Jacques Songo'o

Jacques Celestin Songo'o (born 17 March 1964) is a Cameroonian former professional football goalkeeper who is the current goalkeeping coach of the Cameroon national team.

He spent the vast majority of his professional career in France and Spain, most notably with Deportivo de La Coruña, appearing in more than 200 official games over the course of six seasons and winning the 1999–2000 La Liga.

Songo'o represented the Cameroon national team at four World Cups, being first-choice in 1998.

Club career Songo'o was born in Sackbayeme, in the Yaoundé suburbs. After first establishing himself as a professional in France, with Ligue 1 club FC Metz, he was voted Best African Goalkeeper in 1996, then arguably lived his most successful period at Spain's Deportivo de La Coruña.

With the Galicians, Songo'o won the 1996–97 edition of the Ricardo Zamora Trophy (awarded to the best goalkeeper of the season), and was his side's undisputed starter in his first four years, which ended with a first-ever title in La Liga.

After two seasons, Songo'o returned to Deportivo and A Coruña, again in a free transfer. He settled there after having retired from football, aged 40.

International career Songo'o featured for Cameroon in every FIFA World Cup from 1990 to 2002, although only as first-choice in 1998. For much of his career he was in competition with Thomas N’Kono and Joseph-Antoine Bell. He was also a member of the squad that competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

After retiring in 2004, Songo'o was hired as the national team's goalkeeper coach. He left the position in 2006, returning four years later as a replacement for Thomas N'Kono.

In the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Songo'o was part of Paul Le Guen's coaching staff. After the tournament, which ended in the group stage, he led Cameroon to a 3–0 victory over Poland on an interim basis, the nation's first win in ten competitive games.

Songo'o returned for a third spell in the same capacity in September 2019, now under newly hired manager Toni Conceição.

Personal life Songo'o also held French citizenship. Both of his sons, Franck and Yann, were also professional footballers.

Honours Canon Elite One: 1984–85, 1985–86 Cameroonian Cup: 1985–86

Metz Coupe de la Ligue: 1995–96

Deportivo La Liga: 1999–2000 Supercopa de España: 2000

Cameroon African Cup of Nations: 1984, 1988, 2002; runner-up, 1986 Afro-Asian Cup of Nations: 1985

Individual Ricardo Zamora Trophy: 1996–97