- published: 27 Sep 2015
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Idriss Carlos Kameni (born 18 February 1984 in Douala) is a Cameroonian footballer who plays for Málaga CF in La Liga, as a goalkeeper.
Kameni was first spotted when, aged 16, he became the youngest footballer to win an Olympic gold medal, in 2000. This earned him a move to French club Le Havre AC but he was unable to break into the first team, and remained a reserve throughout his four-year stay, also being loaned to AS Saint-Étienne, and also failing to gain any playing time there.
Kameni almost moved to Premier League Wolverhampton Wanderers on a season-long loan for 2003–04, but the deal collapsed after he was not granted a UK work permit.
Aged 20, Kameni left for Spanish side RCD Espanyol in July 2004, for $600,000, and became first-choice in his second year, winning the Copa del Rey as second-choice to Gorka Iraizoz, who started in La Liga. In 2006–07, the opposite: Kameni was the undisputed starter, so Iraizoz was picked for the Catalans' UEFA Cup runner-up campaign; early in 2006, the club suspended two fans for racist abuse towards the player.