Mathias Chago

Early career in Cameroon

Chago started his football career at a youth club Olympic Mvolyé. There he played for two seasons before joining the MTN Elite one side Racing FC Bafoussam in 2000, where he until 2003.

Metalac Osijek

At the age of 19, Chago and two other Cameroonian players ran away to Croatia, hoping to succeed in professional football there in order to feed his family of ten brothers and sisters back in Cameroon. The manager that brought them left them broke on the streets of Zagreb. Without any money to return to Cameroon, the players did not have any choice but to stay in Croatia. Soon after the players were contacted by Croatian football icon Miroslav Blažević, who gave them his own flat to sleep at, also providing players with training sessions at the Maksimir football centre. The players had to hide from the Croatian police since they did not have the visas which were required for their prolonged stay in Croatia. During one of the training sessions Croatian manager Boro Ivković (to who Chago also refers as his "dad") spotted Chago's talents and immediately brought him to Osijek. His new manager linked him with a Croatian second division club NK Metalac. Chago impressed everyone in his new club and was signed on a long–term deal. Chago spent three seasons playing for Metalac, before he went on a trial to Osijek's best club, first division side NK Osijek. Chago did not succeed at the trial but had another chance, this time with Dinamo Zagreb,…

Chago was first called–up for the national squad on 30 May 2009, a week before Cameroon's World Cup qualifier against Morocco. On the next day he reported to Cameroon's training camp in Belgium where he started training with his new teammates. According to Chago, the national team staff was scouting him for a longer while with him knowing nothing about it. He did not make an appearance in the match against Morocco, but he started in the friendly match against Ivory Coast and played for 60 minutes before being subbed. For the sport section of the Croatian daily newspaper Večernji list, Chago gave an interview in which he stated that Samuel Eto'o encouraged him before the kick–off.

Chago was born in a poor Cameroonian family with 10 brothers and sisters. He left Cameroon in order to earn money for his family. He came to Croatia where he eventually succeeded at the top of professional football. As of 2009 Chago was living with his Croatian wife Daša and their two daughters Melissa and Marceline.

Dinamo Zagreb

Croatian First League: 2005–06, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11 Croatian Cup: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11 Croatian Super Cup: 2006, 2010