Nana Falemi

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Nana Falemi
Personal information
Full name Ngassam Nana Falemi
Date of birth (1974-05-05) 5 May 1974 (age 51)
Place of birth Bucharest, Romania
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Youth career
1981–1992 Steaua București
1992 Voința București
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1993–1994 Viscofil București
1995–1997 Chimia București
1997–2000 Petrolul Ploiești 55 (2)
2000–2005 Steaua București 94 (6)
2005 Ergotelis 8 (0)
2005–2006 Vaslui 6 (0)
2006 Volyn Lutsk 7 (0)
2006 Jiangsu Shuntian 12 (2)
2007–2008 Dunărea Giurgiu 10 (1)
2008–2009 Gaz Metan Mediaș 14 (0)
Total206(11)
International career
2003–2004 Cameroon 5 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ngassam Nana Falemi (born 5 May 1974) is a Romanian-born Cameroonian former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. [1] [2]

Contents

Club career

Falemi was born on 5 May 1974 in Bucharest, Romania, and began playing junior-level football in 1981, aged 7 at local club Steaua, being coached by Lajos Sătmăreanu. [1] [2] In 1992 he joined Voința, and one year later began his senior career at Divizia C team, Viscofil, before moving to Chimia in the same league in 1995. [1] Afterwards he signed with Petrolul Ploiești where he made his Divizia A debut on 11 November 1997 in a 1–0 away victory against Steaua. [1] He played regularly for The Yellow Wolves, most notably under the guidance of coach Marin Ion, attracting the interest of Steaua who decided to transfer him in the middle of the 1999–2000 season. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Falemi helped Steaua win the 2000–01 title, playing 25 games and scoring three goals, being coached by one of his childhood idols, Victor Pițurcă. [1] [2] [4] [5] Afterwards, Falemi made four appearances in the 2001–02 Champions League qualifying rounds, helping them get past Sloga Jugomagnat against whom he scored a goal, but got eliminated in the following round by Dynamo Kyiv. [1] [6] In the following season, he played in the 2003–04 UEFA Cup, as Steaua eliminated Neman Grodno and Southampton in the first two rounds, then after a 1–1 draw in the first leg against Liverpool, they lost the away leg with 1–0, thus the campaign ended. [1] [7] In his last season with The Military Men he played four matches in the 2004–05 UEFA Cup, including a 2–0 victory in the group stage against Standard Liège. [1] [3] [4] [8] He also made five league appearances, leaving in the middle of the season to Ergotelis, Steaua managing to win the title without him. [1] [3] [4] [5]

Falemi made his Alpha Ethniki debut for Ergotelis on 12 February 2005 when coach Manolis Patemtzis sent him in the 66th minute to replace Stavros Labrakis in a 1–1 draw against Aris Thessaloniki in which he received a yellow card. [9] He stayed until the end of the season with The Yellow-Blacks, returning afterwards in Romania at Vaslui. [1] [3] [4] In 2006, Volyn Lutsk paid €10,000 for his transfer from Vaslui, making his Vyshcha Liha debut on 2 April as coach Vitaliy Kvartsyanyi used him the entire match in a 2–0 away loss to Chornomorets Odesa. [1] [3] [4] [10]

Falemi left Volyn at the end of the season, moving to China League One side Jiangsu Shuntian for a short while before returning to Romania to second league team, Dunărea Giurgiu. [1] [4] For the last season of his career he played for Gaz Metan Mediaș where coach Cristian Pustai wanted him. [1] [3] [4] [11] He made his last appearance in the Romanian first league on 23 November 2008 in Gaz Metan's 1–0 away loss to Farul Constanța, having a total of 168 matches with eight goals scored in the competition. [1] [3] [4]

International career

Falemi played five games for Cameroon, making his debut under coach Winfried Schäfer on 27 March 2003 when he came as a substitute and replaced Bill Tchato in a 2–0 friendly victory against Madagascar. [12] [13] His following two appearances were a 0–0 draw against United States in the group stage and a 1–0 win over Colombia in the semi-finals of the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup. [12] Cameroon reached the final, but lost it with 1–0 to France, without Falemi playing in the match. [12] [14] His last two games for the national team were friendlies, a 0–0 draw against Japan and a 3–0 loss to Bulgaria. [12] He was also part of Cameroon's squad at the 2004 African Cup of Nations but did not play in any game. [15]

Personal life

Falemi was born in Romania to a Cameroonian father and a Romanian mother. [16] He has a twin brother named Nomi. [16] [17]

In 2018 he opened his own football school named "Nana Juniors". [18]

Honours

Steaua București

Cameroon

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Nana Falemi at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Interviu-eveniment cu Nana Falemi de ziua de naștere a lui Victor Pițurcă: "O stâncă de om. N-am întâlnit atâta încredere la niciun antrenor. Avea pretenții mari!"" [Interview-event with Nana Falemi on Victor Pițurcă's birthday:"A human rock. I have never met so much confidence in any coach. He had great pretensions!"] (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 8 May 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "La 48 de ani, Nana Falemi dezvăluie cum se menține în formă. "Dacă nu o fac eu, nu se întâmplă miracole"" [At 48, Nana Falemi reveals how she stays in shape. "If I don't do it, miracles don't happen"] (in Romanian). Sport.ro. 22 November 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Antrenorul din Liga 1 care "dădea sfaturi de agățat" jucătorilor săi: "A fost ca un tată. Era pasionat și foarte atent"" [The Liga 1 coach who "gave hard-hitting advice" to his players: "He was like a father. He was passionate and very attentive"] (in Romanian). Iamsport.ro. 11 December 2024. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  5. 1 2 "Romania National Champions". RomanianSoccer. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  6. ↑ "Nana Falemi. Champions League Qual. 2001/2002". WorldFootball. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  7. ↑ "Nana Falemi. Europa League Qual. 2003/2004". WorldFootball. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
    "Nana Falemi. Europa League 2003/2004". WorldFootball. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
    "Saints held by Steaua". bbc.co.uk. 24 September 2003.
    "Steaua stun Saints". bbc.co.uk. 15 October 2003.
  8. ↑ "Nana Falemi. Europa League Qual. 2004/2005". WorldFootball. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
    "Nana Falemi. Europa League 2004/2005". WorldFootball. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  9. ↑ "Nana Falemi. Super League 2004/2005". WorldFootball. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
    "Aris Saloniki - Ergotelis 1:1". WorldFootball. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  10. ↑ "Nana Falemi. Premyer Liga 2005/2006". WorldFootball. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
    "Chernomorets Odessa - Volyn Lutsk 2:0". WorldFootball. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  11. ↑ "Falemi: "Nu vom retrograda"" [Falemi: "We will not relegate"] (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 29 June 2008. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
    "Falemi către Pustai: "De ce nu mă mai vrei la echipă?"" [Falemi to Pustai: "Why don't you want me in the team anymore?"] (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 20 January 2009. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
    "Nana Falemi: "Am fost printre cei mai buni în tur, nu ştiu de ce am fost trimis la echipa a doua!"" [Nana Falemi: "I was among the best in the tour, I don't know why I was sent to the second team!"] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 2 March 2009. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Nana Falemi at National-Football-Teams.com
  13. ↑ "Cameroon 2-0 Madagascar". National-football-teams.com. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  14. 1 2 "Falemi a fost martor și la dispariția lui Foe: "Unele teste medicale se făceau și acum 20 de ani"" [Falemi also witnessed Foe's disappearance: "Some medical tests were done 20 years ago"] (in Romanian). Digisport.ro. 7 May 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  15. ↑ "Record de actuali și foști jucători din Liga 1 la Cupa Africii" [Record of current and former League 1 players in the African Cup of Nations] (in Romanian). Cotidianul.ro. 18 January 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  16. 1 2 "Nana Falemi, versiunea sa despre cum e să fii "ăla negru" în România. Amintiri de la școală și de pe terenul de fotbal" [Nana Falemi, his version of what it's like to be "that black" in Romania. Memories from school and the football field] (in Romanian). Libertatea.ro. 11 December 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  17. ↑ "Fratele geaman al lui Nana Falemi are succes la femei! Care e ultima cucerire a lui Nomi Falemi" [Nana Falemi's twin brother is successful among women! What is the latest conquest of Nomi Falemi] (in Romanian). Cancan.ro. 1 June 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  18. ↑ "Nana Falemi vrea să readucă "fotbalul total" în România. Fostul mijlocaș al FCSB și-a deschis o academie și pregătește viitoarele generații: "Le-am adus antrenor de atletism, de judo. Aveam copii care evitau contactul, le era frică să cadă. Treaba asta dă rezultate"" [Nana Falemi wants to bring "total football" back to Romania. The former FCSB midfielder has opened an academy and is preparing future generations: "I brought them an athletics and judo coach. We had children who avoided contact, they were afraid of falling. This thing pays off."] (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 17 January 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
    "Cum arată și cu ce se ocupă Nana Falemi, la 14 ani după ce s-a retras din fotbal: "Eu am fost propriul meu model"" [What does Nana Falemi look like and what does he do, 14 years after he retired from football: "I was my own model"] (in Romanian). Viva.ro. 25 March 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
    "Un fost fotbalist al Stelei și-a făcut școală de fotbal! Copiii din familii defavorizate vor fi avantajați + Când sunt primele selecții" [A former player of Stela went to football school! Children from disadvantaged families will be advantaged + When the first selections are made] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 13 August 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
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