Richard Mbulu
Richard Mbulu (born 25 January 1994) is a Malawian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Iraqi side Al-Najaf SC. He was included in Malawi's squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.[2]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 25 January 1994 | ||
| Place of birth | Mangochi, Malawi | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Al-Najaf SC | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2016 | Malawi Armed Forces College | ||
| 2017–2018 | Costa do Sol | 26 | (5) |
| 2018 | A.D. Sanjoanense | 4 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | Costa do Sol | 20 | (2) |
| 2019–2022 | Baroka | 70 | (9) |
| 2022– | Al-Najaf SC | ||
| International career‡ | |||
| 2017– | Malawi | 24 | (3) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11 October 2022 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 28 October 2020 | |||
Early life edit
Club career edit
Having started his career at Malawi Armed Forces College following his enlistment in the armed forces,[3] he joined Mozambican side Costa do Sol in December 2016.[4] He later moved to Portuguese side A.D. Sanjoanense before returning to Costa do Sol in the summer of 2018.[5] In the summer of 2019, Mbulu signed for South African side Baroka on a three-year deal.[6]
International career edit
He was called up to the Malawi national football team for the first time in January 2017,[7] and made his debut for them on 10 June 2017 in a 1–0 win against Comoros.[1] He scored his first goal for Malawi on 4 September 2017 in a 1–0 win against Togo.[8] He scored the only goal of a 1–0 win against Uganda which allowed Malawi to qualify for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.[9]
Personal life edit
When Mbulu left school, he became a soldier but later decided to pursue a career in football. His father was also a footballer and a soldier.[3][10]
References edit
- ^ a b c "Richard Mbulu". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- ^ "Afcon 2021: Mauritania include 16-year-old Beyatt Lekweiry in squad". BBC Sport. 31 December 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
- ^ a b Said, Nick (27 May 2019). "Dream comes true for new Baroka striker". The Times. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- ^ "Costa do Sol volta a atacar o mercado!". costadosol.co.mz (in Portuguese). CD Costa do Sol. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- ^ "Mbulu pode estrear-se frente ao Textáfrica". costadosol.co.mz (in Portuguese). CD Costa do Sol. 15 June 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- ^ Ditlhobolo, Austin (24 May 2019). "Baroka snap up Malawian striker Richard Mbulu". Goal. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- ^ Mughogho, Lyonike (11 January 2017). "Chiukepo dropped as Mbulu earns first Flames call up". malawi24. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- ^ Chilapondwa, Andrew Cane (4 September 2017). "Mbulu on target as RVG registers second Flames win". malawi24. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- ^ "Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers 2021: Richard Mbulu goal sees Malawi beat Uganda to seal qualification". Firstpost. 29 March 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
- ^ Motshwane, Gomolemo (1 April 2020). "'Sometimes army has to be harsh' - soldier and Baroka FC striker Richard Mbulu weighs in on Covid-19". The Sowetan. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
External links edit
- Richard Mbulu at Soccerway