PEORIA, Ill. – Get to know more about Bradley Soccer Franc Nmengah.

Nmengah, originally from Cameroon, Africa, is one of the newest additions to the roster. 

He started playing soccer in the streets of Africa from a young age, where he learned the basics of the game. 

"It was a lot of street ball, I'm saying barefoot on the road. Most of us didn't even have cleats," Nmengah said. "We would play with anything we could find. Sometimes, we did not have a ball, [so] we probably played with some sort of fruit,"

In 2016, he moved to Texas, United States, when he was 12 years old, and in the following years, he played for Tigres, FC Dallas (Division III), and ECNL FC Dallas before getting recruited by Bradley.

During his free time, Nmengah enjoys running and watching films.

"I watch a lot of shows and movies in my free time," Nmengah said. "Favorite T.V. show, Game Of Thrones, and favorite movie, probably any Fast And Furious movie, like the whole franchise, it's really good,"

Nmengah also enjoys watching his favorite soccer club, Liverpool FC, and the Dallas Cowboys. 

"Growing up, I guess you can say I was a big [Samuel] Eto'o fan because [I was] coming from a country where he was a whole idol," Nmengah said. "Either Eto'o or [Cristiano] Ronaldo, those are like my big people growing up,"

Nmengah is thankful for the opportunity to come to the United States and play at a Division I level.

"Not everyone gets to see what I have seen, experience what I have experienced. That is what I'm most grateful for, to be honest, even playing Division I soccer," Nmengah said. "Sometimes I think about it, and it doesn't feel real. Not everyone gets to be where I am right now," 

After his first year with the squad, Nmengah shared his favorite thing about Bradley.

"Favorite thing about Bradley has to be my new teammates for sure," Nmengah said. "It didn't take long for us to click. From the short amount of time, I feel like I know the guys a lot," 

As a newcomer, Nmengah has many goals he wants to achieve during the next few years.

"Graduate, get a degree, and play as many minutes as I can," Nmengah said. "Win the MVC [Missouri Valley Conference] it's a big goal, but I think it's a goal we can achieve."

Nmengah shared what it means to represent Bradley, as he is fulfilling a childhood dream.

"This is something I dreamed about," Nmengah said. "It's so far away from home in the first place. It was a lot of sacrifice for me to come here, and now that I'm here, it feels like this is where I'm supposed to be."

Watch Nmengah at Shea Stadium during the 2024 fall season.