| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Fabrice Olinga Essono | ||
| Date of birth | 12 May 1996 | ||
| Place of birth | Douala, Cameroon | ||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Málaga | ||
| Number | 28 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2009–2011 | Mallorca | ||
| 2011–2013 | Málaga | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2012– | Málaga B | 21 | (1) |
| 2012– | Málaga | 8 | (1) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2012– | Cameroon | 2 | (1) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 4 November 2013.
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17 November 2012 | |||
Fabrice Olinga Essono (born 12 May 1996), known as Olinga, is a Cameroonian footballer who plays forMálaga CF in La Liga, as a forward.
Contents
[hide]Early years[edit]
Born in Douala, Olinga started learning football in the "Samuel Eto'o Foundation" in Cameroon. In 2009 he arrived in Spain, joining the youth ranks of RCD Mallorca.[1]
Two years later, Olinga was spotted by Málaga CF's academy director, Manuel Casanova, who invited him to join the club. He played a crucial part in the Andalusians' side that reached the final of Copa del Rey Juvenil de Fútbol in 2012; however, he himself missed the decisive game against RCD Espanyol (0−1 loss) due to suspension.
Club career[edit]
At the age of only 16, Olinga was called up by first-team coach Manuel Pellegrini for the 2012–13 opener, away against Celta de Vigo: he came on as a 60th-minute substitute for Sebastián Fernández, and went on to score the game's only goal,[2] becoming La Liga's youngest ever goalscorer at 16 years and 98 days, beating the previous record holder Iker Muniain by 191 days.[3]
Four days later Olinga started again, appearing in a 2–0 win over Panathinaikos FC for the season's UEFA Champions League, and playing 70 minutes.[4]
Nickname[edit]
His nickname, in Spanish, literally translates to 'Happy Feet', both for his quick footballing feet and also for his fondness for dancing.
International career[edit]
On 2 October 2012, Olinga was called by the Cameroonian national team for a 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification match against Cape Verde, and he scored on his debut on the 12th (2–1 win).
International goals[edit]
- Scores and results list Cameroon's goal tally first.
