed professionally in France and Turkey.
ACameroonian international before he was 20, Kameni represented the country in twoWorld Cups and sixAfrica Cup of Nations tournaments.
Born inDouala, Kameni was first spotted when, aged 16, he became the youngest footballer to win anOlympicgold medal, in2000.[4] This earned him a transfer to French clubLe Havre AC but he was unable to break into the first team, and remained a reserve for the duration of his spell, also being loaned toAS Saint-Étienne and also failing to gain any playing time there. In 2001 he was linked with a move toJuventus FC,[5] but nothing came of it.
Kameni almost joinedPremier League'sWolverhampton Wanderers on a season-long loan for the2003–04 season, but the deal collapsed after he was not granted a United Kingdom work permit.[6]
20-year-old Kameni signed with Spanish sideRCD Espanyol in July 2004 forUS$600,000,[7] and became first choice in his second year,winning theCopa del Rey as backup toGorka Iraizoz, who started inLa Liga. In the2006–07 campaign, the opposite: Kameni was the starter, and Iraizoz was picked for theCatalans'UEFA Cuprunner-up run.[8] Early in 2006, the club suspended two fans for racist abuse towards the player.[9]
In2008–09, a tense season for Espanyol, which ranked in the bottom three for a lengthy period, Kameni had two incidents: first, he had a near-physical confrontation with a fan (who first insulted the player) after a training session in January,[10] then fought with teammateGrégory Béranger again in training, in May.[11] He still featured in 37 out of 38 league games, being essential to his team's survival, and also broke his compatriotThomas N'Kono's record of minutes without conceding a goal, setting it at 498.[12]
After two more seasons as starter, Kameni was demoted to third choice for2011–12, with ArgentineMauricio Pochettino still as Espanyol's manager.[13] On 13 January 2012 he moved toMálaga CF,[14] making his league debut on 25 March afterreplacing injuredWilly Caballero during the first half of a 2–1 away win against his former team, and keeping aclean sheet during his time on the pitch.[15]
Kameni became the starter after Caballero left forManchester City. On 26 September 2015, in a game whereReal Madrid registered 31 shots, he put on aPlayer of the match performance in a 0–0 draw at theSantiago Bernabéu Stadium.[16] The following matchday, he became the first club goalkeeper to provide anassist in the Spanish top flight, asCharles scored the second of his three goals in the 3–1 home victory overReal Sociedad.[17]
On 2 March 2016, Kameni scored a bizarreown goal in a 1–2 home loss toValencia CF.[18] Three days later, atDeportivo de La Coruña, he had to be replaced shortly beforehalf-time due to injury, as the match went on to end 3–3.[19]
On 19 November 2016, Kameni denied hostsFC Barcelona on several occasions, in a 0–0 draw.[20]
In July 2017, Kameni signed a three-year deal with Turkish clubFenerbahçe SK.[21] He made hisSüper Lig debut on 17 September, beingbooked late into a 4–1 away defeat ofAlanyaspor.[22]
Kameni left by mutual consent on 28 August 2019.[23][24]
In April 2021, the 37-year-old Kameni came out of retirement to joinAlex Song at Djiboutian clubArta/Solar7.[25] He changed teams and countries again in August 2022, signing forUE Santa Coloma in the AndorranPrimera Divisió.[26]
Kameni returned to Spain on 28 October 2023, on a contract atPrimera Federación sideAntequera CF.[27] He left the following January.[28]
ACameroon international since the age of 17, in a 0–0friendly draw againstSouth Korea on 25 May 2001,[29] Kameni was part of the national team squads at the2002,2004,2006 and2008 Africa Cup of Nations, starting in all but the first. He was first-choice as his country finished second at the2003 FIFA Confederations Cup,[30] having already been selected for the tournament'sprevious edition.[4]
In 2002, Kameni was picked for Cameroon's squad of 23 at the2002 FIFA World Cup.[4] He was namedBest African Goalkeeper for 2006–07,[31] after being runner-up the previous season.
Kameni was also chosen for the2010 World Cup inSouth Africa, and was expected to start by many observers. However, he ended up onthe bench as coachPaul Le Guen preferredSouleymanou Hamidou over him, and the national side was the first team to be eliminated from the tournament after losing all three group matches.[32][33]
On 27 October 2015, more than two years after being left out of consideration for selection for "trying to orchestrate disorder", Kameni was called by new managerVolker Finke for a game againstNiger for the2018 World Cup qualifiers.[34][35]
Kameni's older brother,Mathurin, was also a footballer and a goalkeeper.[36]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Saint-Étienne (loan) | 2002–03 | Ligue 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Espanyol | 2004–05 | La Liga | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 38 | 0 | |||
| 2005–06 | La Liga | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 21 | 0 | |||
| 2006–07 | La Liga | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 0 | ||
| 2007–08 | La Liga | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 30 | 0 | ||||
| 2008–09 | La Liga | 37 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 39 | 0 | ||||
| 2009–10 | La Liga | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 31 | 0 | ||||
| 2010–11 | La Liga | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 33 | 0 | ||||
| 2011–12 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 222 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 229 | 0 | |||
| Málaga | 2011–12 | La Liga | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 9 | 0 | |||
| 2012–13 | La Liga | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 1[b] | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | |||
| 2013–14 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2014–15 | La Liga | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 38 | 0 | ||||
| 2015–16 | La Liga | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 28 | 0 | ||||
| 2016–17 | La Liga | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 35 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 113 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 121 | 0 | ||||
| Fenerbahçe | 2017–18 | Süper Lig | 9 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 2[c] | 0 | — | 16 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19 | Süper Lig | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 9 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | ||||
| Santa Coloma | 2022–23 | Primera Divisió | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 7 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 351 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 373 | 0 | ||
| Cameroon[38] | |||||||
| Year | Apps | Goals | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| 2002 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| 2003 | 8 | 0 | |||||
| 2004 | 9 | 0 | |||||
| 2005 | 2 | 0 | |||||
| 2006 | 4 | 0 | |||||
| 2007 | 4 | 0 | |||||
| 2008 | 13 | 0 | |||||
| 2009 | 8 | 0 | |||||
| 2010 | 6 | 0 | |||||
| 2011 | 5 | 0 | |||||
| 2012 | 6 | 0 | |||||
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| 2015 | 2 | 0 | |||||
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 71 | 0 | |||||
Espanyol
Arta/Solar7
Cameroon U23
Cameroon
Individual
Cameroon squads | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| International | |
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| National | |
