Joseph Minala

Joseph Minala
Personal information
Full name Joseph Marie Minala
Date of birth (1996-08-24) 24 August 1996
Place of birth Yaoundé, Cameroon
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in)
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Lazio
Number 27
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014– Lazio 3 (0)
2014–2015 → Bari (loan) 18 (3)
2015–2016 → Latina (loan) 3 (1)
2016 → Bari (loan) 1 (0)
National team
2015– Cameroon U-23 2 (1)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 14 January 2016.


Joseph Marie Minala (born 24 August 1996) is a Cameroonian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Italian club Lazio.

Club career

Early career

At 15 Minala left Yaoundé and flew to Rome without contacts or plans, but found friends and began playing for amateur club Vigor Perconti. His playing skill initially attracted the attention of Napoli, who gave him a two-month trial.[1] Ultimately, however, he was noticed by Lazio scout Alberto Bollini who, suitably impressed, referred Minala to Lazio’s current director of sports Igli Tare to sign a pre-contract.

Minala then joined Lazio's Allievi squad in their 2013–14 Viareggio Cup Youth Tournament campaign under coach Simone Inzaghi.

In early 2014, Minala then made news when his age was publicly disputed by multiple parties. Both Lazio and the player denied all such claims.[2] In May, the Italian FA completed their investigation confirming his given age as accurate and announcing that no disciplinary action would be taken against him or Lazio.[3]

Lazio

Minala broke into Lazio's senior team on 16 March 2014, when he was an unused substitute in the match against Cagliari.[4] He then made his full Serie A debut on 6 April 2014 against Sampdoria in a 2–0 home win, replacing Senad Lulić for the last 13 minutes of the match.[5] He made a further two league appearances, both as a substitute.

Bari

On 25 August 2014 it was announced that Minala would join on loan Serie B side Bari for the 2014–15 season.[6] On 13 December, as a 73rd-minute substitute for Marco Augusto Romizi, he scored his first career goal, the last-minute decider in an away victory over Cittadella.[7] A week later, he again scored the only goal to defeat Latina at the Stadio San Nicola.[8] On 28 December, Minala was sent off in a 0–3 home defeat to Spezia.[9] On 11 April 2015, Minala scored the third of his three goals that season, the equaliser in a 1–1 draw with Crotone with three minutes remaining, six minutes after replacing Cristian Galano.[10] Thirteen days later, as a half-time replacement for Romizi, he was sent off for a second time in a game of the same result against Bologna.[11]

Latina

On 6 July 2015, Minala was again loaned to a Serie B team, Latina.[12][13] He made his debut on 9 August, starting in a 1–4 home defeat to Lega Pro team Pavia in the first round of the Coppa Italia.[14] He scored his first goal for the team on 27 October, equalising in a 1–2 loss to Ternana at the Stadio Domenico Francioni.[15]

International career

Minala played for Cameroon at Under-23 level in their unsuccessful attempt to qualify for the 2015 CAF U-23 Championship. He scored against Sierra Leone in a 1–1 draw on 30 May 2015 but Cameroon were eliminated in the second round on away goals.[16]

References

  1. ↑ Meranzov, Martin (10 February 2014). "The story of Joseph Minala". LazioLand. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
  2. ↑ Joseph Minala: Lazio respond to false age claims of teenager; BBC Sport, 13 February 2014
  3. ↑ "Joseph Minala: Italian FA confirms Lazio youth player is 17". BBC Sport. 29 May 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
  4. ↑ "Cagliari vs. Lazio". Soccerway. 16 March 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
  5. ↑ "Lazio vs. Sampdoria - 6 April 2014 - Soccerway". soccerway.com. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
  6. ↑ http://www.fcbari1908.club/mercato-minala-ss-lazio-titolo-temporaneo/
  7. ↑ Giuliani, Marco (13 December 2014). "Cittadella-Bari 0-1: Minala regala il successo ai galletti nel finale" [Cittadella 0-1 Bari: Minala gives victory to the galletti at the end]. Bari Today (in Italian). Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  8. ↑ "BARI-LATINA 1-0, NERAZZURRI POCO PERICOLOSI E MINALA BEFFA DI GENNARO" [BARI 1-0 LATINA, NERAZZURRI RARELY DANGEROUS AND MINALA MAKES A MOCKERY OUT OF DI GENNARO]. Latina Quotidiano (in Italian). 20 December 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  9. ↑ "Serie B: colpaccio Spezia, il Bari affonda" [Serie B: Spezia thrash, Bari sink] (in Italian). Sport Mediaset. 28 December 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  10. ↑ "Bari - Crotone 1-1". F.C. Bari 1908. 11 April 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  11. ↑ "Bari-Bologna 1-1, le pagelle dei biancorossi: muro Guarna, disastro Minala" [Bari 1-1 Bologna, biancorossi ratings: Guarna was a wall, Minala was a disaster]. Bari Today. 24 April 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  12. ↑ "Comunicato" [Announcement] (in Italian). S.S. Lazio. 6 July 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  13. ↑ "Lazio, Braafheid rinnova fino al 2016. E Minala va in prestito al Latina" [Lazio, Braafheid renews until 2016. And Minala goes on loan to Latina]. La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). 6 July 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  14. ↑ Ciochi, Giorgia (10 August 2015). "LATINA-PAVIA 1-4, PESANTE SCONFITTA DEI NERAZZURRI: ELIMINATI DALLA COPPA ITALIA" [LATINA 1-4 PAVIA, NERAZZURRI HEAVY DEFEAT: ELIMINATED FROM THE COPPA ITALIA]. Latina Quotidiano (in Italian). Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  15. ↑ "Latina-Ternana 1-2, doppietta di Furlan ed è riscatto rossoverde: prima vittoria esterna" [Furlan's brace redeems the Rossoverde: first away victory] (in Italian). Umbria 24. 27 October 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  16. ↑ "OLYMPIC DREAM OVER CAMEROON". CAFonline.com. 31 May 2015.
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