Former Cameroon striker, Patrick Mboma, converts to Islam, changes name to Abdul Jalil after marrying Muslim woman

Former Indomitable Lions of Cameroon striker, Patrick Mboma, has dumped his Christian faith and converted to Islam after he got married to a Guinean Muslim, Fatoumata Binta.

The 51-year-old former African Player of the Year also changed his name to Abdul Jalil Mboma at the ceremony conducted at a Mosque in his native Douala on Friday in front of a crowd of worshippers.

The conversion of the two-time Africa Cup of Nations winner has continued to divide attention in the central African country with many saying he was looking for favours from the Muslim community as he has not been finding things difficult since he retired from active football.

Mboma had a sterling career playing for Chateauroux, Paris Saint-Germain, Metz all in the French Ligue 1, Cagliari and Parma in the Italian Serie A, Sunderland in the English Premier League, Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, as well as Gamba Osaka, Tokyo Verdy and Vissel Kobe in the Japanese League before retiring in 2005.

Mboma who was nicknamed the “African Bomber’ during his active days, won the 2000 African Player of the Year and led Cameroon to three Nations Cup, winning on two occasions.

Mboma is not the first footballer of African descent to have changed his religion. In March, Ghanaian and Arsenal star midfielder, Thomas Partey, announced that he had converted to Islam and confirmed his conversion at a Mosque in London.