1. Overview
Georges Constant Mandjeck is a Cameroonian professional footballer born on December 9, 1988, in Douala, Cameroon. He primarily plays as a midfielder. Throughout his extensive career, he has played for numerous clubs across Europe and the Middle East, including VfB Stuttgart in Germany, Stade Rennais F.C. and AJ Auxerre in France, Kayseri Erciyesspor and Kocaelispor in Turkey, AC Sparta Prague in the Czech Republic, Maccabi Haifa FC in Israel, and Waasland-Beveren in Belgium. Mandjeck has also been a consistent presence for the Cameroon national team, representing his country at the 2008 Summer Olympics and notably winning the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.
2. Player Career
This section details Georges Mandjeck's progression through his football career, from his youth development to his professional club and international appearances.
2.1. Early Career and Background
Georges Mandjeck's formative years in football began in Cameroon before his move to European leagues.
2.1.1. Youth Career
Mandjeck developed his skills at the Kadji Sports Academy in Cameroon. This academy served as a crucial stepping stone in his journey towards professional football.
2.1.2. Move to Germany and Early Professional Career
In the summer of 2007, Mandjeck transferred from Kadji Sports Academy to German club VfB Stuttgart. He made his competitive debut for Stuttgart on July 25, 2007, in a 2-0 home defeat against Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the Premiere-Ligapokal. He entered the match as a substitute for Antônio da Silva in the 89th minute. This match was his sole competitive appearance for Stuttgart during the 2007-08 season.
On January 30, 2008, Mandjeck was loaned to 2. Bundesliga side 1. FC Kaiserslautern for the remainder of the season. He made his league debut for Kaiserslautern on February 1, 2008, starting in a 1-1 away draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach before being replaced by Moussa Ouattara in the 67th minute. During this loan spell, he made a total of 10 league appearances for Kaiserslautern before returning to Stuttgart at the season's end.
Upon his return to Stuttgart, Mandjeck's first competitive appearance came on August 28, 2008, in a 4-1 away victory over Hungarian club Győri ETO FC in the second leg of the second qualifying round for the UEFA Cup. He came on as a substitute for Pável Pardo in the 63rd minute. He subsequently made his Bundesliga debut on September 13, 2008, in a goalless draw away against 1899 Hoffenheim, entering the game from the bench to replace Khalid Boulahrouz in the 84th minute.
2.2. Club Career
Georges Mandjeck has had an extensive club career, playing for teams in Germany, France, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Israel, and Belgium.
2.2.1. VfB Stuttgart
Mandjeck joined VfB Stuttgart in the summer of 2007 from Kadji Sports Academy. His competitive debut was on July 25, 2007, in the DFB-Ligapokal against Bayern Munich. This was his only competitive appearance in the 2007-08 season. After a loan spell, he returned to Stuttgart, making his UEFA Cup appearance on August 28, 2008, against Győri ETO FC, and his Bundesliga debut on September 13, 2008, against 1899 Hoffenheim. He made a total of 3 appearances for Stuttgart between 2007 and 2010.
2.2.2. 1. FC Kaiserslautern (loan)
Mandjeck had two loan spells with 1. FC Kaiserslautern. His first loan began on January 30, 2008, and lasted until the end of the season, during which he made 10 league appearances. In July 2009, he was again loaned to Kaiserslautern for the entire 2009-10 season. During his second loan, he made his first competitive appearance on July 31, 2009, in a 1-0 win against Eintracht Braunschweig in the first round of the German Cup, playing the full 90 minutes. He also played the full 90 minutes in the club's opening league match of the season on August 8, 2009, a 2-1 home win against Greuther Fürth. He became a regular player for the club during this period, making 23 appearances.
2.2.3. Stade Rennais
On June 29, 2010, Georges Mandjeck moved to Stade Rennais F.C.. The transfer fee for his move was reported to be 1.20 M EUR. He played for the club until 2012, making 41 appearances.
2.2.4. AJ Auxerre
In January 2013, Mandjeck transferred to Auxerre. He remained with the club until 2013, accumulating 42 appearances.
2.2.5. Kayseri Erciyesspor
Mandjeck joined Kayseri Erciyesspor in June 2013, signing a contract until 2016. The transfer fee for this move was reported as 4.00 M EUR by some sources, while others indicated 1.00 M EUR. During his tenure, he made 36 appearances and scored 1 goal.
2.2.6. FC Metz
Georges Mandjeck moved to FC Metz on August 31, 2015. He played for the club until 2017, making 56 appearances and scoring 3 goals. He later returned to Metz on January 11, 2018, on a loan spell from Sparta Prague until the end of the season, though he made no appearances during this second period.
2.2.7. AC Sparta Prague
Mandjeck played for AC Sparta Prague from 2017 to 2020. During his time in the Czech league, he made 26 appearances.
2.2.8. Maccabi Haifa FC (loan)
From 2018 to 2019, Mandjeck had a loan spell with Maccabi Haifa FC in the Israeli league. He made 32 appearances and scored 5 goals during this period.
2.2.9. Waasland-Beveren
On September 29, 2020, Mandjeck joined Belgian Belgian First Division A side Waasland-Beveren. He played for the club until 2021, making 16 appearances.
2.2.10. Kocaelispor
On July 8, 2021, Mandjeck signed with Kocaelispor in Turkey. He wears the number 20 jersey for the club.
2.3. International Career
Georges Mandjeck has represented Cameroon at various levels, including the Olympic Games and the senior national team.
2.4. Olympic Games
Mandjeck was a member of Cameroon's squad for the 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing. In Cameroon's first group stage game against South Korea, he came on as a substitute and scored a crucial goal, securing a 1-1 draw for his team. His second appearance in the tournament was in the third group stage match, a goalless draw against Italy. During this game, he was sent off for stamping on the foot of Antonio Nocerino.
2.5. Senior National Team
Mandjeck has been a consistent player for the senior Cameroon national team. He was part of the squad that participated in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. His international career highlights include winning the Africa Cup of Nations in 2017. He has accumulated 53 international A-match appearances for Cameroon between 2009 and 2022, though he has not scored any goals for the senior team.
3. Statistics
This section provides a consolidated view of Georges Mandjeck's career statistics across his club and international appearances.
3.1. Club Statistics
| Year | Club | Appearances | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-2007 | Kadji Sports Academy | ||
| 2007-2010 | VfB Stuttgart | 3 | 0 |
| 2008 | → 1. FC Kaiserslautern (loan) | 10 | 0 |
| 2009-2010 | → 1. FC Kaiserslautern (loan) | 23 | 0 |
| 2010-2012 | Stade Rennais | 41 | 0 |
| 2012-2013 | Auxerre | 42 | 0 |
| 2013-2015 | Kayseri Erciyesspor | 36 | 1 |
| 2015-2017 | FC Metz | 56 | 3 |
| 2017-2020 | Sparta Prague | 26 | 0 |
| 2018 | → FC Metz (loan) | 0 | 0 |
| 2018-2019 | → Maccabi Haifa FC (loan) | 32 | 5 |
| 2020-2021 | Waasland-Beveren | 16 | 0 |
| 2021- | Kocaelispor |
3.2. International Statistics
| Cameroon national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2009 | 1 | 0 |
| 2010 | 9 | 0 |
| 2011 | 2 | 0 |
| 2012 | 6 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | 6 | 0 |
| 2015 | 3 | 0 |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 |
| 2017 | 13 | 0 |
| 2018 | 5 | 0 |
| 2019 | 5 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 53 | 0 |
4. Honours
Georges Mandjeck has achieved significant international success with the Cameroon national team.
4.1. International
- Africa Cup of Nations: 2017