Léandre Gaël Tawamba Kana (born 20 December 1989) is a

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...

ian 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 Al-Okhdood as a forward. Early into his career, Tawamba played as a centre-back and

defensive midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundari ...

, but was converted into a forward after arriving in Europe.

Club career

Early career

Born in

Yaoundé Yaoundé (; , ) is the capital of Cameroon and, with a population of more than 2.8 million, the second-largest city in the country after the port city Douala. It lies in the Centre Region of the nation at an elevation of about 750 metres (2,50 ...

, Tawamba was a regular member of Cameroon's

Elite One The Championnat du Cameroun de football (also known as MTN Elite One since 2007 for sponsorship reasons) is the top division of association football in Cameroon, governed by the Cameroonian Football Federation since its establishment in 1961. ...

side

Aigle Royal Menoua Aigle Royal de la Menoua is a Cameroonian football club based in Dschang Dschang is a city located in the West (Ouest) Province of Cameroon, with an estimated population of 87,000 (est) in 2001, growing dramatically from 21,705 recorded in 19 ...

in the 2007–08 season. He later moved to

Union Douala Union Sportive de Douala is a Cameroonian professional football club based in Douala, that competes in the Elite One. History It was founded in 1958 and played its home matches in the Stade de la Réunification. Achievements National *Cameroon ...

, spending there the 2009–10 campaign. In 2011, Tawamba returned to his former club Aigle Royal Menoua, captaining the team in the nation's

Elite Two The MTN Elite Two (or ''Cameroon Deuxième Division'') is the second division of the Cameroon association football league system. It is organised by the Cameroonian Football Federation. Teams get promoted to the Elite One The Championnat du Ca ...

South Africa and Slovakia

In early 2012, Tawamba moved abroad to South Africa and joined FC Cape Town. He scored once in the second half of the

2011–12 National First Division The 2011–12 National First Division, is the season from September 2011 until May 2012, of South Africa's second tier of professional football. By the end of the season, the overall NFD champion will get promoted to the first level, known as Prem ...

. In June 2012, Tawamba traveled to Slovakia and trained with Slovan Bratislava and

Ružomberok Ružomberok (; german: Rosenberg; hu, Rózsahegy; pl, Rużomberk) is a town in northern Slovakia, in the historical Liptov region. It has a population of around 27,000 inhabitants (45,000 with nearby villages). Etymology The name of the initia ...

, before returning to South Africa and joining

National First Division The National First Division (NFD), officially known as the Motsepe Foundation Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest league of South African club football after the South African Premier Division. Both the NFD and South Afr ...

side

Mpumalanga Black Aces Black Aces were a South African football club that played in the Premier Soccer League. Aces usually played their home games in the Mpumalanga province but were based and trained in Johannesburg. History The original club was founded in 1937 by ...

. He was ultimately transferred to Slovak club

Nitra Nitra (; also known by other alternative names) is a city in western Slovakia, situated at the foot of Zobor Mountain in the valley of the river Nitra. It is located 95 km east of Bratislava. With a population of about 78,353, it is the fifth l ...

in early 2013. Until the end of the 2012–13 season, Tawamba scored three times in 14 league appearances. In June 2013, Tawamba switched to

, rejoining his Nitra manager

Jozef Vukušič Jozef Vukušič (born 31 August 1964) is a former football player from Slovakia who currently manages FC Košice Career Managerial Previously Vukušič managed FC Nitra, FC Cape Town and Polokwane City F.C. from South Africa. On 8 January 20 ...

. He netted on his league debut on 14 July, scoring the equalizer in a 2–2 draw with

Žilina Žilina (; hu, Zsolna, ; german: Sillein, or ; pl, Żylina , names in other languages) is a city in north-western Slovakia, around from the capital Bratislava, close to both the Czech and Polish borders. It is the fourth largest city of ...

. On 10 August, Tawamba scored a brace in a 3–2 home win over

Spartak Trnava FC Spartak Trnava () is a Slovak professional football club based in Trnava. Historically, it is one of the most successful clubs in the country, having won the Czechoslovak First League five times and the Czechoslovak Cup on four occasions, an ...

. He finished the season as the team's top scorer with 13 goals in 31 appearances.

Libya

In July 2014, Tawamba returned to Africa and signed with Libyan club

Al-Ahly Benghazi Al-Ahly Sports Cultural & Social Club () known as Al-Ahly SCSC is a Libyan Sports club based in Benghazi, Libya. Al-Ahly SC has its roots in a political party, the Omar al Mukhtar society. History Al-Ahly SC Libya was made a professional footba ...

, again following his former manager Jozef Vukušič. He represented the side in the

2014 CAF Champions League The 2014 CAF Champions League (also known as the 2014 Orange CAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons) was the 50th edition of Africa's premier club football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and the 18th ed ...

exclusively, appearing in two games of the group stage against Tunisia's

CS Sfaxien Club Sportif Sfaxien ( ar, النادي الرياضي الصفاقسي) is a Tunisian professional association football club founded in 1928. History The club was founded in 1928 as ''Club Tunisien'', playing in green and red stripes. The tea ...

and Espérance.

Return to Slovakia

In early 2015, Tawamba returned to Slovakia and joined

Zlaté Moravce Zlaté Moravce (; 1776 Morawce, hu, Aranyosmarót, german: Goldmorawitz) is a town in south-western Slovakia. Basic data It is the capital and the biggest town of Zlaté Moravce District. It is approximately 120 km from the Slovak capital ...

, but was unable to play in the 2014–15 season. He scored a goal on his debut for the club on 15 August in a 2–2 home draw with Železiarne Podbrezová. On 19 September, Tawamba netted both his team's goals in a 2–5 away loss to

. He subsequently scored a

hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...

to give his side a 3–1 win over

Skalica Skalica (german: Skalitz, hu, Szakolca, Latin: ''Sakolcium'') is the largest town in Skalica District in western Slovakia in the Záhorie region. Located near the Czech border, Skalica has a population of around 15,000. Etymology The name is de ...

on 21 November.

Kazakhstan

On 1 April 2016, Tawamba transferred to Kazakh club Kairat. He signed a one-plus-two-year contract and was awarded the number 20 shirt. On 29 May, Tawamba scored a stoppage-time back-heel winner to give his team a 3–2 win over Akzhayik. He subsequently made his debut in

UEFA competitions UEFA competitions (french: competitions de l'UEFA), referred improperly by the mass media as European football, are the set of tournaments organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), generally in professional and amateur asso ...

, coming on as a substitute for Gerard Gohou in a 1–0 away win against

Teuta Durrës Teuta ( Illyrian: *''Teutana'', 'mistress of the people, queen'; grc, Τεύτα; lat, Teuta) was the queen regent of the Ardiaei tribe in Illyria, who reigned approximately from 231 BC to 228/227 BC. Following the death of her spouse Agr ...

in the first leg of the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League first qualifying round on 30 June. A week later in the return leg, Tawamba scored his team's fourth goal in an eventual 5–0 victory at home. He also netted a brace in a 3–2 away win against Irtysh Pavlodar on 17 July. One day before the league's final fixture, on 28 October, Tawamba terminated his contract with Kairat by mutual agreement. He made 29 appearances and scored six goals in all competitions.

Serbia

In November 2016, Tawamba moved to Serbia and signed a three-year contract with

Partizan Partizan may refer to: Sport * JSD Partizan, a sports society from Belgrade, Serbia, which includes the following clubs: **AK Partizan, athletics ** Biciklistički Klub Partizan, cycling ** Džudo Klub Partizan, judo **FK Partizan, association fo ...

. He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–0 home league win over Metalac Gornji Milanovac on 8 March 2017. In his first Belgrade derby, Tawamba scored the team's second goal in an eventual 3–1 away win over

Red Star Belgrade Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club, ), commonly known as Red Star Belgrade in English-language media, is a Serbian professional football club based in Bel ...

on 18 April. He eventually finished the season collecting the double. On 22 July 2017, Tawamba scored a brace in the league's opener versus

Mačva Šabac Mačva ( sr-Cyrl, Мачва, ; hu, Macsó) is a geographical and historical region in the northwest of Central Serbia, on a fertile plain between the Sava and Drina rivers. The chief town is Šabac. The modern Mačva District of Serbia is nam ...

, as Partizan won the game 6–1. He also netted the opening goal in a 1–3 loss to

Olympiacos Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós ( el, Ολυμπιακός Σύνδεσμος Φιλάθλων Πειραιώς, Olympic Club of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number ...

in the first leg of the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round on 25 July. In the return leg of the

2017–18 UEFA Europa League The 2017–18 UEFA Europa League was the 47th season of Europe's secondary club association football, football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 9th season since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Europa League. The 2018 UEFA Europ ...

play-off round, Tawamba scored the opener in a 4–0 away win against Videoton on 24 August, thus helping Partizan progress to the group stage. He subsequently found the back of the net in a 2–3 home loss to

Dynamo Kyiv Football Club Dynamo Kyiv (, ) is a Ukrainian professional football club based in Kyiv. Founded in 1927 as a Kyivan football team of republican branch of the bigger Soviet Dynamo Sports Society, the club as a separate business entity was officia ...

Group B Group B was a set of regulations for grand touring (GT) vehicles used in sports car racing and rallying introduced in 1982 by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Although permitted to enter a GT class of the World Sportscar ...

on 28 September. In the fourth game of the group stage, on 2 November, Tawamba scored a goal to give his team a 2–0 home win over Skënderbeu Korçë. He also scored the opener in a 2–1 home win over Young Boys, on 23 November, as Partizan advanced to the knockout stage after 13 years. With 19 goals in 51 appearances across all competitions, Tawamba finished the season as the team's top scorer, helping them win the

2017–18 Serbian Cup The 2017–18 Serbian Cup season was the twelfth season of the Serbian national football cup competition. It was started in September 2017, and ended on 23 May 2018. Partizan won the tournament for the sixth time, extending their record as the c ...

Saudi Arabia

In July 2018, Tawamba was transferred to Saudi club Al-Taawoun for a fee of €1.4 million. He was the team's top scorer in the 2018–19 season with 27 goals across all competitions. On 31 August 2023, Tawamba joined Al-Okhdood on a free transfer.

International career

Tawamba was named in

's preliminary squad for the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup, but was later dropped from the final 21-man squad. He was also called up to the Cameroon U23 team in preparation for the 2011 All-Africa Games. In March 2018, Tawamba received his first call-up to the Cameroon national team for a friendly against

Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...

. He played the full 90 minutes in that match, receiving a yellow card in their 3–1 away victory.

Career statistics

Club

International

Honours

Partizan *

Serbian SuperLiga The Serbian Super League ( sr, Супер лига Србије / Super liga Srbije), referred to as the Mozzart Bet Super League ( sr, Моцарт Бет Супер лига / Mozzart Bet Super liga) for sponsorship reasons, is a Serbian profes ...

: 2016–17 *

Serbian Cup The Serbian Cup ( Serbian: Куп Србије, Kup Srbije) is the national football cup of Serbia. The winner of the competition gets a spot in the UEFA Europa League qualifying round. From 2006 to 2010, the competition was known as the Lav Cup ...

: 2016–17, 2017–18 Al-Taawoun *

King Cup The King Cup (sometimes spelled King's), officially known as The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' Cup ( ar, كأس خادم الحرمين الشريفين), is the Saudi Arabian football knockout cup competition, run by the Saudi Arabian Foot ...

: 2019 Individual * Saudi Professional League Player of the Month: November 2018,

January 2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after ...

Top goalscorer:

2020–21 The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen b ...

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tawamba, Leandre Aigle Royal Menoua players Al-Ahly SC (Benghazi) players Al Taawoun FC players Al-Okhdood Club players Men's association football defenders Men's association football forwards Men's association football midfielders Cameroon men's international footballers Cameroon men's youth international footballers Cameroonian expatriate men's footballers Cameroonian expatriate sportspeople in Kazakhstan Cameroonian expatriate sportspeople in Libya Cameroonian expatriate sportspeople in Saudi Arabia Cameroonian expatriate sportspeople in Serbia Cameroonian expatriate sportspeople in Slovakia Cameroonian expatriate sportspeople in South Africa Cameroonian men's footballers Elite One players Expatriate men's footballers in Kazakhstan Expatriate men's footballers in Libya Expatriate men's footballers in Saudi Arabia Expatriate men's footballers in Serbia Expatriate men's footballers in Slovakia Expatriate men's soccer players in South Africa F.C. Cape Town players FC Kairat players FC Nitra players FC ViOn Zlaté Moravce players FK Partizan players Kazakhstan Premier League players MFK Ružomberok players Mpumalanga Black Aces F.C. players National First Division players Saudi Pro League players Serbian SuperLiga players Slovak First Football League players Footballers from Yaoundé Union Douala players 1989 births Living people Libyan Premier League players