In 2006, Mbemi said goodbye to Paris and moved to Ligue 1 rivals Marseille to reunite with Cana. However, in the summer of 2009, he waved goodbye to the French game. After trials in England with Portsmouth, Wigan Athletic and Wolverhampton Wanderers, Mbami eventually embarked on a journey to La Liga, where he played in the heart of Almeria, who were relegated from the bottom of the table in the 2010-11 season despite contributing one goal and one assist in 30 matches. 29-year-old Mbami left at the end of the season to start a new chapter in his career.
A short but wonderful trip to the Chinese Super League
Dalian Albin became Mbami's next home, but due to the foreign aid quota limit, he was loaned to Changchun Yatai. During this process, the ownership of Mbami was once in the spotlight. Cameroonian media mistakenly confused Dalian Shide with Dalian Albin, claiming that Mbami was loaned to Yatai by Shide. However, Liu Yuming, the chairman of Changchun Yatai, denied the claim in an interview, and Dalian Shide also cleared the relationship. The mystery was solved six months later when Mbami officially joined Dalian Albin.
In his half season at Changchun Yatai, Mbami has been in eye-catching form. In the first match against Shandong Luneng, he was impressive in his passing and intercepting abilities, making 34 successful passes and intercepting 6 attacks to help the team draw the opponent. Team coach Shen Xiangfu praised him, "Mbami's performance is world-class, and he will be even better after the grind."
In half a season, Mbami made 15 appearances for Yatai and scored three goals. He not only scored twice in a 3-0 home win over Shaanxi Renhe, but also helped his team beat Evergrande 2-1, becoming a key player in the victory. Not only did Mbami excel on the pitch, but he was also well liked by his teammates off the pitch. He quickly learned to use chopsticks and tasted the Chinese specialty of dog meat.
Mbami, nicknamed "Cat" by his teammates, has been praised for his lively personality. Mbami revealed that he has always been interested in Chinese culture, and that he thinks Changchun is a beautiful city and hopes to taste more Chinese food.
However, upon returning to Dalian, coach Zhang Wailong made it clear that Mbami would not stay with the team due to tactical needs. In the end, Dalian Albion signed Roshenbach and Mbami was unemployed for half a year, and in July 2012, his former mentor, Kannada, brought him to Saudi Arabia to play at the Etihad. Three months later, Mbami helped his team eliminate Guangzhou Evergrande in the quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League, becoming "Evergrande's bitter rival".
After his retirement, Mbami played in the South American Football League and the French B. After his official retirement in 2016, he settled in Le Havre. Mbami was involved in five leagues during his career and left his mark on the Chinese soccer scene.
After his retirement, Mbami turned down an offer from the Cameroon Football Association for the position of national team manager. He felt that the association had not communicated with him prior to the offer and that the former player had not been treated fairly when he held the position. With Mbami's untimely death, these issues no longer matter.The passing of soccer greats such as Pele, Vialli, and Mbami at the beginning of the year 2023 is heartbreaking. May they rest in peace and may all soccer lovers be free from illness.
