Banana Yaya

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Banana Yaya

| image = Banana Yaya.jpg

| fullname = Banana Yaya{{cite web |title=FIFA U-20 World Cup Egypt 2009™: List of Players: Cameron |url=http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/tournament/competition/01/10/28/62/fwyc_2009_squadlists.pdf |publisher=FIFA |page=3 |date=6 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091013164551/http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/tournament/competition/01/10/28/62/fwyc_2009_squadlists.pdf |archive-date=13 October 2009 }}

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1991|7|29|df=y}}

| birth_place = Maroua, Cameroon

| height = 1.92 m{{cite web |title=Yaya Banana |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/yaya-banana/ |website=worldfootball.net |access-date=6 March 2019}}

| position = Centre-back

| currentclub = AS Trouville-Deauville

| clubnumber = 4

| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2009

| youthclubs1 = Achille FC Yaouande

| years1 = 2009–2012

| clubs1 = ES Tunis

| caps1 = 15

| goals1 = 4

| years2 = 2012–2014

| clubs2 = Sochaux

| caps2 = 26

| goals2 = 3

| years3 = 2013–2014

| clubs3 = → Lausanne-Sport (loan)

| caps3 = 24

| goals3 = 5

| years4 = 2014–2017

| clubs4 = Platanias

| caps4 = 79

| goals4 = 7

| years5 = 2017–2019

| clubs5 = Olympiacos

| caps5 = 0

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2017–2019

| clubs6 = → Panionios (loan)

| caps6 = 49

| goals6 = 6

| years7 = 2020–2021

| clubs7 = Shabab Al-Ordon

| caps7 = 21

| goals7 = 3

| clubs8 = Bengaluru

| years8 = 2022

| caps8 = 5

| goals8 = 12

| clubs9 = AS Trouville-Deauville

| years9 = 2023–

| caps9 =

| goals9 =

| nationalyears1 = 2009–2011

| nationalteam1 = Cameroon U20

| nationalcaps1 = 14

| nationalgoals1 = 1

| nationalyears2 = 2015–2019

| nationalteam2 = Cameroon

| nationalcaps2 = 16

| nationalgoals2 = 2

| pcupdate = 16:49, 5 March 2022 (UTC)

| ntupdate = 18:51, 12 July 2019 (UTC)

}}

Banana Yaya (born 29 July 1991) is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a Centre-back for AS Trouville-Deauville.

Club career

In June 2009, Yaya signed with Tunisian club Espérance Sportive de Tunis where he started his professional playing career.[https://archive.today/20120906091915/http://www.nordcameroun.com/sport/40-cameroun/521-yaya-banana-de-diable-rouge-de-maroua-aux-lions-.html Yaya Bananana : de Diable Rouge de Maroua aux Lions]

After rumours linking him with English Championship giants Leeds United Banana signed for FC Sochaux-Montbéliard from Espérance Tunis on 17 January 2012.{{cite web|title=Yaya Banana signs at Sochaux |url=http://www.fcsochaux.fr/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3062&Itemid=106 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120802222943/http://www.fcsochaux.fr/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3062&Itemid=106 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 August 2012 |publisher=Football Club Sochaux |access-date=17 January 2012 |language=fr |date=17 January 2012 }}

Yaya was sent on loan to Swiss club Lausanne-Sport for the 2013–14 season.{{cite news|url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Banana-a-lausanne/396911 |title= Banana (Sochaux) prêté à Lausanne|trans-title= Banana (Sochaux) on loan to Lausanne|publisher=lequipe.fr|language=fr|date=30 August 2013|access-date=8 September 2013}}

On 30 July 2014, he signed for Greek Super League side Platanias for an undisclosed fee.{{cite web |title=Yaya Banana for Platanias F.C. |url=http://www.chaniapost.eu/2014/07/30/yaya-banana-for-platanias-f-c/ |publisher=www.chaniapost.eu |access-date=30 July 2014 |language=en |date=30 July 2014 |archive-date=7 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221007191214/https://www.chaniapost.eu/2014/07/30/yaya-banana-for-platanias-f-c/ |url-status=dead }} He immediately became the undisputed leader of the club's defense.

On 23 June 2017, after the end of his contract with Platanias, he joined Olympiacos, remaining in the Super League.{{cite web|title=Il camerunese Yaya Banana riparte dal Panionios |url=https://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/europa/ufficiale-il-camerunese-yaya-banana-riparte-dal-panionios-986317 |publisher=www.tuttomercatoweb.com |access-date=24 June 2017 |language=it|date=23 June 2017}} On the same day he was loaned to Panionios on a season-long loan, as he was not in the plans of Olympiacos coach.{{cite web|title=Yaya Banana set to return to Panionios |url=http://www.sdna.gr/news-english/article/490920/yaya-banana-set-return-panionios |publisher=www.sdna.gr |access-date=30 July 2014|language=en |date=17 August 2018}} His loan was extended for another year.{{fact|date=July 2022}}

On 4 December 2019, his contract with Olympiacos was terminated without making a single appearance for the club.{{fact|date=July 2022}}

On 1 February 2022, it was announced that Bengaluru FC signed Yaya on a short-term deal for the remainder of the 2021–22 Indian Super League season.{{Cite web|date=1 February 2022|title=Bengaluru FC sign Cameroonian defender Yaya Banana|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/indian-super-league/bengaluru-fc-sign-cameroonian-defender-yaya-banana/articleshow/89269184.cms|access-date=2022-02-08|website=The Times of India|language=en|archive-date=2022-02-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220201081828/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/indian-super-league/bengaluru-fc-sign-cameroonian-defender-yaya-banana/articleshow/89269184.cms|url-status=live}}

International career

Yaya made his debut for Cameroon starting against Thailand in a friendly match in March 2015.{{cite web |url=http://www.cameroonweb.com/CameroonHomePage/SportsArchive/artikel.php?ID=321518 |title=Thailand 2-3 CMR: Ndassi spares Lions blushes {{!}} Soccer News 2015-03-30 |website=www.cameroonweb.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415215331/http://www.cameroonweb.com/CameroonHomePage/SportsArchive/artikel.php?ID=321518 |archive-date=2015-04-15}}

On 11 November 2017, Banana scored his first goal for Cameroon against Zambia.{{cite web |url=https://www.weltfussball.de/spielbericht/wm-quali-afrika-2015-2017-gruppe-b-sambia-kamerun/ |title=Sambia - Kamerun 2:2 (WM-Quali. Afrika 2015-2017, Gruppe B) |date=2019-06-27 |lang=de |access-date=2022-10-05 |archive-date=2022-10-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005191110/https://www.weltfussball.de/spielbericht/wm-quali-afrika-2015-2017-gruppe-b-sambia-kamerun/ |url-status=live}}

In the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, Yaya was called up to his national team. In his first match against Guinea-Bissau, he scored in the 66th minute and the team won 2–0.{{Cite web |url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/23391/Cameroon_Guinea_Bissau.html |title=Cameroon vs. Guinea-Bissau {{!}} National Football Teams |access-date=2022-10-05 |archive-date=2021-11-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211105073147/https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/23391/Cameroon_Guinea_Bissau.html |url-status=live}}

Career statistics

=International=

{{Updated|matches played on 12 July 2019}}{{cite web|url=http://www.national-football-teams.com/player/58957/Banana_Yaya.html|title=Yaya, Banana|publisher=National Football Teams|access-date=12 November 2017}}

Year	Apps	Goals
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
colspan="3"\|Cameroon national team
2015	5	2
2016	3	0
2017	4	1
2018	10	1
2019	10	2
Total\|\|32\|\|6

=International goals=

:Scores and results list Cameroon's goal tally first.

class="wikitable"

! No !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition

11 November 2017

Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, Ndola, Zambia

align=center | 2–2

2018 FIFA World Cup qualification

25 June 2019

Ismailia Stadium, Ismailia, Egypt

align=center | 1–0

align=center | 2–0

2019 Africa Cup of Nations

Honours

=Individual=

CAF Team of the Year: 2011{{cite web|url=http://www.cafonline.com/en-us/cafawards/previouseditions/2011.aspx|title=2011 CAF Awards|website=Confederation of African Football|access-date=12 January 2021|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150110061420/http://www.cafonline.com/en-us/cafawards/previouseditions/2011.aspx|archive-date=10 January 2015}}{{cite web|title=CAF - CAF Awards - Previous Editions - 2011|url=http://www.cafonline.com/en-us/cafawards/previouseditions/2011.aspx|publisher=CAF|access-date=9 December 2015}}