Full name Christ Bongo-Zanoni 1996–1997 SV Wilhelmshaven Place of birth Kinshasa, Zaire Name Christ Bongo | Playing position Role Football player Years Team Position Forward | |
Date of birth (1976-08-11) 11 August 1976 (age 39) | ||
Christ Bongo-Zanoni (born 11 August 1976 in Kinshasa) is a former Congolese football player. He has played for SV Wilhelmshaven, Hannover 96, Gazélec Ajaccio, FC Aarau, FC Schaffhausen, FC Solothurn, FC Thun and FC 105 Libreville.
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Club career
Bongo was born in Kinshasa, Zaire, but has represented the Republic of the Congo internationally. His first European club was SV Wilhelmshaven of the Regionalliga Nord, the third tier of German football. In his single season at the club he made 26 league appearances, scoring six goals. Wilhelmshaven were involved in a struggle against relegation, but Bongo's goals, including a late winner against SV Lurup, helped the club to finish a single place above the relegation zone. During the 1997 close season Bongo joined another Regionalliga Nord side, Hannover 96, signing a three-year contract. His Hannover debut did not come until November, when he played in a 4–0 victory against Sportfreunde Ricklingen.
He continued his nomadic career in France and Switzerland with Gazélec Ajaccio and FC Aarau, before signing for FC Schaffhausen on a one-year contract in 2000. From there he moved to FC Solothurn, where he was top scorer, and scored the winner in a local derby against FC Grenchen. This proved to be his last goal for the club before moving on loan to FC Thun until the winter break.
In 2004, having returned to Africa with Gabonese club FC 105 Libreville, he scored against Cameroon's Bamboutos FC in the final of the Coupe de l'Uniffac, a competition contested by clubs from Central African countries, but finished on the losing side. Bongo's late equalising goal sent the match into extra time, but his team were defeated 6–5 in a penalty shootout.
Bongo signed 2006 in Angola for Sporting Cabinda and retired in 2008.
His name has featured in many lists of footballer's unusual names.
International career
Bongo has been capped at international level by the Republic of the Congo national football team. In January 2001 he scored in a World Cup qualifier against Tunisia, and was one of only three Congolese players to score in the qualifying tournament. The other were Edson Dico Minga and Walter Bakouma; in addition a Malagasy opponent scored an own goal.