Bill Tchato


Bill Jackson Tchato Mbiayi is a Cameroonian former professional footballer who played as a defender. He played for Caen, Valence, Nice, Montpellier, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Qatar SC, Al-Khor and Strasbourg and Sapins. Tchato represented Cameroon at international level, making 46 appearances over an eight-year period, scoring one goal.

Club career

Tchato began his career in France with Stade Malherbe Caen in 1995, and made 18 league appearances in his debut season which ended with the club being promoted to Division 1 as champions. He was transferred to Valence in 1996, where he made 69 league appearances and scored six goals over the next two years. In 1998, he joined OGC Nice, scoring three goals in 70 league appearances during his time with the club. Tchato was signed by Montpellier HSC in 2000 and he helped them gain promotion to Division 1 in his first season. He made 63 league appearances for the club before moving to Germany in 2003 to play for Bundesliga side1. FC Kaiserslautern. In 2005, he returned to Nice for one season and then moved to the Middle East to play for Qatar SC. Two years later, he joined Al-Khor. Tchato returned to France in 2010 with Championnat National team RC Strasbourg. A year later, having seen Strasbourg relegated due to financial problems, Tchato moved to Gabon to join First Division club Sapins.

International career

He made his debut for the Cameroon national team in 2000. He represented his country at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and the African Cup of Nations in the same year, which Cameroon won. Tchato appeared in two FIFA Confederations Cup competitions, in 2001 and 2003. He also played in the 2004 and 2008 African Cup of Nations, where Cameroon were defeated by Egypt in the final.

Personal life

Born in M'Biam, Tchato moved to Europe at a young age with his parents, who worked for the Embassy of Cameroon in Paris, and subsequently in London.