Domi Kumbela

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Domi Kumbela

| image = Kumbela, Dominik RWA 09-10 WP.JPG

| upright =

| caption = Kumbela with Rot Weiss Ahlen in 2009

| full_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|4|20|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Kinshasa, Zaire

| height = 1.72 m

| position = Striker

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 =

| youthyears2 = {{0|0000}}–2000

| youthyears3 = 2000–2002

| youthclubs1 = FC Rodalben

| youthclubs2 = TuS DJK Pirmasens

| youthclubs3 = FK Pirmasens

| years1 = 2001–2002 | clubs1 = FK Pirmasens | caps1 = 7 | goals1 = 1

| years2 = 2003–2005 | clubs2 = 1. FC Kaiserslautern II | caps2 = 43 | goals2 = 8

| years3 = 2006–2007 | clubs3 = Rot-Weiß Erfurt | caps3 = 53 | goals3 = 17

| years4 = 2008 | clubs4 = Eintracht Braunschweig | caps4 = 14 | goals4 = 2

| years5 = 2008–2009 | clubs5 = SC Paderborn | caps5 = 30 | goals5 = 8

| years6 = 2009 | clubs6 = Rot Weiss Ahlen | caps6 = 6 | goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2010–2014 | clubs7 = Eintracht Braunschweig | caps7 = 146 | goals7 = 62

| years8 = 2014–2015 | clubs8 = Karabükspor | caps8 = 23 | goals8 = 3

| years9 = 2015 | clubs9 = Greuther Fürth | caps9 = 6 | goals9 = 0

| years10 = 2016–2018 | clubs10 = Eintracht Braunschweig | caps10 = 66 | goals10 = 17

| totalcaps = 394

| totalgoals = 118

}}

Domi Kumbela (born 20 April 1984), also known by his nickname Dominick,{{cite web|url=http://www.braunschweiger-zeitung.de/sport/eintracht/warum-dominick-kumbela-ploetzlich-domi-genannt-wird-id472384.html|title=Warum Dominick Kumbela plötzlich Domi genannt wird|access-date=29 August 2012|language=de|publisher=braunschweiger-zeitung.de|archive-date=10 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150210155545/http://www.braunschweiger-zeitung.de/sport/eintracht/warum-dominick-kumbela-ploetzlich-domi-genannt-wird-id472384.html|url-status=dead}} is a Congolese former professional footballer who played as a striker.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/2bundesliga/vereine/2-bundesliga/2015-16/eintracht-braunschweig-41/29284/spieler_dominick-kumbela.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160108233556/http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/2bundesliga/vereine/2-bundesliga/2015-16/eintracht-braunschweig-41/29284/spieler_dominick-kumbela.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 January 2016|title=Kumbela, Domi|access-date = 6 January 2016|language = de| magazine =kicker.de}}

Club career

Kumbela began his senior career at 1. FC Kaiserslautern's reserve side. After the club cancelled his contract in 2005 for cannabis use,{{cite news|url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/sport/cannabiskonsum-kuendigung-nach-drogenfaellen-bei-fck-amateuren-11256422.html|title=Kündigung nach Drogenfällen bei FCK-Amateuren|date=11 November 2005 |access-date = 12 December 2012|language = de | newspaper = faz.net}} Kumbela joined Regionalliga Nord side FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt. He was fired by Erfurt in 2007, when he was charged with battery after a night club brawl, an incident for which he was later sentenced to probation and a 16,000 Euro fine.{{cite web|url=http://www.thueringer-allgemeine.de/web/zgt/dritte-liga/detail/-/specific/Dominick-Kumbela-trifft-auf-Ex-Verein-Rot-Weiss-Erfurt-1295465919|title=Dominick Kumbela trifft auf Ex-Verein Rot-Weiß Erfurt|date=12 March 2011 |access-date = 12 December 2012|language = de | publisher = Thüringer Allgemeine}} Kumbela went on to play for Eintracht Braunschweig and SC Paderborn 07. After being released from Paderborn on 7 July 2009,{{cite web|url=http://www.bundesliga.de/de/liga2/news/2008/index.php?f=0000130480.php|title=SCP und Kumbela gehen getrennte Wege|date=8 July 2009|access-date=8 July 2009|work=DFL|language=de|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090711170523/http://bundesliga.de/de/liga2/news/2008/index.php?f=0000130480.php|archive-date=11 July 2009|url-status=dead}} he signed a contract with Rot Weiss Ahlen two days later. After six months in Ahlen he returned to Eintracht Braunschweig on 8 January 2010.{{cite web | url = http://www.eintracht.com/eintracht/aktuelles/news/news-archiv-2008-2012/einzelansicht.html?news=1706&cHash=9de2aa27e2204308f9f437afd4a0b4ad | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130122162013/http://www.eintracht.com/eintracht/aktuelles/news/news-archiv-2008-2012/einzelansicht.html?news=1706&cHash=9de2aa27e2204308f9f437afd4a0b4ad | url-status = dead | archive-date = 22 January 2013 | title = Kumbela zurück bei Eintracht Braunschweig | language = de | publisher = eintracht.com | access-date = 5 January 2012 }}

During his second stint in Braunschweig, Kumbela became a prolific goal scorer for the club and contributed significantly to his team's promotions from the 3. Liga to the 2. Bundesliga in 2011, and from the 2. Bundesliga to the Bundesliga in 2013. On 3 July 2014, Kumbela joined the Turkish Süper Lig side Karabükspor.{{cite web|url=http://www.kardemirkarabukspor.org.tr/haber.asp?id=2594 |title=Önemli bir transfer daha tamamlandı |language=tr |publisher=Kardemir Karabükspor |access-date=3 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714174554/http://www.kardemirkarabukspor.org.tr/haber.asp?id=2594 |archive-date=14 July 2014}}

Kumbela returned to Germany for the season 2015–16 season, where he joined 2. Bundesliga side SpVgg Greuther Fürth. After six months in Fürth, his contract was terminated by mutual agreement.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.kicker.de/missverstaendnis-beendet_kumbela-verlaesst-fuerth-642235/artikel|title=Missverständnis beendet: Kumbela verlässt Fürth|access-date = 6 January 2016|language = de| magazine =kicker.de}} Kumbela then rejoined his old club Eintracht Braunschweig.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.kicker.de/fan-liebling-kumbela-kehrt-nach-braunschweig-zurueck-642396/artikel|title=Fan-Liebling Kumbela kehrt nach Braunschweig zurück|access-date = 6 January 2016|language = de| magazine =kicker.de}}

International career

In December 2012 Kumbela was included in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's preliminary squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa,{{cite news | url = http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-africa-drcongo-idUKBRE8BM02C20121223 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160305094331/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-africa-drcongo-idUKBRE8BM02C20121223 | url-status = dead | archive-date = 5 March 2016 | title = English Championship forwards named in DR Congo squad | date = 23 December 2012| work = Reuters | access-date = 27 December 2012}} but declined the invitation to concentrate on club football.{{cite web | url = http://www.braunschweiger-zeitung.de/sport/eintracht/eintracht-profi-kumbela-schlaegt-einladung-zum-afrika-cup-aus-id848198.html | title = Eintracht-Profi Kumbela schlägt Einladung zum Afrika-Cup aus | language = de | date = 3 January 2013 | publisher = braunschweiger-zeitung.de | access-date = 4 January 2013 | archive-date = 26 February 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140226115358/http://www.braunschweiger-zeitung.de/sport/eintracht/eintracht-profi-kumbela-schlaegt-einladung-zum-afrika-cup-aus-id848198.html | url-status = dead }}

Personal life

Kumbela and his family came to Pforzheim, West Germany in the mid-1980s, as refugees from Zaire.{{cite news | url = http://www.taz.de/!5077146/| title = Braunschweiger Stürmer Kumbela: "Nur positive Erfahrungen" | language = de | date = 17 December 2012| newspaper = Die Tageszeitung | access-date = 6 January 2016}} In 2013, he took part in the anti-racism campaign Elf gegen Rassismus for Show Racism the Red Card Deutschland.{{cite web | url = http://www.theredcard.de/aktuelles/kumbela/| title = Rückennummer 7 - Domi Kumbela | language = de | date = 16 August 2013| publisher = Show Racism The Red Card - Deutschland e.V. | access-date = 20 August 2013}}

Honours

Individual

2. Bundesliga top scorer: 2013
3. Liga top scorer: 2011
Sportschau Goal of the Month: March 2014
Northern German Sportsperson of the Year (Nordsportler des Jahres): 2011{{cite web| url = http://www.ndr.de/sport/fussball/sportlerdesjahres103.html| title = Eintrachts Kumbela Nordsportler des Jahres 2011| language = de| date = 5 January 2012| publisher = ndr.de| access-date = 12 December 2012| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120423205736/http://www.ndr.de/sport/fussball/sportlerdesjahres103.html| archive-date = 23 April 2012| df = dmy-all}}