1. Overview
Ignatius Ganago, whose full name is Ignatius Kpene GanagoFrench, is a Cameroonian professional footballer born on February 16, 1999, in Douala, Cameroon. He plays primarily as a forward. Ganago has played for several clubs across France, including OGC Nice, RC Lens, and FC Nantes, and is currently on loan to Major League Soccer club New England Revolution. He has also represented the Cameroon national football team at the senior level and participated in international tournaments, earning a bronze medal at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
2. Early Life and Career Beginnings
Ignatius Ganago's formative years in football began in his home country before he moved to France to continue his development.
2.1. Early Life and Background
Ignatius Ganago was born on February 16, 1999, in Douala, Cameroon. His full name is Ignatius Kpene GanagoFrench.
2.2. Youth Career
Ganago started his football journey at the EFCB junior academy in Cameroon. After his time there, he moved to France and joined the academy of OGC Nice in 2017, marking a significant step in his early professional development.
3. Club Career
Ignatius Ganago's professional club career has seen him play for several notable teams in France and the United States, progressing through different leagues and competitions.
3.1. Nice
Ganago made his professional debut for OGC Nice in a Ligue 1 match against AS Monaco FC on September 9, 2017. He entered the game as a substitute for Mario Balotelli in the 74th minute and scored his first goal for the club during this match, contributing to Nice's 4-0 victory. During his tenure at Nice, he also made appearances for OGC Nice B, playing 13 matches and scoring 9 goals for the reserve team. For the main Nice squad, he accumulated 52 league appearances, scoring 6 goals, across three seasons from 2017 to 2020.
3.2. Lens
On July 10, 2020, Ganago signed with RC Lens, a club newly promoted to Ligue 1. He quickly made an impact, notably scoring the winning goal against Paris Saint-Germain FC on September 10, 2020. During the 2020-21 RC Lens season, he had a breakthrough performance, scoring 7 goals in the league. Over his two seasons with Lens (2020-2022), he made 56 league appearances and scored 12 goals.
3.3. Nantes
On September 1, 2022, the final day of the 2022 summer transfer window, Ganago transferred to FC Nantes, a league rival of Lens. He signed a four-year contract with Nantes, and the transfer fee paid to Lens was reported to be around 3.50 M EUR, excluding potential bonuses. As of his last detailed record with Nantes, he made 41 appearances and scored 5 goals.
3.4. New England Revolution
On January 10, 2025, Ganago was announced to be joining Major League Soccer club New England Revolution on a six-month loan from FC Nantes. The loan agreement includes an option for the Revolution to purchase him permanently, with a potential extension of the loan for an additional six months if certain playing-time conditions are met. He made his MLS debut and first start for the Revolution on February 22, 2025, in the 2025 New England Revolution season opener, which was a 0-0 draw against Nashville SC.
4. International Career
Ignatius Ganago has represented Cameroon at both youth and senior international levels, contributing to his country's football endeavors.
4.1. Senior National Team
Ganago made his debut for the senior Cameroon national football team in a friendly match against Tunisia on October 12, 2019. The match ended in a 0-0 tie. He has since continued to make appearances for the national team, participating in key international tournaments.
4.2. Youth National Team
Ganago was called up to the Cameroon U-23 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in October 2019. However, his then-club, OGC Nice, refused to release him for the competition, preventing his participation in the tournament.
5. Personal Life
Beyond his professional football career, Ignatius Ganago has faced significant personal challenges.
5.1. Family and Significant Events
On February 13, 2023, Ganago experienced a profound personal tragedy when his four-year-old daughter passed away due to an illness.
6. Career Statistics
The following tables provide a detailed statistical overview of Ignatius Ganago's professional club and international career.
6.1. Club Statistics
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Nice B | 2017-18 | National 2 | 12 | 8 | - | - | - | 13 | 8 | |||
| 2018-19 | National 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 13 | 9 | - | - | - | 13 | 9 | |||||
| Nice | 2017-18 | Ligue 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
| 2018-19 | Ligue 1 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 22 | 2 | ||
| 2019-20 | Ligue 1 | 26 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | 29 | 4 | ||
| Total | 52 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 62 | 7 | ||
| Lens | 2020-21 | Ligue 1 | 24 | 7 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 24 | 7 | ||
| 2021-22 | Ligue 1 | 28 | 5 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 29 | 6 | |||
| 2022-23 | Ligue 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 4 | 0 | |||
| Total | 56 | 12 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 57 | 13 | ||||
| Nantes | 2022-23 | Ligue 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | |
| Career total | 124 | 28 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 137 | 30 | ||
6.2. International Statistics
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cameroon | 2019 | 3 | 0 |
| 2021 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 11 | 0 | |
7. Honours
Ignatius Ganago has achieved team honours at the international level with the Cameroon national team.
7.1. International Honours
- Africa Cup of Nations bronze: 2021