It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of former Cameroonian and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) midfielder, Modeste M’Bami. M’Bami passed away at the age of 40 on Saturday after suffering a heart attack.
In a statement, PSG said, “Paris Saint-Germain is in mourning. Modeste M’Bami has passed away at the age of 40 after suffering a heart attack. PSG offers heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones.”
Modeste M’Bami’s Professional Debut: From Dynamo Douala to CS Sedan Ardennes
M’Bami was born on October 6, 1982 in Yaoundé, Cameroon and began his professional career playing for Dynamo Douala. He quickly caught the attention of overseas teams and in the summer of 2000, he joined CS Sedan Ardennes. M’Bami played 10 games in his first season in the French first division and contributed to his team’s fifth-place finish. He played in 60 games over the next two seasons, becoming a mainstay on the team. When the team was demoted to the French second division in 2003, M’Bami signed a €5 million, five-year deal with PSG after his agent Willie McKay halted advanced negotiations with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
M’Bami played alongside Lorik Cana, another promising defensive midfielder, during his debut season with PSG. They significantly contributed to the club’s successful season, in which PSG finished second in the French first division and won the French Cup, despite their inexperience.
The 2004-2005 season was less successful for the team, as they ended ninth in the league, but M’Bami helped PSG win another French Cup in the 2005-2006 season. After three years with the club, M’Bami left PSG in August 2006 and signed a three-year contract with Marseille, reuniting with Cana who had joined the club the previous season.
When his contract with Marseille expired in the summer of 2009, M’Bami had trials with English Premier League teams Portsmouth, Bolton Wanderers, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Wigan Athletic. He eventually signed with UD Almera in Spain on September 30, 2009. M’Bami and Juanito were released by Almera in July 2011 and M’Bami joined China League One team Dalian Aerbin on loan. He returned to Dalian Aerbin in 2012, but was unable to play for the team due to restrictions on international players.
In addition to his successful club career
M’Bami also had a successful international career, representing Cameroon in numerous tournaments. He helped Cameroon win gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, scoring three goals in 37 games, and also played for the team in the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2004 African Cup of Nations.
M’Bami scored the game-winning goal against Brazil in the quarterfinals of the Olympics, helping Cameroon reach the semifinals.
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He was also a member of the Cameroonian national team that narrowly missed out on qualifying for the 2006 World Cup, finishing second to Côte d’Ivoire in their qualification group.
After retiring in 2016, M’Bami decided to remain in Normandy, France. His loss will be deeply felt by his family, loved ones, and the football community. Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family during this difficult time.
