View source for McDonald Mariga

{{short description|Kenyan footballer (born 1987)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name = McDonald Mariga
|image = Mariga.jpg
|caption = Mariga with [[Inter Milan]] in 2010
|full_name = McDonald Mariga Wanyama
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|4|4|df=y}}
|birth_place = [[Nairobi]], Kenya 
|height = 1.88 m
|position = [[Defensive midfielder]]
|currentclub = 
|youthyears1 =
|youthclubs1 = [[Ulinzi Stars F.C.|Ulinzi Stars]]
|years1 = 2003–2004 
|clubs1 = [[Tusker F.C.|Tusker]]
|caps1 = 
|goals1 = 
|years2 = 2004–2005 
|clubs2 = [[Kenya Pipeline]]
|caps2 = 
|goals2 = 
|years3 = 2005–2006 
|clubs3 = [[Enköpings SK]]              
|caps3 = 1  
|goals3 = 0
|years4 = 2006–2007 
|clubs4 = [[Helsingborgs IF]]            
|caps4 = 37 
|goals4 = 6
|years5 = 2007–2010 
|clubs5 = [[Parma F.C.|Parma]]           
|caps5 = 62 
|goals5 = 4
|years6 = 2010–2014 
|clubs6 = [[Inter Milan]] 
|caps6 = 21 
|goals6 = 1
|years7 = 2011–2012 
|clubs7 = → [[Real Sociedad]] (loan)    
|caps7 = 14 
|goals7 = 0
|years8 = 2013 
|clubs8 = → [[Parma F.C.|Parma]] (loan)      
|caps8 = 13 
|goals8 = 1
|years9 = 2014–2015 
|clubs9 = [[Parma F.C.|Parma]]           
|caps9 = 9 
|goals9 = 0
|years10 = 2016–2017
|clubs10 = [[U.S. Latina Calcio|Latina]]  
|caps10 = 41 
|goals10 = 2
|years11 = 2017–2018
|clubs11 = [[Real Oviedo]]
|caps11 = 15
|goals11 = 0
|years12 = 2018–2019
|clubs12 = [[Cuneo Calcio]]
|caps12 = 0
|goals12 = 0
|nationalyears1 = 2003–2018
|nationalteam1 = [[Kenya national football team|Kenya]] 
|nationalcaps1 = 40 
|nationalgoals1 = 5
}}

'''McDonald Mariga Wanyama''' ({{IPA|en|makˈdanald maˈriɡa waˈnjama|generic=yes|label=[[Kenyan English]]:|audio=McDonald Mariga Wanyama.ogg}}; born 4 April 1987) is a Kenyan politician and former professional [[association football|footballer]] who played as a [[defensive midfielder]]. In 2010, he became the first Kenyan footballer to play in and win the [[UEFA Champions League]] for [[Inter Milan]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/8572670.stm|publisher=BBC News|title=Mariga makes history|date=17 March 2010|access-date=15 August 2017}}</ref>

==Club career==
===Early career===
Mariga started his playing career at [[Ulinzi Stars F.C.|Ulinzi Stars]] before moving first to [[Tusker F.C.|Tusker FC]] and then to [[Kenya Pipeline F.C.|Kenya Pipeline]] while still at school.<ref>{{cite web|work=[[The Standard (Kenya)|The Standard]]|location=Kenya|title=Mariga's failed dream move to Man City is an indication of the rot in local football|url=http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000002225&cid=243&j=&m=&d=|access-date=2 March 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100203161940/http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000002225&cid=243&j=&m=&d=|archive-date=3 February 2010}}</ref> Mariga was a member of the Kamukunji High School 'Golden Boys', which also included Kenyan striker [[Dennis Oliech]] (Auxerre, France), who won two consecutive National Championships in 2002 and 2003.

The central [[midfielder]] went to Sweden in 2005 to play for third Division side [[Enköpings SK]]. After only one season at ESK, he signed for [[Helsingborgs IF]] before the 2006 season. His success at Helsingborgs was immediate.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Swedish Football Association|SvFF]]|title=McDonald Mariga|url=https://svenskfotboll.se/allsvenskan/person/?playerid=4653|access-date=1 February 2010}}</ref> Following initial interest from Portsmouth manager [[Harry Redknapp]], Mariga looked set to sign for the Premier League team, but work permit issues held up the deal which was supposed to have cost around €2.7&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/portsmouth/6735757.stm|title=Redknapp ends interest in Mariga|department=[[BBC Sport]]|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=8 June 2007|access-date=15 August 2017}}</ref>

===Parma===
He moved to the [[Serie A]] club [[Parma F.C.|Parma]] initially on loan in August 2007. The Italian club had an option to buy him in the summer for a fee of 20 million Swedish kronor (around €2 million).{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}} {{citation needed span|text=Mariga agreed to a four-year deal to keep him at Serie A side Parma for four years until the end of June 2012, after the club paid a transfer fee of Swedish Kronor 18 million (approx. 1.94 million euro). The deal, brokered by former Swede great [[Martin Dahlin]], now an agent, falls short of the 20 Million Kronor asking price initially set by Helsingborgs. 25% of the transfer fee will go to Enkopings SK, the club that first got Mariga to Sweden in 2005.|date=September 2014}}

Mariga played 35 times for [[Parma F.C.|Parma]] in the [[Serie B]] during the 2008–09 season scoring three times to help them back to [[Serie A]] for the 2009–10 season.

In January 2010 he was set to sign for English club [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] of the [[Premier League]], but he failed to obtain a work permit.<ref>{{cite news|work=Daily Nation|location=Kenya|date=1 February 2010|url=http://www.nation.co.ke/sports/football/-/1102/853574/-/11kxbic/-/index.html|title=Mariga's Man City transfer suffers setback|access-date=15 August 2017}}</ref> It was later stated by [[Kenya]]'s Prime Minister [[Raila Odinga]] that 22-year-old Mariga had eventually obtained a UK work permit but only after the transfer window for the Premier League had closed. Had Mariga successfully signed for Manchester City, he would have been the first player from the East African country to sign for a club in the top English league<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/8493889.stm|title=Kenya Prime Minister Odinga pushed for Mariga permit|department=BBC Sport|publisher=BBC News|date=2 February 2010|access-date=15 August 2017}}</ref> - a milestone later achieved by his brother [[Victor Wanyama]], upon his transfer to [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]] in July 2013.

===Inter Milan===
On 1 February 2010, the last day of the transfer window, Mariga moved to [[Inter Milan]] in a [[co-ownership (football)|co-ownership]] deal. The transfer fee was €5 million in a cash plus player deal which Parma got half the registration rights of [[Jonathan Biabiany]] (€2.5 million) and the loan of [[Luis Antonio Jiménez]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.inter.it/aas/news/reader?N=33181&L=en|title=Mariga signs for Inter|date=1 February 2010|access-date=15 August 2017|publisher=inter.it}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100209112744/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=735292&sec=transfers&cc=5739 Mariga joins Inter after Man City move collapses]</ref> Following the move, Inter chairman [[Massimo Moratti]] hailed Mariga's move as the "best thing that could have happened" to the club in the January transfer window.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=735469&sec=transfers&cc=5739|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629103113/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=735469&sec=transfers&cc=5739|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 June 2012|title=Moratti delight at Mariga deal|publisher=[[ESPN]]|date=2 February 2010|access-date=15 August 2017}}</ref> He made his debut for Inter Milan in the 1st leg of the 2009-10 Coppa Italia Semi-final against Fiorentina. Inter narrowly won the match 1–0. In March 2010 Mariga became the first Kenyan to play in the [[UEFA Champions League]], when he entered the field as a late substitute against [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]].<ref>{{cite news|work=The Standard|date=20 March 2010|url=http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/sports/InsidePage.php?id=2000006016&cid=38&story=Local%20players%20and%20fans%20should%20learn%20from%20Mariga%E2%80%99s%20exploits|title=Local players and fans should learn from Mariga's exploits|access-date=15 August 2017}}</ref>

Mariga thought he scored his first goal for Inter on 24 April 2010 against Atalanta when he netted Samuel Eto'o's back pass into the roof of the net. However, his shot deflected off [[Sulley Muntari]] and the goal was credited instead to the Ghanaian. He also scored a thrashing header against Genoa for the Nerazzurri in a game that ended 3–2.

On 17 June 2010, Inter bought him outright and bought back Biabiany for €4.2 million each,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.fcparma.com/stagione/archivio-primo-piano/6995-leonardi-bojinov-a-titolo-definitivo.html|title=LEONARDI: BOJINOV A TITOLO DEFINITIVO|date=16 June 2010|access-date=30 June 2010|work=Parma FC|language=it|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101007135206/http://fcparma.com/stagione/archivio-primo-piano/6995-leonardi-bojinov-a-titolo-definitivo.html|archive-date=7 October 2010|url-status=usurped}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://archiviostorico.gazzetta.it/2010/giugno/17/Ufficiale_Inter_riscattato_Mariga_Biabiany_ga_10_100617034.shtml|title=Ufficiale: l' Inter ha riscattato Mariga e Biabiany per 10 milioni|date=17 June 2010|access-date=15 August 2017|work=La Gazzetta dello Sport|language=it}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ju29ro.com/contro-informazione/3377-bilancio-parma-200910-dalla-b-alla-a-piu-ricavi-e-minori-perdite.html|title=Bilancio Parma 2009/10: dalla B alla A, più ricavi e minori perdite|date=28 August 2011|access-date=15 August 2017|work=ju29ro.com|language=it}}</ref> which made Parma registered a "loss from co-ownership" of €800,000, as the retained profit of unsold half had decreased from €5 million to €4.2 million.<ref>FC Internazionale Milano SpA ''bilancio'' (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2010 {{in lang|it}}, [http://www.registroimprese.it PDF purchased from Italian CCIAA]</ref><ref>Parma FC SpA ''bilancio'' (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2010 {{in lang|it}}, [http://www.registroimprese.it PDF purchased from Italian CCIAA] Retrieved 15 August 2017.</ref> However, if counting the profit from Biabiany, which Inter in fact paid Parma €10.9 million cash for Mariga plus the special loan of Biabiany. While [[Luis Antonio Jiménez]] originally included in the deal but collapsed after Inter lost its portion on 25 June.

At the start of the [[2011–12 Inter Milan season|2011–12 season]] Mariga was loaned out to [[La Liga]] club [[Real Sociedad]]. It meant Inter had a non-EU transfer quota which they used on winter signing [[Juan Guilherme Nunes Jesus|Juan]] and [[Fredy Guarín]] (the other quota was obtained from [[Philippe Coutinho]]). After half a season back at Inter, he was loaned to Parma in the January 2013 transfer window and he scored his only goal against Lazio. In the next fixture he was injured against Novara, which ruled him out for the rest of the season. He returned to Inter along with Biabiany at the end of the season at the request of manager [[Andrea Stramaccioni]], but was released by the club in May 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.futaa.com/article/86277/mariga-released-by-inter|title=Mariga released by Inter|date=23 May 2014|author=Vincent Opiyo|website=Futaa.com|access-date=15 August 2017}}</ref>

===Return to Parma===
On 4 September 2014, Mariga re-signed with [[Parma F.C.|Parma]], the team he left to join Inter in 2010.<ref name="pen to paper">{{cite web|url=http://www.futaa.com/article/91944/mariga-puts-pen-to-paper-at-parma|title=Mariga puts pen to paper at Parma|date=15 September 2014|website=Futaa.com|access-date=15 August 2017}}</ref>

===Latina===
In January 2016 he was signed by Serie B club [[U.S. Latina Calcio|Latina]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buongiornolatina.it/macdonald-mariga-e-un-calciatore-nerazzurro/|author=Aggiunto da Luca Giacanella|title=MacDonald Mariga è un calciatore nerazzurro|date=13 January 2016|access-date=15 August 2017|publisher=Buongiorno Latina|language=it}}</ref>

===Oviedo===
On 31 July 2017, Mariga signed a one-year deal with Spanish [[Segunda División]] club [[Real Oviedo]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.realoviedo.es/en/new/mariga-real-oviedos-new-player|title=Mariga, Real Oviedo's New Player|publisher=Real Oviedo|date=31 July 2017|access-date=15 August 2017}}</ref>

==International career==
{{Expand section|date=July 2014}}
Mariga scored his first international goal for Kenya against [[Swaziland national football team|Swaziland]] on 25 March 2007.

==Personal life==
Mariga's father, [[Noah Wanyama]], a left-winger, played for [[A.F.C. Leopards]] and the [[Kenya national football team]]. His younger brother [[Victor Wanyama]] is also a professional football player, who is currently playing for [[Major League Soccer]] club [[Montreal Impact (2012–2020)|Montreal Impact]], while his other brothers [[Thomas Wanyama|Thomas]] and [[Sylvester Wanyama|Sylvester]] are also footballers in the [[Kenyan Premier League]]. Their younger sister Mercy was the captain of the [[Lang'ata]] High School basketball team, and previously played football and netball.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-06 |title=Kenya: History-Girl Mercy Wanyama Joins Spanish Basketball Team |url=https://allafrica.com/stories/201903060782.html |access-date=2020-05-26 |website=allAfrica.com |language=en}}</ref>

In 2013, Mariga ended his engagement to his long-time Rwandese fiancée Ariane Umutoni, after relations between the couple reportedly deteriorated.<ref>{{cite web |date=11 March 2013 |title=Mariga Breaks Up With His Rwandese fiancee |url=http://nairobiwire.com/2013/03/mariga-breaks-up-with-his-rwandese.html |access-date=15 August 2017 |work=Nairobi Wire}}</ref>

==Political ambitions==

In September 2019, Mariga made a debut in Kenya's politics after announcing plans to contest for a parliamentary seat in a by-election in one of the constituencies (Kibra).
He was nominated by the Jubilee Party as its flag bearer in the Kibra by-election. The by-election was occasioned by the death of former MP Ken Okoth, who died on 26 July 2019, after a long battle with colon cancer.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kibra MP Ken Okoth dies aged 41 |date=28 June 2020 |url=https://www.nation.co.ke/news/Kibra-MP-Okoth-dies-in-Nairobi-/1056-5211636-x1vphlz/index.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=3 September 2019 |title=Footballer Donald Mariga Contesting Kibra by Election |url=http://www.kenyaforum.net/2019/09/03/footballer-donald-mariga-contesting-kibra-by-election/}}</ref>

The Kenyan electoral commission IEBC; has however, not cleared Mariga to participate in the election.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Capital |first1=FM |date=10 September 2019 |title=Mariga locked out of Kibra by-election because he's not a registered voter |url=https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/tv/index.php/video/M4ItKgyU |access-date=12 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=NYAWIRA |first1=LYNSY |date=10 September 2019 |title=IEBC locks out Mariga from Kibra poll after his name misses in register |url=https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2019-09-10-iebc-locks-out-mariga-from-kibra-poll-after-his-name-misses-in-register/ |access-date=12 September 2019}}</ref>
Although Mariga had applied to be registered as a voter on 26 August 2019 in Starehe constituency, the IEBC insisted that his name was not in its register. Mariga appealed the decision, but the matter is yet to be concluded. If he qualifies to vie, he will face off with Bernard Okoth of ODM and several other contestants.

==Career statistics==
===International===
:''Scores and results list Kenya's goal tally first.''<ref name="NFT">{{cite web|url=http://www.national-football-teams.com/player/3603/Macdonald_Mariga.html|title=Mariga, Macdonald|publisher=National Football Teams|access-date=15 August 2017}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:85%;"
! No !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition
|-
| 1. || <big>25 March 2007</big>|| <big>[[Moi International Sports Centre]], [[Nairobi]], [[Kenya]]</big>|| <big>{{fb|SWZ|name=Swaziland}}</big>|| align="center" | <big>'''1'''–0</big>|| align="center" | <big>2–0</big>|| [[2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification|<big>2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification</big>]]
|-
| 2. || <big>14 June 2008</big>|| <big>[[Nyayo National Stadium]], Nairobi, Kenya</big>|| <big>{{fb|ZIM}}</big>|| align="center" | <big>'''1'''–0</big>|| align="center" | <big>2–0</big>|| [[2010 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF second round|<big>2010 FIFA World Cup qualification</big>]]
|-
| 3. || <big>20 June 2009</big>|| <big>Moi International Sports Centre, Nairobi, Kenya</big>|| <big>{{fb|MOZ}}</big>|| align="center" | <big>'''2'''–1</big>|| align="center" | <big>2–1</big>|| [[2010 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF third round|<big>2010 FIFA World Cup qualification</big>]]
|-
| 4. || <big>11 August 2010</big>|| <big>[[National Stadium (Tanzania)|National Stadium]], [[Dar es Salaam]], [[Tanzania]]</big>|| <big>{{fb|TAN}}</big>|| align="center" | <big>'''1'''–0</big>|| align="center" | <big>1–1</big>|| [[Exhibition game|<big>Friendly</big>]]
|-
| 5. || <big>26 March 2011</big>|| <big>Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi, Kenya</big>|| <big>{{fb|ANG}}</big>|| align="center" | <big>'''2'''–1</big>|| align="center" | <big>2–1</big>|| [[2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification|<big>2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification</big>]]
|}

== Honours ==
'''Helsingborgs IF<ref name=":0" />'''

* [[Svenska Cupen]]: [[2006 Svenska Cupen|2006]]

'''Inter Milan'''<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=MacDonald Mariga - Profile |url=https://gh.soccerway.com/players/mcdonald-mariga/6185/ |access-date=9 November 2022 |website=Soccerway}}</ref>

* [[Serie A]]: [[Serie A 2009–10|2009–10]]
* [[Coppa Italia]]: [[2010 Coppa Italia Final|2009–10]], [[2011 Coppa Italia Final|2010–11]]
* [[Supercoppa Italiana]]: [[2010 Supercoppa Italiana|2010]]
* [[UEFA Champions League]]: [[2010 UEFA Champions League Final|2009–10]]
* [[FIFA Club World Cup]]: [[2010 FIFA Club World Cup Final|2010]]

==See also==
{{portal bar|Football in Africa|Biography|Kenya}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.realsociedad.com/Home/Section/spa/271/equipos Real Sociedad official profile] {{in lang|es}}
*[http://366football.com/mcdonald-mariga-finds-new-home-italy/ McDonald Mariga Moves to Serie B club in Italy]
*{{NFT player|pid=3603}}
*{{FIFA player|204911}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mariga, Mcdonald}}
[[Category:1987 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Footballers from Nairobi]]
[[Category:Kenyan Luhya people]]
[[Category:Kenyan men's footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]
[[Category:Tusker F.C. players]]
[[Category:Enköpings SK FK players]]
[[Category:Helsingborgs IF players]]
[[Category:Parma Calcio 1913 players]]
[[Category:Inter Milan players]]
[[Category:Real Sociedad footballers]]
[[Category:Real Oviedo players]]
[[Category:Allsvenskan players]]
[[Category:Serie A players]]
[[Category:Serie B players]]
[[Category:La Liga players]]
[[Category:UEFA Champions League–winning players]]
[[Category:Kenya men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Kenyan expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Kenyan expatriate sportspeople in Sweden]]
[[Category:Kenyan expatriate sportspeople in Italy]]
[[Category:Kenyan expatriate sportspeople in Spain]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Sweden]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Italy]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Spain]]
[[Category:21st-century Kenyan sportsmen]]