Pierre Webó


Pierre Achille Webó Kouamo, known as Webó, is a Cameroonian former footballer who played as a striker, and the assistant manager of Turkish club İstanbul Başakşehir.
He spent eight years of his career in La Liga, appearing in a combined 227 matches for Osasuna and Mallorca and scoring 47 goals. He also competed professionally in Uruguay and Turkey.
A Cameroon international in the 2000s, Webó appeared with the country in two World Cups and as many Africa Cup of Nations.

Club career

Early years

Born in Bafoussam, West Region, Webó started his professional career in Uruguay, playing three years with Club Nacional de Football, winning two Primera División titles – although he only was an important first-team member in his third year – and becoming top scorer of the 2002 edition of the South American Cup.
He moved to Europe in January 2003, signing with second division club CD Leganés in the Madrid outskirts, on loan from CA Osasuna.

Osasuna

In the summer of 2003, Webó returned to Osasuna, for whom he scored six goals in his third season, being instrumental in the Navarrese side's fourth La Liga place and UEFA Champions League qualification, although they would ultimately be ousted by Hamburger SV prior to the group stage.
His 2006–07 pre-season was hampered after he was forced to undergo treatment for malaria, but he went on to produce similar numbers in the league, adding two goals in nine games in the team's semi-final run in the UEFA Cup, including the match's only in a home tie against Rangers.

Mallorca

Webó moved to RCD Mallorca in 2007, spending most of his first season on the sidelines with an injury. He did manage five league goals.
After Dani Güiza's departure, Webó's importance in Mallorca increased, and he scored 18 goals in the following three seasons combined, netting six in 2009–10 as the Balearic Islands team finished fifth and qualified to the Europa League.
In the 2011 off-season, after netting a career-best 11 goals in the campaign, with Mallorca narrowly avoiding relegation, 29-year-old Webó signed a three-year contract extension. In August, however, he asked to be relieved from his obligations for personal reasons, and joined İstanbul Başakşehir F.K. in Turkey.

Turkey

On 11 September 2011, in the first round of the Süper Lig season, Webó scored on his official debut for his new club, a 2–0 home win against Galatasaray SK.
On 31 January 2013, Webó signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with fellow league side Fenerbahçe SK for €3 million. Again he found the net in the first competitive match with his new team, but in a 1–2 home loss to Sivasspor.
On 7 March 2013, Webó scored the game's only goal in a win at FC Viktoria Plzeň in that season's Europa League round of 16. He added another in the following round, netting through a penalty for the first in a 2–0 home success against S.S. Lazio.
Webó played in his first derby match against Galatasaray on 12 May 2013, scoring twice to secure a 2–1 win. The game was marred by racist chants from Fenerbahçe fans, directed to opposing players Didier Drogba and Emmanuel Eboué.
From 2015 to 2018, Webó continued to compete in the country, with Osmanlıspor and Gazişehir Gaziantep FK.

Return to Nacional

In September 2018, 36-year-old Webó returned to Nacional de Montevideo after 16 years. After only two league appearances in 59 minutes of play, he left before the start of the 2019 season.
After retiring, Webó joined İstanbul Başakşehir's coaching staff under Okan Buruk.

International career

An international since 2003, Webó's first highlight playing for the Cameroon national team was a hat-trick in his country's 3–2 win in Ivory Coast in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, but his team would not travel to Germany, precisely at the hands of that opponent.
Webó scored in a 1–3 friendly loss against Portugal on 1 June 2010, and started in the first two games at that year's FIFA World Cup in South Africa, with the player not managing to find the net.

Honours

Club

Nacional
Osasuna
Fenerbahçe