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Bruno Ecuele Manga (born 16 July 1988) is a Gabonese professional
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who plays for the Gabon national team. He is known for being a tough tackler. After beginning his career with
FC 105 Libreville Football Canon 105 de Libreville or simply FC 105 Libreville is a Gabonese football club based in Libreville. It was founded in 1975 as is the club of the army and the police. They play at the Stade Omar Bongo. Achievements *Gabon Championnat Na ...
in his home country, joined French side
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...
in 2006. He played for the club's reserve side and spent time on loan with lower division side Rodez but only one appearance for the senior side, before being released in 2008. He subsequently joined Ligue 2 side
Angers Angers (, , ) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Anjou until the French Revolution. The inhabitants of both the city and the pr ...
, making more than 50 appearances in two seasons before joining
Lorient Lorient (; ) is a town ('' commune'') and seaport in the Morbihan department of Brittany in western France. History Prehistory and classical antiquity Beginning around 3000 BC, settlements in the area of Lorient are attested by the presen ...
in 2010 for a fee of €2.5 million. He made his Ligue 1 debut with Lorient and went on to make more than 100 appearances in the top tier of French football. He was appointed club captain ahead of the 2012–13 season and remained in the role until 2014 when he signed for
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...
side Cardiff City for €5 million. He spent four seasons in the division before helping the club win promotion to the Premier League after finishing as Championship runners-up in the 2017–18 season. Manga made his international debut for Gabon in 2006 and has accumulated 87 caps to date, representing the side at four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.


Club career


Early career

Ecuele Manga began his career in his homeland with
FC 105 Libreville Football Canon 105 de Libreville or simply FC 105 Libreville is a Gabonese football club based in Libreville. It was founded in 1975 as is the club of the army and the police. They play at the Stade Omar Bongo. Achievements *Gabon Championnat Na ...
, before being recommended to French Ligue 1 side Girondins de Bordeaux by
Alain Giresse Alain Jean Giresse (; born 2 August 1952) is a French football coach and former player who is the current manager of the Kosovo national team. He was French Player of the Year in 1982, 1983 and 1987. Nominally an attacking midfielder or central ...
who was manager of the Gabon national team. After being involved in the club's preseason fixtures under manager
Laurent Blanc Laurent Robert Blanc (born 19 November 1965) is a French professional football manager and former player who played as a centre-back, and is currently the manager of Ligue 1 club Lyon. He has the nickname ''Le Président'', which was given to him ...
, Ecuele Manga made his competitive debut for Bordeaux, making his first start, in the Matchday Six, in a 3–2 win over
Panionios Panionios G.S.S. Football Club (Greek: ΠΑΕ Πανιώνιος Γ.Σ.Σ.), the ''Pan- Ionian Gymnastics Club of Smyrna'' (Πανιώνιος Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Σμύρνης, ''Panionios Gymnastikos Syllogos Smyrnis'') ...
. However, he never played a league game for the club, and spent time on loan at Rodez. At the end of his contract, he was signed on a free transfer by
Angers Angers (, , ) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Anjou until the French Revolution. The inhabitants of both the city and the pr ...
on a three-year deal, lasting until 2011. There, Ecuele Manga was joined by two Gabonese compatriots,
Arsène Do Marcolino Arsène Do Marcolino Rogombé (born 26 November 1986) is a Gabonese footballer who plays for French club L'Ernéenne Football, as a defender. Club career Born in Libreville, Do Marcolino has played club football for FC 105 Libreville, Rennes ...
and
Fabrice Do Marcolino Fabrice Do Marcolino Anguilet (born 14 March 1983 in Libreville) is a Gabonese professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for FC Istres in the Championnat National, the third tier of French football. In the summer of 2009, he joi ...
. Ecuele Manga made his Angers' debut in the opening game of the season, in a 0–0 draw against
Bastia Bastia (, , , ; co, Bastìa ) is a commune in the department of Haute-Corse, Corsica, France. It is located in the northeast of the island of Corsica at the base of Cap Corse. It also has the second-highest population of any commune on the is ...
. He scored his first goal for the club on 24 October 2008, in a 2–0 win over
Tours Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the prefecture of the department of Indre-et-Loire. The commune of Tours had 136,463 inhabitants as of 2018 while the population of the whole metro ...
. On 3 March 2009, Ecuele Manga signed a new contract with the club, extending his deal until 2012. This came after a series impressive display at Angers caught attracted attention from several other clubs. In his first season at Angers, Ecuele Manga made thirty appearances, scoring twice. Ahead of the 2009–10 season, Ecuele Manga was on the verge of joining Rennes in a deal worth €4 million. However, the move never happened. Ecuele Manga was absent at the start of the season and his first appearance came in a 0–0 draw against Strasbourg on 2 October. In his second game of the season against Strasbourg on 5 March 2010, Ecuele Manga scored the first brace of his career, in a 2–1 win. In his second season at Angers, Ecuele Manga made twenty-eight appearances, scoring three times. While at Angers, Ecuele Manga became an integral part of their defence set up, establishing himself in the first team. He later explained his departure from Angers.


Lorient

During the 2010 summer transfer window, he joined
FC Lorient Football Club Lorient Bretagne Sud (; commonly referred to FC Lorient or simply Lorient) is a French association football club based in Lorient Lorient (; ) is a town ('' commune'') and seaport in the Morbihan department of Brittany in we ...
for €2.5 million, and became a first team regular in Ligue 1 as a replacement for
Laurent Koscielny Laurent Koscielny (born 10 September 1985) is a French former professional footballer who played as a centre back. Born in Tulle, Koscielny began his football career playing for a host of youth clubs before moving to Guingamp in 2003, where he q ...
who left Lorient for Arsenal. Ecuele Manga made his Lorient debut in the opening game of the season, making his first start, in a 2–2 draw against
Auxerre Auxerre ( , ) is the capital of the Yonne department and the fourth-largest city in Burgundy. Auxerre's population today is about 35,000; the urban area (''aire d'attraction'') comprises roughly 113,000 inhabitants. Residents of Auxerre are r ...
. Ecuele Manga was soon sidelined after injuring his hamstring in training, an injury that caused him to miss two matches in late-November. His season was further disrupted in mid-February when he injured his thigh. After making his return in a 3–3 draw against Arles-Avignon on 12 March 2011, Ecuele Manga scored his first Lorient goal, in a 3–1 loss against Montpellier on 11 May 2011. In his first season at Lorient, Ecuele Manga scored once in thirty-one appearances for the club. Ecuele Manga's second season with the club started when he played as center-back in the first-twelve matches (including scoring his first goal of the season against
Brest Brest may refer to: Places *Brest, Belarus **Brest Region **Brest Airport **Brest Fortress * Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria * Břest, Czech Republic *Brest, France ** Arrondissement of Brest **Brest Bretagne Airport ** Château de Brest *Br ...
on 29 October 2011) until he was absent through injury and suspension. While on the sidelines, Ecuele Manga signed a new contract with the club, extending his deal until 2015. He made his return in early-December, in a 4–0 loss against Montpellier. On 17 March 2012, Ecuele Manga scored his second goal of the season, in a 2–1 win over Brest. Though scoring twice in thirty-two appearances in his second season, Ecuele Manga's agent announced that Ecuele Manga will stay at the club following a re–ignited interests from clubs around Europe. At the start of the 2012–13 season, Ecuele Manga was appointed as the new captain of Lorient after replacing
Fabien Audard Fabien Audard (born March 28, 1978) is a French former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Career Born in Toulouse, Haute-Garonne, Midi-Pyrénées, Audard began at his local club Toulouse FC which formed him. He made his debut as ...
. However, in the opening game of the season in a 2–2 draw against
Paris Saint-Germain Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain, Paris, Paris SG or simply PSG is a professional football club based in Paris, France. They compete in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. As Fr ...
, Ecuele Manga injured his ligament, and he had to come off, as second half had just started and then it was announced that Ecuele Manga would be out for six months. After a six months absence, he made his return on 26 January 2013, in a 2–1 loss against Nancy. Ecuele Manga then scored his first goal of the season, in the Round of 16 of Coupe de France, in a 3–0 win over Brest. Ecuele Manga's captaincy came into question after Lorient lost 5–0 against
Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the N ...
on 7 April 2013. In response, he reminded himself to take responsibilities as a captain. With the sideline kept Ecuele Manga for a long time, Ecuele Manga made seventeen appearances and scored once. In the 2013–14 season, Ecuele Manga continued to remain Lorient captain throughout the season and captained thirty-three matches out of thirty-five appearances he made. Ecuele Manga scored his first goal for the club on 1 March 2014, in a 1–1 draw against Bastia. Ecuele Manga was absence for three matches, due to a knee injury occurring in late-February and a red card in May, which saw him suspended for one match. During the season, Ecuele Manga "won 119 aerial duels more than any other player". Having received a red card in his second final game for Lorient, Ecuele Manga was suspended for the opening game of the 2014–15 season for Lorient and after making his return, Ecuele Manga captained once in his three appearances by the end of August. After
Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
announced their interest signing Ecuele Manga, Ecuele Manga hinted leaving Lorient, quoting: ''"I want to see something else, to have other challenges."'' With a one-year contract left at Lorient, there is slim chance for Ecuele Manga leave at the end of the transfer window.


Cardiff City

On 1 September 2014, Bruno Ecuele Manga signed for Welsh club Cardiff City for €5 million, keeping him until 2017. Ecuele Manga then made his Cardiff City debut, making his first start, in a 1–0 loss against
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area. Until the early 1800s, the a ...
on 16 September 2014. Ecuele Manga scored his first Cardiff City goal, in a 3–1 win over
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road ...
two months later on 1 November 2014. However, Ecuele Manga was on the sideline after injuring his knee during a match against Bolton Wanderers and his international commitment and made his return for his thirteenth start of the season, in a 3–2 loss against Brentford on 20 December 2014. Ecuele Manga was on the sideline again for his international commitment after being included for the Africa Cup of Nations. Ecuele Manga made his return, on 7 February 2015, in a 1–1 draw against
Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot ...
. Ecuele Manga then scored his second goal of the season, in a 3–1 win over
Rotherham United Rotherham United Football Club, nicknamed The Millers, is a professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . The club's colours were initially yellow and black, but changed to red and white around 1 ...
on 3 March 2015 and then his third goal came, a week later on 17 March 2015, in a 1–1 draw against Bournemouth. Ecuele Manga's impressive in his first season led calls for him to be named "Cardiff City's player of the season" by
Wales Online Media Wales Ltd. is a publishing company based in Cardiff, Wales. As of 2009 it was owned by Reach plc (formerly known as the Trinity Mirror Group). It was previously known as the Western Mail & Echo Ltd. History The ''Western Mail'' was fo ...
. During the pre-season, Ecuele Manga picked up a knee injury resulting in him missing out on the start of the season. Making his first appearance in the
League Cup In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
win over AFC Wimbledon and then being dropped back to the bench for the league games that followed. Whilst on international duty in September, he picked up a groin injury and was ruled out for two months. Ecuele Manga made his return to the first team coming on as a substitute for the injured, Sean Morrison against
Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Sin ...
. Despite another injury ridden season, Ecuele Manga was offered a new contract by manager, Neil Warnock, which was signed on 27 June 2017. He made a total of 43 appearances as Cardiff finished 2nd in the league, to earn promotion to the
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
. He scored his only goal of the season in a 4–1 over
Mansfield Town Mansfield Town Football Club is a professional football club based in the town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Stags', they play in a blue and ...
in the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
. Manga scored Cardiff's first goal of 2018–19 season in a 3–1 loss to
Norwich City Norwich City Football Club (also known as The Canaries or The Yellows) is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. The club competes in the EFL Championship following their relegation from the Premier League in the 20 ...
in the Football League Cup.


Dijon

On 19 July 2019, he completed a move to French side
Dijon FCO Dijon Football Côte d'Or (; literally "Dijon Football Gold Coast"), commonly referred to as Dijon FCO or simply as Dijon, is a French football club based in Dijon. The club was founded in 1998 as a result of a merger between two local clubs in ...
.


International career

Born in Libreville,
Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the nort ...
, Ecuele Manga was called up by
Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the nort ...
in 2006.In 2012, he played in all 4 national team matches at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. As a result,
Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the nort ...
reached the quarterfinals. In July 2012, Ecuele Manga represented Gabon at the 2012 Olympic Games held in London. However, they were eliminated in the group stage.


Career statistics


International goals

:''Scores and results list Gabon's goal tally first, score column lists each Ecuele Manga goal.''


Honours

Cardiff City * EFL Championship runner-up: 2017–18 Gabon * King's Cup third place:
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
Individual * Cardiff City Player of the Year: 2014–15


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Manga, Bruno Ecuele 1988 births Living people Sportspeople from Libreville Gabonese footballers Gabon international footballers Association football defenders FC 105 Libreville players FC Girondins de Bordeaux players Rodez AF players Angers SCO players FC Lorient players Cardiff City F.C. players Dijon FCO players Ligue 1 players Ligue 2 players English Football League players Premier League players 2010 Africa Cup of Nations players 2012 Africa Cup of Nations players 2015 Africa Cup of Nations players 2017 Africa Cup of Nations players Olympic footballers of Gabon Footballers at the 2012 Summer Olympics Gabonese expatriate footballers Expatriate footballers in France Expatriate footballers in Wales Gabonese expatriate sportspeople in France Gabonese expatriate sportspeople in Wales 21st-century Gabonese people 2021 Africa Cup of Nations players