" BRUNO MANGA "

" Cardiff City Bruno Manga chasing Premier League dream after overcoming 'difficult' start to campaign "

13/03/16

Manga was the match-winner against Ipswich after having re-established himself in the team in recent months.

After a season of frustration, Cardiff City match-winner Bruno Manga, believes his and the Bluebirds’ campaign is very much back on track now.

The Gabon international headed home a Peter Whittingham corner on 18 minutes at the Cardiff City Stadium to earn the win for Russell Slade’s men over Ipswich.

The victory took the Bluebirds back to within a point of the Championship’s top six and opened up a three-point gap over the visitors who had started the day level on points with their hosts.

After being voted Player of the Year last season, Manga, who was signed from French club Lorient for £5m in September 2014, has endured a frustrating campaign this time around.

Injured in the Bluebirds’ pre-season tour of Holland, the 27-year-old centre-half found his route back to the first team blocked when he recovered thanks to the great form of Sean Morrison and Matthew Connolly.

More injury woes followed whilst away on international duty with Gabon when he picked up a groin problem, but when Morrison himself picked up an injury back in December, Manga was reinstated in the starting XI by Slade and has gone from strength-to-strength along side Connolly himself.

Indeed it is now Morrison who bides his time on the bench trying to break back into the side himself.

“Obviously it was difficult for me earlier on in the season,” said Manga.

“I was not in the side, but after recovering well from that early injury, the manager has given me the chance to carry on from where I left off last season, to play well, and to help to get some good results for the team.

“It’s a normal relationship with the manager, it’s the same with me and the rest of the team. He speaks to us on a regular basis and that is what keeps us going.”


With nine games left now Slade’s Bluebirds are right in contention to extend their season and see the club promoted back to the Premier League. After defeat to Leeds previously, the victory over Ipswich was a massive result for Cardiff and, having scored the winner, Manga said there was the belief in the Bluebirds’ dressing room now that a top-six finish was within their reach.

“We were very, very pleased to have won the Ipswich game,” said Manga.

“It was very important to take the three points to try to catch up with the teams currently in the play-off positions.

“We are very confident we can make the play-offs. We have a very good team here and a very good squad and we are going to continue to work hard and we still believe we can do a little bit better. We will need to do that to catch up with the teams ahead of us.”

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And if Cardiff can get promoted this term it will be a personal dream come true for Manga. He has 41 caps for his native Gabon and said it would be an honour to represent his country in the English top-flight.

Manga added: “It would be great really, there are no Gabon internationals currently playing in the Premier League, but we can only keep trying and push on and hopefully I will get there with Cardiff next season.”

He could be the difference this season. His pace and distribution at the back gets his teammates, and himself !!, out of trouble and we've stopped having long balls causing us problems.

Great professional.

Given his international status and price tag he could have bitched and complained earlier in the season.

He didn't and just got on with things.

Still a little inconsistent, especially over the last month or so but I put that down to a changing team in front of him.

i think he is better with Morrison as he takes their best header and allows Bruno to sweep, but he is just class.

My back four is Peltier, Bruno, Morrison, Malone.