Former Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder Alex Song has joined Swiss club Sion on a free transfer.Song rose to prominence with the Gunners and became a key part of Arsene Wenger’s squad during the 2008-09 season.
His form in the Premier League persuaded Barca to make a move, signing him for a reported €17million, but it did not work out for the Cameroonian at Camp Nou or West Ham, whom he represented for two years on loan until 2016.
Song left Barca for free in 2016 and joined Russia’s Rubin Kazan, but he made just 22 league appearances, last featuring in September 2017. Song was born in Douala, Cameroon, and lost his father at the age of three. Since then, his uncle Rigobert Song has been like a second father and was a major influence in choosing football as a career.
Unable to find a club or academy where he could hone his skills, Petit Song (as he is known in the Cameroon side) opted to move to France, joining Bastia at age 16.One of the players who inspired Song the most when he was young was Michael Essien.
Song was first capped by Cameroon in 2005. He was named in the Cameroon squad for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations. He played for Cameroon in their first group match, a 4–2 defeat against holders Egypt; he replaced Stéphane Mbia at half time, joining his uncle Rigobert on the pitch. For the duration of the tournament he was a revelation in defence for Cameroon, earning a Man of the Match award in Cameroon’s semi-final, but then going off injured in the final against Egypt. He was nonetheless named in the Tournament Best XI, alongside compatriot Geremi.
Song was called up for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations and was the only Cameroonian named in the Team of the Tournament.
Song was included in the Cameroon squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He did not appear in his side’s opening loss to Japan, but played the full 90 in Cameroon’s disappointing 2–1 loss to Denmark. The result ensured that Les Lions Indomptables were the first country eliminated from the World Cup.
He was an unused substitute in Cameroon’s final group stage match against the Netherlands, a 2–1 loss, but his cousin Rigobert made his final national team appearance in the match.
Song participated in his second FIFA World Cup at the 2014 tournament in Brazil. In the team’s second group match, Song was sent off for violent conduct after striking Mario Mandžukić as Cameroon were knocked out, losing 4–0 to Croatia. Song later apologized to Mandžukić, and to the people of Cameroon for being sent off.
FIFA punished Song with a three-match ban from competitive internationals, as well as fining him US$22,300. The match is being investigated for possible match-fixing after allegations in a German newspaper. In December 2014, despite being in-form for his club West Ham United, he was omitted by Cameroon coach Volker Finke from the squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
On 6 January 2015, Song announced his international retirement, aged 27 and earning 49 caps, citing his wish to focus on rebuilding his domestic career with West Ham