André Amougou

André Amougou

Personal information
Full name	André Stéphane Bikey-Amougou
Date of birth	8 January 1985 (1985-01-08) (age 27)
Place of birth	Douala, Cameroon
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Playing position	Defender / Defensive Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Burnley
Number	21
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2001–2002	Espanyol B	0	(0)
2002–2003	Marco	13	(1)
2003–2004	Paços de Ferreira	2	(0)
2004	Aves	14	(0)
2004–2005	União de Leiria	0	(0)
2005	Shinnik Yaroslavl	11	(1)
2005–2007	Lokomotiv Moscow	14	(0)
2006–2007	→ Reading (loan)	15	(0)
2007–2009	Reading	47	(6)
2009–	Burnley	70	(3)
National team‡
2006–	Cameroon	25	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:31, 2 January 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 08:20, 8 August 2011 (UTC)

André Stéphane Bikey-Amougou^[1] (born 8 January 1985) is a Cameroonian footballer, who currently plays for Burnley and the Cameroon national team. He can play in the centre of defence or at right back. He began his career in Spain at the age of fifteen, before having short spells in Russia with Shinnik Yaroslavl and Lokomotiv Moscow. In 2006, he moved to England, where he joined Reading on loan after impressing their manager while on trial. After three seasons at Reading, he signed a three-year deal with Burnley.

Club career

Amougou started his professional career at Espanyol in Spain when he was 15 but he failed to make the grade and left without making a first team appearance. He then moved to Shinnik Yaroslavl in Russia, where he caught the eye of Lokomotiv Moscow, for whom he signed on 1 July 2005.^[2]

Amougou playing for Reading in 2008

However, he failed to settle in the Russian capital later alleging racial abuse from the fans of rival teams. He joined Reading for an initial trial period during their pre-season trip to Sweden in 2006, where he impressed manager Steve Coppell. He was sent off in his final trial match for the club against Örgryte IS for head-butting an opponent,^[3] an incident that was thought to have ended Reading's interest in the player. Coppell however put the incident down to the player being "determined to impress" and after much negotiation with Lokomotiv, a season-long loan deal was agreed on 26 August 2006,^[4] giving Reading the option to purchase the player at the end of the loan.

Amougou expressed a desire to obtain a permanent deal,^[5] and following improving performances, it was announced on 24 April 2007 that Amougou had signed a three-year contract with Reading for a transfer fee in excess of £1 million.^[6]

Amougou scored his first league goal for Reading on 15 August 2007 in Reading's 2–1 home defeat to Chelsea, which he celebrated with his trademark triple somersault,^[7] followed by two more on 22 March 2008 against Birmingham City.^[8] He was linked with a move away from Reading but dismissed speculation by signing a new contract until 2011. Amougou was a member of Reading's towering central defence with Michael Duberry, Ivar Ingimarsson and Alex Pearce, all measuring 6 ft 1 inch or above.

On 9 May 2009, he was sent off for stamping on Robbie Blake during the play-off semi-final first leg at Burnley, having earlier conceded the winning penalty taken by Graham Alexander. He aggravated the situation by ripping off his shirt and stamping around the pitch, resulting in the extension of his ban to five games and a charge for improper conduct. He later apologised on the Reading website.^[9] Despite these actions, Reading received a transfer bid from Burnley in August 2009 and Amougou subsequently signed a three-year deal with Burnley on 18 August 2009.^[10] He scored his first goal for Burnley in a 2–1 Barclays Premier League win over Birmingham City on 3 October 2009. Since then Amougou has netted twice more for the clarets, the first of which was a towering header in a 2-1 defeat at Middlesbrough in September 2010 followed by the winner, also a header in a 2-1 victory over Barnsley at Oakwell on Boxing Day 2010.

It was announced that he would be known by his family name of Amougou from the 2011/12 season onwards.

International career

Amougou represents Cameroon at international level. He has had 19 caps for the African side. Amougou was named in Cameroon’s squad for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.^[11] Amougou, who was scouted by Reading at the 2006 African Cup of Nations, said "I'm ready for the Cup of Nations though it is difficult to leave my obligations with Reading. I have a contract with Reading which I appreciate, but my country will always come first.".^[12] 1 On 31 February 2008, Amougou was sent off in the semi final win over Ghana after a bizarre incident where he pushed a Ghanaian stretcher bearer in the dying seconds of the match. It seems Amougou took offence when the Ghana stretcher team, keen to get an injured Cameroon player Rigobert Song off the field with their team behind and time running out, began pushing back the doctor attending to Song, so that they could load him on the stretcher and the game could continue. Amougou reacted by pushing one of the offending stretcher bearers back with considerably more force, which sent him tumbling. Referee Abderahim El Arjoune immediately gave Amougou a red card, alongside the bemused medic and some astounded Ghana players.^[13] The medic in question, Samuel Ashia, said three days later that “It was very forceful, and I landed badly. It didn’t hurt at the time but the next day my head ached and the area around my waist did, too...He hasn't apologised and I will be happy when he does, because no player should do that."^[14] Amougou was banned from the Final (which Ashia attended as a medic on duty) and Cameroon was fined US $5000 by the CAF.^[15]

Personal

Andre is married to a Spanish woman, Marina. They have two daughters.^{[citation needed]}

Career statistics

As of 27 August 2011.

International

André Amougou: International Goals

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	8 June 2008	Stade George V, Curepipe	Mauritius	0 – 1	0 – 3	2010 World Cup qualification

References

External links

• André Amougou profile at readingfc.co.uk
• André Amougou career stats at Soccerbase

Cameroon squads v d e Cameroon squad – 2006 Africa Cup of Nations 1 Kameni 2 Ateba 3 Atouba 4 Song 5 Wome 6 Angbwa 7 Kome 8 Geremi 9 Eto'o 10 Emana 11 Makoun 12 Deumi 13 Feutchine 14 Saidou 15 Webó 16 Hamidou 17 Ebéde 18 Douala 19 Djemba-Djemba 20 Olembé 21 Lauren 22 Meyong 23 Bikey Coach: Artur Jorge v d e Cameroon squad – 2008 Africa Cup of Nations Runners-up 1 Kameni 2 Binya 3 Tchato 4 R. Song 5 Atouba 6 Angbwa 7 M'bami 8 Geremi 9 Eto'o 10 Emana 11 Makoun 12 N'Kong 13 N'Guémo 14 Epalle 15 A. Song 16 Hamidou 17 Idrissou 18 Tomou 19 Mbia 20 Essola 21 Job 22 Mbarga 23 Bikey Coach: Pfister v d e Cameroon squad – 2008 Summer Olympics 1 Tignyemb 2 Baning 3 Ghomsi 4 Bikey 5 Song 6 Mbia 7 Mboua 8 Mandjeck 9 Songo'o 10 Bekamenga 11 Bebbe 12 Bebey 13 N'Koulou 14 Chedjou 15 N'Gal 16 Mayebi 17 Ollé Ollé 18 Enam Coach: Ntoungou v d e Cameroon squad – 2010 Africa Cup of Nations 1 Kameni 2 Binya 3 N'koulou 4 R. Song 5 Chedjou 6 A. Song 7 N'Guémo 8 Geremi 9 Eto'o 10 Emana 11 Makoun 12 Bedimo 13 Tchoyi 14 Alo'o 15 Webó 16 Hamidou 17 Idrissou 18 Enoh 19 Mbia 20 Mandjeck 21 Matip 22 N'dy Assembé 23 Bikey Coach: Le Guen