{{short description|Cameroonian footballer (born 1978)}} {{For|the Duala king|Rudolf Duala Manga Bell}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Roudolphe Douala | image = | fullname = Roudolphe Douala M'bela | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978|9|25|df=yes}} | birth_place = Douala, Cameroon | height = 1.76 m | position = Winger | currentclub = | clubnumber = | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Saint-Étienne | years1 = 1996–1998 | years2 = 1998–2004 | years3 = 2000–2001 | years4 = 2001–2002 | years5 = 2002–2004 | years6 = 2004–2007 | years7 = 2006–2007 | years8 = 2007–2008 | years9 = 2008–2009 | years10 = 2009 | years11 = 2010–2011 | clubs1 = Saint-Étienne B | clubs2 = Boavista | clubs3 = → Aves (loan) | clubs4 = → Gil Vicente (loan) | clubs5 = → União Leiria (loan) | clubs6 = Sporting CP | clubs7 = → Portsmouth (loan) | clubs8 = Saint-Étienne | clubs9 = Asteras Tripolis | clubs10 = Plymouth Argyle | clubs11 = Lierse | caps1 = 47 | caps2 = 40 | caps3 = 28 | caps4 = 31 | caps5 = 66 | caps6 = 47 | caps7 = 7 | caps8 = 12 | caps9 = 12 | caps10 = 2 | caps11 = 11 | totalcaps = 303 | goals1 = 9 | goals2 = 6 | goals3 = 4 | goals4 = 4 | goals5 = 15 | goals6 = 5 | goals7 = 0 | goals8 = 0 | goals9 = 0 | goals10 = 0 | goals11 = 2 | totalgoals = 45 | nationalyears1 = 2004–2009 | nationalteam1 = Cameroon | nationalcaps1 = 17 | nationalgoals1 = 1 }}
'''Roudolphe Douala M'bela''' (born 25 September 1978), known as '''Douala''', is a Cameroonian former professional footballer.<ref>[https://maisfutebol.iol.pt/destinos/douala/jogar-no-sporting-foi-mais-dificil-do-que-ser-educador-de-infancia «Jogar no Sporting foi mais difícil do que ser educador de infância»] maisfutebol.iol.pt</ref>
Mainly a winger he could also operate as a forward, and played professionally in five countries, mainly in Portugal. He amassed Primeira Liga totals of 213 games and 34 goals over the course of nine seasons, notably representing in the competition Sporting CP (three years), Boavista and União Leiria (two apiece).
Douala appeared for the Cameroon national team at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations.
==Club career== Douala was born in Douala. He holds Cameroonian and French nationalities.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ligue1.fr/joueur?id=rudolph-douala | title=Joueur }}</ref>
He started his professional career at Saint-Étienne but did not make any Ligue 2 appearances for the French club, moving to Portugal when he was 20 and signing with Boavista.
After two loans, at Gil Vicente and União Leiria (where he first made an impact in the Primeira Liga championship), Douala moved to Sporting CP,<ref>[https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/019f-0e6aef5f6d6c-c9efc73e6fdb-1000--douala-joins-sporting/ Douala joins Sporting]; UEFA.com, 11 July 2004</ref> scoring five league goals in his debut season while also helping the ''Lions'' to the campaign's UEFA Cup final, notably scoring against Middlesbrough in a 3–2 away win.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/middlesbrough/4332267.stm Middlesbrough 2–3 Sporting]; BBC Sport, 10 March 2005</ref> Never an undisputed starter, however, he would be loaned for 2006–07 to England's Portsmouth on the very last day of the summer transfer window, with a view to a permanent signing.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/football/2006/sep/01/newsstory.sportinglisbon Douala becomes Redknapp's 10th summer signing]; The Guardian, 31 August 2006</ref>
Speculation during the 2007 winter window had linked Douala with a move away from the club, with the player reportedly frustrated at his lack of first team opportunities at Fratton Park.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/p/portsmouth/6241025.stm Douala looks to end Pompey loan]; BBC Sport, 8 January 2007</ref> A transfer never materialized, however, and he revealed that "On the last day of the transfer window two clubs were calling me all day, but I said 'I want to stay'".<ref>[https://archive.today/20080611234002/http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/4720/Douala-out-to-prove-himself.2031537.jp Douala out to prove himself in Premier]; The News, 12 June 2007</ref>
Douala returned to Sporting when his loan ended and, on 14 July 2007, rejoined old club Saint-Étienne for an undisclosed fee.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20141007125931/http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/news/newsid=560997.html St-Étienne make double swoop]; UEFA.com, 13 July 2007</ref> After only one season where he appeared sparingly, he left for Asteras Tripolis in Greece.<ref>[https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/breves2008/20080701_074828_douala-quitte-l-asse_Dev.html Douala quitte l'ASSE (Douala leaves ASSE)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520090528/http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/breves2008/20080701_074828_douala-quitte-l-asse_Dev.html |date=20 May 2011 }}; L'Équipe, 1 July 2008 (in French)</ref> A fruitless spell soon followed and, after agreeing a release from his contract, he signed with English club Plymouth Argyle on 22 March 2009, for the remainder of the 2008–09 campaign,<ref>[http://www.pafc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10364~1596725,00.html Douala signs] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090324075125/http://www.pafc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10364~1596725,00.html |date=24 March 2009 }}; Plymouth Argyle, 21 March 2009</ref> making his debut as a substitute in their 4–0 home win against Coventry City on 11 April;<ref>[https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/plymouth-4-0-coventry-1664542 Plymouth 4–0 Coventry]; Daily Mirror, 12 April 2009</ref> however, he was unsuccessful in securing a long-term deal, and was released.
On 15 March 2010, 31-year-old Douala moved teams and countries again, signing with Belgium's Lierse,<ref>[http://www.lierse.com/nl/news/twee-nieuwe-spelers-en-gesprekken-over-contractverlengingen Twee nieuwe spelers en gesprekken over contractverlengingen (Two new players in contract negotiations)]; Lierse SK, 15 March 2010 (in Dutch)</ref> and the club returned to the Pro League at the season's end, with the player contributing with one goal.
==International career== Douala earned 17 caps for Cameroon, during five years. He participated at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, helping the national team reach the quarter-final stage.
===International goals=== {| class="wikitable" |- !# !Date !Venue !Opponent !Result !Competition |- |1 |8 October 2005 |Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaoundé, Cameroon |{{fb|Egypt}} |{{center|1–1}} |2006 World Cup qualification |}
==Honours==
===Club=== '''Sporting''' *UEFA Cup: Runner-up 2004–05
===Individual=== *Primeira Liga: Player of the Month March 2004
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{ForaDeJogo}} *{{Lequipe|21838}} *{{Soccerbase}} *{{NFT player|8621}} *{{FIFA player|230790}} *[http://www.anciensverts.com/joueur.php?numero=douala&prenom=Rudolph Biography at Anciens Verts] {{in lang|fr}} *{{Soccerway|roudolphe-mbela-douala/4845}}
{{Cameroon Squad 2006 Africa Cup of Nations}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Douala, Roudolphe}} Category:1978 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Douala Category:Cameroonian men's footballers Category:Naturalized citizens of France Category:French men's footballers Category:Men's association football wingers Category:Ligue 1 players Category:AS Saint-Étienne players Category:Primeira Liga players Category:Boavista F.C. players Category:C.D. Aves players Category:Gil Vicente F.C. players Category:U.D. Leiria players Category:Sporting CP footballers Category:Premier League players Category:English Football League players Category:Portsmouth F.C. players Category:Plymouth Argyle F.C. players Category:Super League Greece players Category:Asteras Tripolis F.C. players Category:Belgian Pro League players Category:Challenger Pro League players Category:Lierse SK (1906) players Category:Cameroon men's international footballers Category:Cameroonian expatriate men's footballers Category:Expatriate men's footballers in France Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Portugal Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Greece Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium Category:Cameroonian expatriate sportspeople in France Category:Cameroonian expatriate sportspeople in Portugal Category:Cameroonian expatriate sportspeople in England Category:Cameroonian expatriate sportspeople in Belgium