Stéphane Mbia

Stéphane Mbia

Personal information
Full name	Stéphane Mbia Traore
Date of birth	(1986-05-20) 20 May 1986
Place of birth	Yaoundé, Cameroon
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Centre Back / Defensive Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Queens Park Rangers
Number	40
Youth career
2003–2004	Kadji Sports Academy
2004	Rennes
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2004–2009	Rennes	105	(4)
2009–2012	Marseille	69	(5)
2012–	Queens Park Rangers	24	(0)
International career‡
2005–	Cameroon	41	(3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 30 January 2013 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 30 November 2012

Stéphane Mbia Traore (born 20 May 1986 in Yaoundé) is a Cameroonian footballer who plays as a centre back or defensive midfielder for Queens Park Rangers. Mbia has also represented the Cameroon national football team on 41 occasions since winning his first cap in 2005. He has scored a total of 3 goals in his international career, scoring once against Liberia during the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification on the 3 June 2007 and twice versus Tunisia during the quarter-finals of the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana on 4 February 2008.

A strong, powerful and technically gifted player, Mbia primarily plays as a defensive midfielder although he is capable of playing as either a centre half or a full back should the need arise.

Career

Stade Rennais

Mbia made his début for the Rennes first team during the 2005–06 season, going on to making a handful of appearances. The Cameroonian scored his first Ligue 1 goal for the club in November 2006 against the incumbent French champions Lyon.

On 18 April 2007, Mbia was abused by Lyon player Milan Baroš. This led to disciplinary action being taken against Baroš by the French Football Federation, who banned the striker for three matches for implying that Mbia smelt. The Federation later ruled that although Baroš was guilty of implying Mbia smelt, the remark was not made in a racial context.

Marseille

On 14 July 2009, Mbia completed his £10.4 million move to Marseille from Rennes, going on to play a vital role in Marseille's victorious Ligue 1 campaign that season, starting off as a defensive midfielder but later making the transition to the role of centre back alongside former Charlton Athletic powerhouse Souleymane Diawara. His redeployment at centre back was a success and he played the rest of the season in this position, where he was considered to be one of the best performers in Didier Deschamps' talented, diverse squad, all the while forming a formidable defensive partnership with Diawara.

Queens Park Rangers

On 31 August 2012 Mbia signed a two-year deal with English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers, transferring from Marseille for an undisclosed fee, with Joey Barton heading in the opposite direction on a season-long loan.

On 27 October 2012 Mbia was sent off seventeen minutes from the end of only his fourth league appearance for QPR, a 1–0 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. He was dismissed in the 79th minute for violent conduct after kicking Gunners defender Thomas Vermaelen in retaliation to a strong challenge that had left Mbia floored. He received the standard three-match ban from the FA, and became ineligible for QPR's league games versus Reading, Stoke City and Southampton. On the 6th of May 2013, Mbia had tweeted to Joey Barton asking him if he would like to switch seats with him as Marseille hinting that he want's to leave Queen Park Rangers after they were relegated from the Premier League.

International career

Mbia played international football at junior level for Cameroon. He was part of the Cameroon squad that competed in the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Finland, where his side were eliminated in the group stage.

He made his debut for the Cameroon national team in 2005. He was part of the squad for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana, where Mbia scored twice against Tunisia in the quarter-finals.

Mbia was part of the Cameroon squad for the 2008 Olympics in China, playing in all four of his teams matches, and scoring once against Honduras.

Career statistics

As of 30 January 2013

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Europe		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Queens Park Rangers	2012–13	Premier League	16	0	2	0	1	0	—		19	0
Career total			16	0	2	0	1	0	—		19	0

International goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	3 June 2007	Antoinette Tubman Stadium, Monrovia, Liberia	Liberia	0 – 1	1 – 2	2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
2.	4 February 2008	Tamale Stadium, Tamale, Ghana	Tunisia	0 – 1	2 – 3	2008 Africa Cup of Nations – Quarter-finals
3.	4 February 2008	Tamale Stadium, Tamale, Ghana	Tunisia	2 – 3	2 – 3	2008 Africa Cup of Nations – Quarter-finals

Personal life

Mbia is the older brother of footballer Franck Etoundi, who currently plays in Switzerland.

Mbia holds a French passport, having previously resided in the country for more than five years.

Mbia's surname is often misspelt by various media as M'Bia whereas the correct spelling is Mbia without the apostrophe and capital 'B'.

Mbia is married and has a son. The family live in Camberwell, London.

Yes.

Honours

Rennes

• Intertoto Cup (1): 2008

Marseille

• Ligue 1 (1): 2009-10
• Trophée des Champions (2): 2010 2011
• Coupe de la Ligue (3): 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12

Individual

2008 Africa Cup of Nations: Team of the Tournament

External links

• Stéphane Mbia's profile, stats & pics
• Stéphane Mbia at Soccerbase
• ESPN Profile
• Transfermarkt

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