Shabani Nonda


Shabani Christophe Nonda is a DR Congolese former international footballer who played as a striker. He earned 36 caps and scored 20 goals for the DR Congo, and was selected for their squad for the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations.

Playing career

Club career

Born in Bujumbura, Burundi, Nonda began his career at Atlético Olympic in 1992. After playing in Tanzania with Young Africans and in South Africa with Vaal Professionals, he was discovered by FIFA agent Marcelo Houseman who then placed Nonda in Switzerland with FC Zürich in 1996 for
After finishing top goalscorer in Switzerland two years running he was transferred to French side Stade Rennais in 1998 for a and later moved to AS Monaco in 2000 again for €20 million, to replace David Trezeguet. His performances, including those in the 2004 UEFA Champions League Final, earned him a move to Serie A club A.S. Roma on a three-year deal in 2005, for which he earned €1.8 million in gross per season. However, he never lived up to his potential – partly due to a knee injury sustained while at Monaco – and spent the 2006–07 season on loan at English side Blackburn Rovers. While at Blackburn, Nonda announced his intention to sign a permanent deal, Blackburn opted not to sign Nonda on a permanent deal and he later signed for Turkish club Galatasaray in August 2007 on a two-year deal. On 28 January 2010, Galatasaray released him by mutual consent.

International career

Though he was born in Burundi, Nonda holds citizenship from Democratic Republic of the Congo and to date 36 international caps for the country, with 20 goals since 2000. He retired from international football in 2005, and returned in 2007. He scored a hat-trick against Republic of Djibouti in World Cup Qualifications in 2008.

Outside football

Media personality

Throughout his footballing career, Nonda has hosted a DJ show for a Burundian radio station.

Commitment

Shabani Nonda is a member of the "Champions for Peace" club, a group of famous elite athletes committed to serving peace in the world through sport, created by Peace and Sport, a Monaco-based international organization.

Honours

Club

Monaco
Roma
Galatasaray