Zola Matumona
Encyclopedia
Zola Matumona is a Congolese
football
er. He is currently playing in the Belgian Pro League (D1) for R.A.E.C. Mons
. He also plays for the Democratic Republic of Congo
.
, to withdraw their sponsorship of the Belgian side. Although on 7 November Matumona agreed to return to FC Brussels after talks with Vermeesch, Kia refused to renew their contract with the club.
Zola Matumona has since attracted interest from England. After visa problems initially delayed his trial with Birmingham City
, 'Zoe' 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
.
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.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
er. He is currently playing in the Belgian Pro League (D1) for R.A.E.C. Mons
R.A.E.C. Mons
R.A.E.C. Mons is a Belgian football club based in Mons, Belgium. The team was promoted to the Belgian Jupiler League recently on 29 May 2011 after beating Waasland-Beveren in a "Winner-Take-All" Test match of the Final Tour of the Belgian second division and has Re-Joined the Top Belgian League...
. He also plays for the Democratic Republic of Congo
Congo DR national football team
The Congo DR national football team is the national team of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is controlled by the Fédération Congolaise de Football-Association , and are nicknamed The Leopards.Congo have been ranked as high as 51 in the FIFA Rankings...
.
Career
A speedy central midfielder with excellent technique and ball control, 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". The incident also prompted the club's main sponsor, Korean car manufacturer KiaKia Motors
Kia Motors , headquartered in Seoul, is South Korea's second-largest automobile manufacturer, following the Hyundai Motor Company, with sales of over 1.4 million vehicles in 2010...
, to withdraw their sponsorship of the Belgian side. Although on 7 November Matumona agreed to return to FC Brussels after talks with Vermeesch, Kia refused to renew their contract with the club.
Zola Matumona has since attracted interest from England. After visa problems initially delayed his trial with Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, 'Zoe' trained with the club during the 2007–08 season and joined their July 2008 pre-season tour, where he impressed manager Alex McLeish
Alex McLeish
Alexander "Alex" McLeish , is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager, who is currently managing English Premier League club Aston Villa...
in a 3–1 victory over Czech side FC Viktoria Plzeň
FC Viktoria Plzen
FC Viktoria Plzeň is a Czech professional football club based in Plzeň. They currently play in the Gambrinus liga, the top division of football in the country....
.
International
Matumona made his international debut on 20 August 2002 vs AlgeriaAlgeria national football team
The Algeria national football team , nicknamed الأفنــاك, Les Fennecs , represents Algeria in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Algérienne de Football. Algeria's home ground is the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers and their head coach is Vahid Halilhodžić.Algeria has qualified...
in a 1–1 draw.He scored his first international goal on 5 June 2005 vs Kampala when Democratic Republic of Congo
Congo DR national football team
The Congo DR national football team is the national team of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is controlled by the Fédération Congolaise de Football-Association , and are nicknamed The Leopards.Congo have been ranked as high as 51 in the FIFA Rankings...
. won 4–0.