Émile Mpenza Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Émile Mpenza
Personal information
Mpenza with Manchester City in 2007
Full name	Eka Basunga Lokonda Mpenza
Date of birth	(1978-07-04) 4 July 1978 (age 46)
Place of birth	Zellik, Belgium
Height	1.77 m
Playing position	Striker
Youth career
1986–1989	LC Mesvins
1989–1995	Kortrijk
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
1995–1996	Kortrijk	32	(5)
1996–1997	Mouscron	31	(12)
1997–1999	Standard Liège	46	(20)
2000–2003	Schalke 04	79	(28)
2003–2004	Standard Liège	28	(21)
2004–2006	Hamburger SV	36	(5)
2006–2007	Al-Rayyan	19	(9)
2007–2008	Manchester City	25	(5)
2008–2009	Plymouth Argyle	9	(2)
2009–2010	Sion	31	(21)
2010–2012	Neftchi Baku	31	(6)
2013–2014	Eendracht Aalst	0	(0)
Total		367	(134)
National team
1995–1996	Belgium U18	7	(6)
1995	Belgium U19	7	(0)
1996	Belgium U21	3	(0)
1997–2009	Belgium	57	(19)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Eka Basunga Lokonda "Émile" Mpenza (born 4 July 1978) is a Belgian former footballer who played as a striker. He has been capped at international level by Belgium. His older brother, Mbo, also represented Belgium.

Club career
International career
Career statistics
- International goals
Honours
- Club
- Individual
See also

Club career

Belgium, Germany and Qatar

Mpenza started his career at K.V. Kortrijk, and then moved to R.E. Mouscron and Standard Liège in quick succession, with older brother Mbo playing alongside in all three clubs. In 2000, he moved to Bundesliga side FC Schalke 04, in an exchange with Michaël Goossens. At Schalke he was very successful together with his compatriot Marc Wilmots and other striker Ebbe Sand but they failed to win the German title on the last day of competition. Mpenza returned to Standard three years later. In 2004–05 he returned to Germany, signing for Hamburger SV. However, in January 2006 he made a surprise move to Qatari team Al Rayyan.

Manchester City

Mpenza signed for Manchester City, after playing and scoring in a specially arranged match at Eastlands on 14 February 2007. "I am not finished and I will prove it in Manchester", Mpenza told Belgian radio station Bel RTL. "I make this move as revenge, with respect to all those who criticised my decision to play in Qatar". He made his debut against Wigan Athletic on 3 March 2007 as a half-time substitute replacing Georgios Samaras. He scored his first goal for the club in the 2–0 win at Middlesbrough on 17 March 2007, and his second in the 1–0 victory at Newcastle United on 30 March. He scored once more in the 2006–07 season, away to Tottenham Hotspur on the last day of the season, as City lost 2–1.

Having signed until the end of the 2007–08 season, Mpenza scored on City's first pre-season game of the 2007–08 season away to Doncaster Rovers. He would also equalise against Fulham and put City ahead against Bristol City and Newcastle United. However, facing competition for his place from Rolando Bianchi, Valeri Bojinov, Geovanni and Elano, all signed by new City manager Sven-Göran Eriksson in summer 2007, Mpenza did not score again after September, and was released in July 2008.

Plymouth Argyle

He then signed for Championship side Plymouth Argyle on 2 September 2008. Mpenza went on to make his Argyle debut as a sub on 70 minutes in a 2–1 defeat to Norwich City on 13 September. He then scored his first goal for the club against Charlton Athletic in a 2–2 draw, and scored again in a 2–1 win over Cardiff City. However Mpenza's time at Plymouth Argyle was blighted by injury and therefore he was not offered a new contract.

Sion

For the 2009–10 season, Mpenza signed a one-year contract with Swiss Topflight club FC Sion. Here he rediscovered his eye for goal by scoring 21 goals in 32 matches.

Neftchi Baku

In August 2010, Mpenza signed a three-year contract with Azerbaijan Premier League club Neftchi Baku. He left the club in January 2012, having lost his place in the team during the 2011–12 season.

In June 2015, Neftchi Baku were ordered by FIFA to pay Mpenza €1 million in unpaid wages.

Eendracht Aalst

After searching a club for over a year, Mpenza finally signed a one-year contract with Eendracht Aalst on 1 October 2013.

International career

Mpenza played for the Belgium national football team between 1997 and 2009, though he was frequently injured in times of international call-ups. He played alongside his brother Mbo in the 1998 World Cup and in Euro 2000 where he scored a goal in the opening match against Sweden (which ended with Belgium's victory 2–1), but missed out on the World Cup in 2002 with a groin injury.

Career statistics

International goals

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	7 June 1997	Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels	San Marino	6–0	Won	1998 World Cup Qualification
2	7 June 1997	Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels	San Marino	6–0	Won	1998 World Cup Qualification
3	3 February 1999	Tsirion Stadium, Limassol	Cyprus	0–1	Won	Friendly
4	18 August 1999	Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges	Finland	3–4	Lost	Friendly
5	4 September 1999	Feijenoord Stadion, Rotterdam	Netherlands	5–5	Drawn	Friendly
6	7 September 1999	Stade Maurice Dufrasne, Liège	Morocco	4–0	Won	Friendly
7	29 March 2000	Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels	Netherlands	2–2	Drawn	Friendly
8	10 June 2000	Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels	Sweden	2–1	Won	Euro 2000
9	16 August 2000	Georgi Asparuhov Stadium, Sofia	Bulgaria	1–3	Won	Friendly
10	28 February 2001	Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels	San Marino	10–1	Won	2002 World Cup Qualification
11	25 April 2001	Letná Stadium, Prague	Czech Republic	1–1	Draw	Friendly
12	2 June 2001	Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels	Latvia	3–1	Won	2002 World Cup Qualification
13	12 February 2003	Stade 19 Mai 1956, Annaba	Algeria	1–3	Won	Friendly
14	12 February 2003	Stade 19 Mai 1956, Annaba	Algeria	1–3	Won	Friendly
15	26 March 2005	Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels	Bosnia and Herzegovina	4–1	Won	2006 World Cup Qualification
16	26 March 2005	Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels	Bosnia and Herzegovina	4–1	Won	2006 World Cup Qualification
17	17 August 2005	Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels	Greece	2–0	Won	Friendly
18	10 October 2009	Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels	Turkey	2–0	Won	2010 World Cup Qualification
19	10 October 2009	Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels	Turkey	2–0	Won	2010 World Cup Qualification