Zola Matumona

Zola Matumona (born 26 November 1981) is a Congolese former professional footballer who played as a left winger.

Zola Matumona
Personal information
Date of birth (1981-11-26) 26 November 1981
Place of birth Kinshasa, Zaire
Height 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Position(s) Left winger
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001–2002 AS Vita Club
2003 FC Saint Eloi Lupopo
2004–2005 AS Vita Club
2006 Primeiro de Agosto
2006–2009 FC Brussels 85 (17)
2009–2012 Mons 75 (14)
2013 Primeiro de Agosto 16 (2)
2014 Mons 9 (0)
2014–2016 Renaissance Kinshasa
National team
2002–2014 Congo DR 47 (9)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Early career

Matumona arrived at the AS Vita Club of Kinshasa, one of the biggest clubs in the DR Congo, after spending a season at Styles of Congo, a second division club. He quickly became the darling of the fans club green and black that call him "Room" in reference to his game comparable to the German player, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. He spent five seasons, won a championship of the Congo, several league titles Kinshasa, he participated in the CAF Champions League and the CAF Cup with his club. He also wins the award for best player of Congo several times before leaving the club.

Brussels

Matumona landed at FC Brussels in 2007 for a sum of €60,000.

Matumona walked out of FC Brussels on 2 November 2007 after he accused club chairman Johan Vermeersch of making racist remarks towards him during a crisis meeting at the struggling club. Vermeersch was reported to have told Matumona to "think about other things than trees and bananas".[1] The incident also prompted the club's main sponsor, Korean car manufacturer Kia, to withdraw their sponsorship of the Belgian side.[2] But he terminated his contract unilaterally with the club following the racist remarks against him by the President. According to the player's lawyer, Johan Vermeersch had rebuked Matumona and had explained that he "was not in his country and had to forget trees and bananas" in the presence of staff and other players. The lawyer confirms his statements but said it was "a joke". Although on 7 November Matumona agreed to return to FC Brussels after talks with Vermeesch, Kia still refused to renew their contract with the club.[3]

He eventually resumed his contract binding him to the club until 2009 after a meeting with the president who publicly apologized for his remarks.

Matumona later attracted interest from England. After visa problems initially delayed his trial with Birmingham City,[4] he trained with the club during the 2007–08 season and joined their July 2008 pre-season tour, where he impressed manager Alex McLeish in a 3–1 victory over Czech side FC Viktoria Plzeň.

Mons

Matumona subsequently committed to Mons, a second division club where the coach Rudi Cossey decided to incorporate it within its nucleus for the 2009–10 season.

International career

Matumona made his international debut on 20 August 2002 vs Algeria in a 1–1 draw. He scored his first international goal on 5 June 2005 vs Kampala when Democratic Republic of Congo. won 4–0.[5]

References
  1. "Matumona quits club over racism" BBC Sport, 3 November 2007. Retrieved on 4 November 2007
  2. "Kia withdraws FC Brussels deal" BBC Sport, 2 November 2007. Retrieved on 4 November 2007
  3. "Matumona in FC Brussels U-turn" BBC Sport, 7 November 2007. Retrieved on 18 July 2008
  4. "Blues trial for Dogba" Sky Sports, 24 April 2008. Retrieved on 18 July 2008
  5. "Zola Matumona impresses Birmingham City boss" Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail, 18 July 2008. Retrieved on 18 July 2008
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