Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui (born 23 November 1990) is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Chinese Super League club Chongqing Tonglianglong and captains the Cameroon national team.
Club career Ngadeu trained as a youth with Canon Yaoundé. After graduating in Cameroon, he spent six months learning German in order to study Civil Engineering in Germany. Whilst in Germany, he played for SV Sandhausen II and 1. FC Nürnberg II, before transferring to Romanian club Botoșani in 2014, where he eventually wore the captain's armband.
Slavia Prague Despite rumours linking him with a move to Steaua Bucharest, in the summer of 2016 he completed a €500k transfer to Slavia Prague.
Upon his return from the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, he scored the only hat-trick of his senior career for Slavia Prague in his first game back on 25 February 2017 in their 8–1 away win at Příbram. On 9 May 2018, he played as Slavia Prague won the 2017–18 Czech Cup final against Jablonec.
In January 2019, a €4.5 million transfer to Premier League side Fulham fell through at the last minute, after Ngadeu had flown to London and passed a medical.
He again featured heavily in the 2018–19 season, both in Slavia's Europa League campaign that ended in the quarter finals, and domestically, where the team secured their first domestic double since 1942. At the end of the 2018–19 Czech First League season, he was voted the league's best defender.
Gent In July 2019, Ngadeu moved to Belgian club Gent.
Beijing Guoan On 30 March 2023, Ngadeu joined Chinese Super League club Beijing Guoan. On 15 April 2024, Ngadeu made his debut for Guoan in a 1–1 home draw against Meizhou Hakka. On 13 August 2023, he scored his first goal for Guoan in a 1–0 away win against Nantong Zhiyun. He was selected in China Super League's 2023 Team of the Season.
Throughout the 2024 season, he was selected in the league's team of the month 4 times. Guoan extended his contract to the end of the 2025 season on 4 May 2025.
He departed Guoan at the end of the 2025 season after his contract expired. Across 92 appearances, he scored 6 goals. He won the 2025 Chinese FA Cup with the club.
Chongqing Tonglianglong On 7 February 2026, newly-promoted Chinese Super League side Chongqing Tonglianglong announced the signing of Ngadeu.
International career Ngadeu made his senior debut for the Cameroon national team in a 2–0 win over The Gambia for 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification. He went on to play every minute of Cameroon's victorious 2017 Africa Cup of Nations campaign, scoring two goals, including a clearance off the line followed by the winning goal in the group stage match against Guinea-Bissau. He was ultimately named one of three defenders in the Confederation of African Football's Team of the Tournament. He played in all 3 group games for Cameroon in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup.
In September 2018, he was named as captain for new manager Clarence Seedorf's first 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game against The Comoros. He participated the 2019 and 2021 editions of Africa Cup of Nations, playing every single minute in both tournaments except the third place play-off of the latter. However, he was not included in Cameroon's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He was later one of four veteran players left out of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations squad.
Career statistics Club
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueCupContinentalOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals1. FC Nürnberg II2012–13Regionalliga Bayern231———2312013–14313———313Total544———544Botoșani2014–15Liga I28110——2912015–162560000—256Total5371000—547Slavia Prague2016–17Czech First League2764050—3662017–182012091—3122018–1929030131—451Total76790272—1129Gent2019–20Belgian First Division A29310121—4242020–212710070—3412021–2233430130—4942022–233013011010451Total1199704311017010Beijing Guoan2023Chinese Super League29120——311202428320——30320252213061—312 Total7957061—926Chongqing Tonglianglong2026Chinese Super League18110——191Career total399332507641050137
International
+ Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsCameroon2016402017172201840201990202010202192202290202471202540Total645
Scores and results list Cameroon's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ngadeu-Ngadjui goal.
+ List of international goals scored by Michael Ngadeu-NgadjuiNo.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition1 18 January 2017 Stade d'Angondjé, Libreville, Gabon 2–1 2–1 2017 Africa Cup of Nations2 2 February 2017 Stade de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon 1–0 2–0 2017 Africa Cup of Nations3 3 September 2021 Paul Biya Stadium, Yaoundé, Cameroon 2–0 2–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification4 11 October 2021 Ibn Batouta Stadium, Tangiers, Morocco 1–0 1–05 8 June 2024 Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, Yaoundé, Cameroon 1–0 4–1 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
Honours Slavia Prague Czech First League: 2016–17, 2018–19 Czech Cup: 2017–18, 2018–19
Gent Belgian Cup: 2021–22
Beijing Guoan Chinese FA Cup: 2025
Cameroon Africa Cup of Nations: 2017
Individual Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2017 Czech First League Best Defender of the Season: 2018–19
References
External links