Merlin Tandjigora

Merlin Abdoulaye Tandjigora (born 6 April 1990) is a Gabonese professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder.

Merlin Tandjigora

Personal information
Full name	Merlin Koumba Abdoulaye Tandjigora^[1]
Date of birth	(1990-04-06) 6 April 1990 (age 34)
Place of birth	Port-Gentil, Gabon
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
1998–2004	Stade Mandji
2004–2008	ENF Port-Gentil
2009–2010	Metz
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2008–2009	Stade Mandji
2010–2011	Metz	6	(0)
2010–2011	Metz B	24	(0)
2011–2014	Carquefou	70	(2)
2015	Istres	7	(0)
2015	Leixões	15	(3)
2016	Meizhou Hakka	25	(0)
2017–2018	Belenenses	8	(1)
2018–2019	Belenenses SAD	0	(0)
2019–2020	Vila Real	7	(0)
2020–2021	US Vimy	4	(0)
2021	Djoliba AC
2021–2023	US Vimy	35	(0)
International career
2008	Gabon U20	2	(0)
2010–	Gabon	28	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:47, 23 November 2023 (UTC)

Career

Born in Port-Gentil, Tandjigora was a player of the national football school located in his hometown.^[2] On 9 July 2010, he became the first player from the academy to sign a professional contract with a European club after signing a one-year contract with Metz.^[3][4]

Tandjigora arrived at Metz in 2009 and joined the club's Championnat de France amateur 2 team for the 2009–10 season. He played in 21 matches and scored two goals as the reserve team of Metz were crowned champions of the league finishing with 107 points.^[5] After the season, Tandjigora signed his first professional contract and was, subsequently, promoted to the senior team and assigned the number 12 shirt by new manager Dominique Bijotat. He made his professional debut on 30 July 2010 in a Coupe de la Ligue match against Clermont. Tandjigora started the match and played 76 minutes in a 3–1 defeat.^[6] He made his league debut a week later in a 2–0 defeat to Évian.^[7]

Tandjigora was formerly a Gabonese youth international having earned caps with the nation's under-20 team in qualification for the 2009 African Youth Championship. On 30 September 2010, he was called up to the senior team for the first time by coach Gernot Rohr for matches against Oman and Saudi Arabia.^[8] He competed for Gabon at the 2012 Summer Olympics.^[9]

On 13 December 2019 it was confirmed, that Tandjigore had joined S.C. Vila Real.^[10]

Honours

Club

Stade Mandji

• Gabon Championnat National D1: 2009

References

1. "Un sélectionné olympique à l'I2 des professionnels!" (in French). Ligue Atlantique. 5 April 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
2. "Merlin le travailleur" (in French). Le Républicain Lorrain. 10 August 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}
3. (in French). FC Metz. 19 July 2010. Archived from the original on 22 July 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
4. "Premier contrat professionnel de Tandjigora" (in French). Allez Les Pantheres. 15 July 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}
5. (in French). Foot Africa 365. 9 July 2010. Archived from the original on 11 July 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
6. "Clermont v. Metz Match Report" (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 30 July 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2010. ^{[dead link]}
7. "Metz v. Évian Match Report" (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 6 August 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}
8. (in French). Gaboneco. 30 September 2010. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
9. . Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
10. Merlin Tandjigora é reforço do SC Vila Real, desportivotransmontano.com, 13 December 2019

External links

• at fcmetz.com
• – French league stats at LFP – also available (archived)
• Merlin Tandjigora at L'Équipe Football (in French)
• – FIFA competition record (archived)
• Merlin Tandjigora at National-Football-Teams.com
• Merlin Tandjigora at Soccerway