Mathias Chago

Mathias Dellgoue Chago de Confiance (born 6 March 1983), commonly known simply as Chago, is a Cameroonian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Throughout his career, Chago played for Olympic Mvolyé, Racing FC Bafoussam, NK Metalac, Dinamo Zagreb and Lokomotiva and was once capped for the Cameroon at the international level in a friendly match again Ivory Coast in June 2009. As of January 2006, Chago became a Croatian citizen, which also made him eligible to play for Croatia.

Club career

Early career in Cameroon Chago started his football career at a youth club Olympic Mvolyé. There he played for two seasons before joining the MTN Elite one side Racing FC Bafoussam in 2000, where he until 2003.

Metalac Osijek At the age of 19, Chago and two other Cameroonian players ran away to Croatia, hoping to succeed in professional football there in order to feed his family of ten brothers and sisters back in Cameroon. The manager that brought them left them broke on the streets of Zagreb. Without any money to return to Cameroon, the players did not have any choice but to stay in Croatia. Soon after the players were contacted by Croatian football icon Miroslav Blažević, who gave them his own flat to sleep at, also providing players with training sessions at the Maksimir football centre. Chago played well and amazed everyone in the club, especially the club's physios who could not believe that Chago endured the whole match with painful blisters all over his feet. An injury that required him to undertake surgery after the match.

After his contracted finished at the end of the 2015–16 season, Chago extended his contract with Foolad for one more year.

International career Chago was first called–up for the national squad on 30 May 2009, a week before Cameroon's World Cup qualifier against Morocco. On the next day he reported to Cameroon's training camp in Belgium where he started training with his new teammates. According to Chago, the national team staff was scouting him for a longer while with him knowing nothing about it. He did not make an appearance in the match against Morocco, but he started in the friendly match against Ivory Coast and played for 60 minutes before being subbed. For the sport section of the Croatian daily newspaper Večernji list, Chago gave an interview in which he stated that Samuel Eto'o encouraged him before the kick–off.

Personal life Chago was born in a poor Cameroonian family with 10 brothers and sisters. He left Cameroon in order to earn money for his family. He came to Croatia where he eventually succeeded at the top of professional football. As of 2009 Chago was living with his Croatian wife Daša and their two daughters Melissa and Marceline.

Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals

2003–04

2004–05

33!!8!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!33!!8

2005–06

2006–07

2007–08

2008–09

2009–10

2010–11

2011–12

72!!7!!10!!1!!22!!0!!1!!0!!105!!8 Istra 1961 (loan) 2009–10 Prva HNL

Lokomotiva (loan) 2012–13 Prva HNL

Lokomotiva 2013–14 Prva HNL

2014–15

2015–16

2016–17

76!!4!!0!!0!!6!!0!!0!!0!!82!!4 Lokomotiva 2017–18 Prva HNL

250!!23!!20!!1!!30!!0!!1!!0!!301!!24

Honours Dinamo Zagreb Croatian First League: 2005–06, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11 Croatian Cup: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11 Croatian Super Cup: 2006, 2010