In search of a striker to strengthen the forward line, FC Metz found the lucky few hours of the close of the transfer market! The Ligue 2 leaders set their sights on Zambian international Emmanuel Mayuka who has committed to FC Metz for three seasons.
The most savvy football fans will remember his name, in fact, the new Metz striker played one season in Ligue 1, during 2013-2014 under the Sochaux. He also played in the Premier League for Southampton, the striker has traveled a lot during his young career.
He also established himself in Switzerland at Young Boys Bern where he played for two seasons, and in Israel for Maccabi Tel Aviv for two years also. Emmanuel Mayuka has since participated in a whopping five European games.
The striker has also played for the national team. At only 24 years, he has played 45 times for the Zambia and won the African Cup of Nations in 2012 coming out as joint top scorer. That alone!
For the first time in his career, the former teammate Sadio Mané starts a new challenge in his career by moving second division club for the first time. No doubt the new striker will take to heart his new challenge in France and, hopefully, find the net!
THE FORM Emmanuel Mayuka
Born: November 21, 1990 in Kabwe (ZAM)
Nationality: Zambian
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 72 kg
Position: Forward
Awards: Winner of the African Cup of Nations (Zambia, 2012), co-top scorer in the Cup of Nations Africa (Zambia, 2012)
Career: Southampton (2014-2015, ANG, 5 matches) FC Sochaux-Montbéliard (2013-2014, 21 games, 4 goals), Southampton (2012-2013 ANG, 11 matches), Young Boys Berne (2010-2012, SUI, 62 matches, 20 goals), Maccabi Tel Aviv (2008-2010, ISR, 57 matches, 15 goals), Kabwe Warrios (2006-2008, ZAM, 26 games, 7 goals).
Selections: 45 A with Zambia, 10 goals.
Congratulation Mayuka hard working is key all the best in your career.
God bless. Wish you luck in Ligue 2. Probably the best choice for an up and coming striker like Mayuka.
All the Best Yuka!You can do it,take the past as a lesson to setup your game.
we ar behind u mayuka
Good move Mayuka.No player from southern Africa has excelled apart from Ben Macathy and you were not given chance to prove yourself same happened to Mbesuma.Indeed it is a lesson to up coming players that England is not a good destination for players from southern African unless west African.look at Demba Ba, can you compire him to Chris Katongo,Jacob Mulenga or Manuchi.We are just not needed in preference west Africans.
Good move Mayuka.No player from southern Africa has excelled apart from Ben Macathy and you were not given chance to prove yourself same happened to Mbesuma.Indeed it is a lesson to up coming players that England is not a good destination for players from southern African unless west African.look at Demba Ba, can you compare him to Chris Katongo,Jacob Mulenga or Manuchi.We are just not needed in preference west Africans.
Lol! Tell me you’re joking. Football has nothing to do with which part of the world you come from baba. By the way apart from Benni McCarthy, there were others like Bruce Grobbelaar, Peter Ndlovu, Quinton Fortune, Pienaar … the list goes on for players from Southern Africa who graced the EPL.
What happened to both Mbesuma and Mayuka should not discourage other zambian players. It should mortivate them towards proving that zambian players can also make it in EPL. They need to find out what went wrong for Mayuka/ Mbesuma and then work on those things. Nothing is impossible. As Jimmy Cliff puts it in his song “You can get it if you really want.”
Nice one Paddy, Nazo, that is wrong thinking. Mayuka was not doing enough to satisfy the coaches. Perhaps he did not show enough hunger. How else would Even Herve Renard keep him on the bench?
Good response Paddy, I was just about to go on a rant as to how wrong NAZO’s comment is but you have said just about enough for him to see how wrong his comment is especially on the ridiculous Benni Mcarthy thing (now that is actually laughable) lol…
Not forgetting Zimbabwean Born Benjani who played for Portsmouth.
Thumbs up man
This is a good move by Mayuka. He will surely rediscover his form. Metz is likely to win promotion back in the ligue 1 at the end of the season. I am happy for Mayuka.
Very good move for Mayuka. It’s now time to rediscover form, and confidence. I have no doubt that Mayuka will come good, He is a prolific striker!! Can’t wait to hear what will be happening in French Ligue 1 and 2
This is a very good move for the lad, now only two things will determine his path to success in ligue 2, attitude and hard work.
I am hoping with all my heart he does not pull what he did at Sochaux, playing brilliantly for three to four games and then sitting back because he thought he had achieved. I hope this time he will put in 100% consistently in every game and every training session for as long as he is at the club.
There is absolutely no doubt in Mayuka’s abilities, any football analyst and fan can attest to that, the only problem is consistency.
His failure in his first stint in France and in the EPL has nothing to do with the leagues, he just did not step up. As Zambian’s its easy for us to blame the leagues or coaches etc.we just don’t want to be truthful to ourselves and call it as it is spade a spade). The player just did not step up that’s all.
I agree it is a very good move
TC Soccerman I am disappointed in your comment. Since when did England and the english league become useless? If a player due to his own laziness unable to pull his weight at training to get game times why do u blame somebody.this guy was given the good opportunity under his own former coach who knows him very well in the french league but what did he do? it seems he enjoy warming the bench.Even though i am wishing him all the best in France it wont come as a surprise to me if he continues with his ussual bench warming.
Good move mayuka, all the best in French legue 2
Filacitika umuntu ukubwesha ukufuma mu grade 7 to grade 5, and you call it a good move, to me that is laziness. We can call it a good move if only he is going to work hard and play again in a big team. Thank you
What did you want him to do? Remain at Southampton. It is difficult to find a club when you have not been playing at present club. Mayuka had no choice
It is better, yes it is on condition that he gets game time. Jacob Mulenga played in the French Ligue 2, and went to Holland. I for one do not see any problem here, after all there are many players from West and North Africa playing in the French Ligue 2, who also internationals for their respective countries
Metz is a big club and we all know their history
Anyway at the end of the day we are entitled to our opinions
Cheers Great Kanshis, God bless
Good question to Kanshis. What did you want him to do? Remain at Southampton? “A bird in hand is better than nothing”
To me both Mayuka and Mbesuma were not given chance to prove themselves because they never started in any game.They were only playing for 10 minutes when the destine of the game is already established.To me, that is not failure but not enough chance.
awe kwena kuwaya waya fye ZED football issues are so decouraging,at times I just feel like giving up but am sooo adicted that even if I were to check in a fooball rehab can not be reformed guess I just have to accept the current sitiuation.Good he has got a club though not a good move for a player of his caliber and at his age.
At 24 years he has time on his side. He still has 9 years of pro. football in Europe and herefter 2 years in either Qatar or SA. That makes it 11 years
Big it son, go for it. Wishing you all the best
big it up
All the best mayuka. Show them that you are a good striker.
@ rascozy you are very myopic.. Are analyzing form the bar..
@tony mash,whats myopic about what rascozy said,that’s why most of uor players fail in Europe.When this same mayuka guy that u people are blaming his former teams for not been served enough time to prove himself was given an ocean-size opportunity in france under Renard[arguably the most sympathetic foreign gaffer to uor players course in europe] together with Sunzu and Jordan Ayew, what happened? of the three,who made use of the opportunity to impact most on his career?Sunzu to China and back to france under the same renard in Lille,Mayuka to southampton and back to France but this time metz in ligue 2,jordan to lorient then to aston villa in the EPL. Under renard in Sochaux,mayuka played 21 matches and scored 4 goals,Jordan played 17 matches and scored 5 goals: that’s mental toughness,uor seriousness to make hay out of the least of opportunities given is very much a key.This is not to imply Jordan is superior but has proven to be hardworking and serious among the two:ceteris paribus
Mayuka was a guy whose successful exploits @ AFCON 2012 should have catapulted his career to greater heights by now,yet here u are blaming systems for his failures,i believe its not late, he still has a lot of football in him with age too on his side, hard work and mental toughness should be his tonic rather than falling on swollen headed comments by a certain tony mash.
God has finally awarded him with another opportunity, it’s high time he should now improve his career.
I am conviced he is gonna make it this time
Prove your critics wrong mayuka,all the best you still have a long way to go in your career. We’re behind you.