Albert Ebossé Bodjongo
A talented striker whose life was tragically cut short after being struck by an object thrown from the stands following a match in Algeria.
1989–2014 (age 25)·Cameroonian footballer·Birthday: October 6·Millennials
Biography
Albert Ebossé Bodjongo scored 17 goals in the 2013-2014 Algerian Ligue 1 season to become the league's top scorer while playing for JS Kabylie. The Cameroonian forward had previously played in his homeland and Malaysia before finding his most productive stretch in Algeria. On August 23, 2014, after a home loss to USM Alger, an object thrown from the stands struck Ebossé as he left the pitch. He died later that night from a skull fracture. His death forced immediate investigations into stadium safety across African football and led to a suspended league season in Algeria. The tragedy turned Ebossé into a symbol of the violence that can erupt in professional sports. He was 24 years old.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Albert was born in 1989, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Albert Was Born
The biggest hits of 1989
#1 Movie
Batman
Best Picture
Driving Miss Daisy
#1 TV Show
Roseanne
Albert's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1989Born
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1994Started school
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2002Became a teenager
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2005Could drive
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2007Could vote
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2010Turned 21
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2014Died at 25
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
Key Achievements
- Finished as the top scorer in the Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 for the 2013-2014 season with JS Kabylie.
- Represented Cameroon at the youth international level before his professional club career.
- Played professionally on three continents: Africa, Asia (Malaysia), and briefly in Europe during preseason.
Did You Know?
He was posthumously awarded the Algerian League's Golden Boot for the 2013-2014 season.
Following his death, his club JS Kabylie was ordered to play matches behind closed doors as a sanction.
His full name was Albert Dominique Ebossé Bodjongo Dika.
“I came here to play football, not to die.”
