Gabon goalkeeper Anthony Mfa Mezui revives in Luxembourg

Text by: Farid Achache Follow

Current titular goalkeeper of the Panthers, Anthony Mfa Mezui leaves the French team of US Sarre-Union (Nationale 3), and commits for three seasons with the Luxembourg team of FC Rodange 91 (D1).

Publicity

"  He had the possibility of going to sign in Saudi Arabia, he finally chose Luxembourg , explains the Panthers coach, Patrice Neveu, joined by RFI. It's good for him. Anthony's career was off to a good start, notably being international among young people with the France team. After his visit to Belgium (RFC Seraing D2, editor's note), things got more complicated when he still played with Metz in Ligue 1 (16 games, editor's note). "

Patrice Neveu also indicates: “  He had a good training and he then found himself in difficulty following bad choices. I hope that this signing in Luxembourg will give him stability and that he will have a lot of playing time.  ”Cornflower with the under-17s, Anthony Mfa Mezui was a finalist against Spain in the championship of 'Europe in 2008. With Metz, he won the Gambardella Cup in 2010 and the Ligue 2 Championship in 2014.

“  He had a promising start to his career. I think he stood aside from the competition when he was in Ligue 1 in Metz. I know that for a guardian it was more complicated. But it was not galvanized at that time. However, he had the technical qualities to succeed and play at this level. He too easily accepted that we take his place. At the high level, we are above all in competition with ourselves  , ”tells RFI Albert Cartier, former trainer of FC Metz.  

“  FC Rodange 91 would like to announce Anthony Mfa Mezui for three years. Aged 29, he is a Gabonese international and trained at FC Metz. Welcome to the red and black Anthony!  "Rejoices the club.

Relaunched with the Panthers by Patrice Neveu

For his first two matches as coach, Patrice Neveu summoned him and then established him in two friendly matches against Burkina Faso then in Morocco in 2019. Anthony Mfa Mezui, absent for two years with the selection was then aligned against the DRC and Angola (0-0 and 2-1), during the CAN 2021 qualifiers.

"  In Luxembourg, this is a new challenge before me ," said the native of Beauvais to L'Union . This will allow me to be competitive, with a view to qualifying matches for the CAN and the World Cup  ”.

At the end of his contract in Belgium in 2016, Anthony Mfa Mezui found himself without a club but continued to train with the Red Star club for one season. In the winter of 2017, a first division club in South Africa became interested in him, but the project collapsed.

Present at the London Olympics in 2012

In 2012, Anthony Mfa Mezui was part of the group that competed in the London Olympics. Except that he did not tread the lawn, as he said at the time in Moselle Sport  : “ Didier Ovono had decided to take a break with the selection when he found himself without a club and I had there the opportunity to become a holder in the Olympic selection. But he decided to come back ... at the worst time for me. He still savored the experience. “ I was lucky to be able to attend France-USA in basketball but also matches of the French handball team. Living these moments in the Olympic Village was extraordinary. "

After playing in U16, U17 and U19 with the Bleuets, Anthony Mfa Mezui did not hesitate to join Gabon. Who started football at the age of 6 at the ESAP Metz club as an attacking midfielder has a decade of presence with the Panthers, but sparingly. In 2017, he was part of the group for the CAN played at home. Didier Ovono was at the time the indisputable holder in the cages and had disputed the entirety of the three meetings.

Then, Anthony Mfa Mezui saw the Gabonese team gradually move away until the arrival of Patrice Neveu. The goalkeeper now has his destiny in his hands again, perhaps becoming the number 1 goalkeeper of the Panthers for the next matches of Gabon in the CAN 2021 and World 2022 qualifiers.

Newsletter Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

Follow all international news by downloading the RFI application

• Sports
• Soccer
• Gabon
• Luxembourg