Che Malone

Che Malone Fondoh Junior (born 16 September 1999) is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Ligue 1 club USM Alger and the Cameroon national team.

Career Che Malone was born in Bafut, where he developed his passion for football under the care of his grandmother. Malone took part in university and school competitions before joining Union Sportif in Douala. He later moved to Cotonsport Garoua, one of the most prominent clubs in Cameroon. Malone joined Coton Sport and won the MTN Elite One championship twice with the club. His performances established him as one of the most promising defenders in the domestic league. In July 2023, he transferred to Simba in Tanzania for a reported fee of around 78 million CFA francs (≈ US$130,000), making him one of the most expensive defenders to leave Coton Sport in the past decade. Since joining Simba, Malone became a regular starter and wore the number 20 shirt.

USM Alger On 9 December 2025, Che Malone officially signed a two-year contract with USM Alger. Malone had arrived in Algiers a week earlier, where he was welcomed at the airport by his compatriot and former USM Alger defender, Daniel Moncharé. After successfully completing his medical examination, negotiations continued in order to settle the final details of the deal. USM Alger reached an agreement with Simba, the Tanzanian club to which he was still contracted, for a transfer fee estimated at €200,000. Simba also secured a 15% sell-on clause for any future transfer of the player. Malone agreed to a monthly salary of €10,000 as part of his contract with the Algerian club.

During his first season with USM Alger, Malone established himself as one of the team's key players thanks to his performances in domestic and continental competitions. His strong displays earned him a call-up to the Cameroon national team squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

International career

Che Malone has been called up to replace Jean-Charles Castelletto ahead of AFCON. The Cameroonian defender will join the Lions for their preparation camp in Morocco. For Che Malone, it is an opportunity to perform on the continental stage.

Che Malone was inspired by Nicolas Nkoulou and Rigobert Song.

International

Honours Coton Sport Elite One: 2021–22, 2022–23

USM Alger Algerian Cup: 2025–26