Dieumerci Mbokani

Dieudonné "Dieumerci" Mbokani Bezua (born 22 November 1985) is a Congolese professional footballer who plays as a striker for Royal Antwerp. He has previously played for TP Mazembe, Anderlecht, Wolfsburg, Monaco, Standard Liège, Norwich City, Hull City and Dynamo Kyiv.

Dieumerci Mbokani
Mbokani in 2013
Personal information
Full name Dieudonné Mbokani Bezua[1]
Date of birth (1985-11-22) 22 November 1985
Place of birth Kinshasa, Zaire
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position(s) Striker
Club information
Current team
 Royal Antwerp
Number 70
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004 Bel'Or – (16)
2005–2007 TP Mazembe 72 (67)
2006–2007 → Anderlecht (loan) 9 (4)
2007–2010 Standard Liège 87 (39)
2010–2011 Monaco 10 (1)
2011 → Wolfsburg (loan) 7 (0)
2011–2013 Anderlecht 53 (33)
2013–2018 Dynamo Kyiv 54 (25)
2015–2016 → Norwich City (loan) 29 (7)
2016–2017 → Hull City (loan) 12 (0)
2018– Royal Antwerp 60 (31)
National team‡
2005– DR Congo 41 (18)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 12:53, 8 June 2020 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 11:56, 21 August 2019 (UTC)

Club career

Mbokani began his career at local side Bel'Or and was a league topscorer in the 2004 season with 16 goals.[2][3] Then he moved to TP Mazembe.[3]

In the 2006–07 season, he made nine appearances for Anderlecht[3] and scored four goals, including a hat-trick against Beveren on 7 May 2007. In 2007, he joined Standard de Liège and scored 35 goals in 81 league appearances.

On 30 July 2010, Mbokani signed a deal with French side AS Monaco, after spurning reported interest from Liverpool, for a fee in the region of €7 million.[4][5]

After failing to impress in Ligue 1, on 9 August 2011, he signed a contract with Anderlecht for a reported fee of €3 million, stating that he looked forward to playing together again with his friend Milan Jovanović.[6] The start of his spell at Anderlecht was dramatic, first injuring himself during one of his first training sessions, meaning he would be sidelined for at least two months.[7] On 21 June 2013, Mbokani officially signed a contract with the Ukrainian club FC Dynamo Kyiv.[3] On 14 July 2013, he scored his first goal in the very first game of the Ukrainian Premier League against Volyn Lutsk during the first half, which ended 1–1.

On 31 August 2015, Mbokani was loaned out to English club Norwich City.[8]

On 31 August 2016, Mbokani was loaned out to English club Hull City.[9] Mbokani made his debut on 17 September 2016 when he came off the bench, after 77-minutes, as a replacement for Abel Hernández in a 4–1 loss at home to Arsenal.[10]

On 20 June 2017, Mbokani was close to completing a transfer to Greek powerhouse Olympiacos but the deal did not ultimately go ahead as the player failed his medical.[11]

In August 2018 he signed a one-year contract with Belgian club Royal Antwerp.[12] He extended his contract with the club in June 2019.[13]

International career

Mbokani represented the DR Congo at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013 and 2015, helping them to third place at the latter tournament.

Mbokani was caught up in the 2016 Brussels bombings, alongside his international teammate Cédric Bakambu. Though both escaped unscathed, Mbokani was reportedly left "shaken".[14][15] In the aftermath of this, after being sanctioned for missing a game as a result, he retired from international football with 31 caps.[16][17] However, he returned to DR Congo's squad for the 2017 Cup of Nations in Gabon,[18] and he was recalled to the national team in March 2019, although he withdrew due to injury.[19]

Personal life

Mbokani was born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. In August 2011, his five-month-old son, David Mbokani, died of a cardiac arrest in his sleep.[20]

Career statistics
Mbokani (right) playing for Dynamo Kyiv in 2014
As of 8 June 2020[21]
Club statistics
Club Season League Cup League Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Anderlecht (loan) 2006–07 Belgian First Division 9400—94
Standard Liège 2007–08 Belgian First Division 321500—3215
2008–09 311700—103—4120
2009–10 Belgian Pro League 24710—1231[lower-alpha 1]03810
Total 873910002261011145
AS Monaco 2010–11 Ligue 1 1010010—111
Wolfsburg (loan) 2010–11 Bundesliga 7000—70
Anderlecht 2011–12 Belgian Pro League 261400—51—3115
2012–13 271921—861[lower-alpha 1]13827
Total 53332100137116942
Dynamo Kyiv 2013–14 Ukrainian Premier League 251321—62—3316
2014–15 8310—301[lower-alpha 2]0133
2017–18 21920—731[lower-alpha 2]03112
Total 54255100165207731
Norwich City (loan) 2015–16 Premier League 2970010—307
Hull City (loan) 2016–17 Premier League 1200020—140
Royal Antwerp 2018–19 Belgian First Division A 321311—3314
2019–20 281845—41—3624
Total 6031560041006938
Career totals 30413513840551941379167
  1. Appearance(s) in the Belgian Super Cup
  2. Appearance(s) in the Ukrainian Super Cup

International goals
Scores and results list DR Congo's goal tally first[21][22]
NoDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.12 May 2006Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico Mexico1–21–2Friendly
2.26 March 2008Stade Maurice Bacquet, Gonfreville-l'Orcher, France Algeria1–01–1Friendly
3.13 June 2008El Hadj Hassan Gouled Aptidon Stadium, Djibouti City, Djibouti Djibouti1–06–02010 FIFA World Cup qualification
4.4–0
5.22 June 2008Stade des Martyrs, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo Djibouti5–05–12010 FIFA World Cup qualification
6.10 June 2012Stade des Martyrs, Kinshasa, DR Congo Togo2–02–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
7.17 June 2012Stade des Martyrs, Kinshasa, DR Congo Seychelles1–03–02013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
8.9 September 2012Stade des Martyrs, Kinshasa, DR Congo Equatorial Guinea1–04–02013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
9.4–0
10.20 January 2013Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth, South Africa Ghana2–22–22013 Africa Cup of Nations
11.28 January 2013Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban, South Africa Mali1–01–12013 Africa Cup of Nations
12.31 January 2015Estadio de Bata, Bata, Equatorial Guinea Congo1–24–22015 Africa Cup of Nations
13.4–2
14.4 February 2015Estadio de Bata, Bata, Equatorial Guinea Ivory Coast1–11–32015 Africa Cup of Nations
15.18 October 2015Stade de la Cité de l'Oie, Visé, Belgium Nigeria1–02–0Friendly
16.8 October 2016Stade des Martyrs, Kinshasa, DR Congo Libya1–04–02018 FIFA World Cup qualification
17.3–0

Honours

Anderlecht[21]

Standard Liège[21]

Dynamo Kiev[21]

DR Congo

Individual

References
  1. "Dieudonne Mbokani Bezua". Ligue1.com. LFP. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  2. Schöggl, Hans (21 September 2007). "Congo-Kinshasa (DR Congo) 2004". RSSSF.com. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  3. "FC Dynamo Kyiv signs Anderlecht striker Mbokani". Interfax-Ukraine. 22 June 2013. Archived from the original on 28 June 2013.
  4. "Mbokani moves to Monaco". BBC Sport. 7 August 2010. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  5. Adithya Ananth (22 September 2010). "Dieumerci Mbokani claims he turned down Liverpool to join Monaco". Goal.com. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  6. "Mbokani s'annonce à Anderlecht" (in French). L'Équipe. 9 August 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
  7. "Mbokani staat al een poosje aan de kant" [Mbokani sidelined already for a while]. Sporza (in Dutch). VRT. 15 August 2011. Archived from the original on 15 January 2013. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  8. "Striker Mbokani signs for City". Canaries.co.uk. Norwich City FC. 31 August 2015.
  9. "Hull City sign Dynamo Kiev's Dieumerci Mbokani on season-long loan". ESPN FC. ESPN Sports Media. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  10. "Hull City 1–4 Arsenal". BBC Sport. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  11. "Mbokani fails the medical as his Olympiakos move falls through". Sports DNA. 20 June 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  12. Okeleji, Oluwashini (28 August 2018). "DR Congo's Dieumerci Mbokani back in Belgium for 'new challenge'". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  13. "Dieumerci Mbokani: DR Congo striker extends stay with Belgian club Antwerp". BBC Sport. 8 June 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  14. "Belgium cancel training session after explosions in Brussels". The Guardian. Press Association. 22 March 2016.
  15. Samuel Stephens (22 March 2016). "Brussels terror attacks: Norwich confirm 'shaken' Dieumerci Mbokani was at Zaventem Airport at time of blasts". The Independent.
  16. Freezer, David (5 April 2016). "Norwich City striker Dieumerci Mbokani has retired from international football due to 'unfair treatment'". The Pink 'Un. Archant Community Media. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  17. "Dieumerci Mbokani: Striker quits DR Congo over FA's 'shameful' behaviour". BBC Sport. 6 April 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  18. "Hull City's Dieumerci Mbokani: Departs for Africa Cup of Nations". The Score. Score Media Ventures. 7 January 2017. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  19. Barrie, Mohamed Fajah (19 March 2019). "Dieumerci Mbokani: DR Congo striker withdraws from crucial Afcon qualifier". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  20. "Zoontje van Dieumerci Mbokani is overleden" [Son of Mbokani dies]. Sporza (in Dutch). VRT. 24 August 2011. Archived from the original on 15 January 2013. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  21. Dieumerci Mbokani at Soccerway
  22. Roberto Mamrud (8 March 2018). "Dieumerci Mbokani Bezua - Goals in International Matches". RSSSF.com. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.
  23. Berend Scholten (22 July 2012). "Anderlecht edge Lokeren to lift Belgian Super Cup". UEFA.com. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  24. "Standard Liege clinch first league title in 25 years". France 24. 21 April 2008. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  25. "2015 Nations Cup: Yannick Bolasie in DR Congo squad". BBC Sport. 9 January 2015.
  26. "Mbokani wins Belgian Golden Boot". UEFA. 23 January 2013. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  27. Topschutter Mbokani wint voor tweede keer in carrière de Ebbenhouten Schoen hln.be, 1 juni 2020, article in Dutch
  28. Stephen Stratton (8 May 2017). "The Ebony Shoe and the Belgian Lion". These Football Times. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  29. "Atsu, Ayew win MVP and top scorer awards". CAF Online. Confédération Africaine de Football. 8 February 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
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