Joe Mbu (footballer)

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Joe Mbu

|image =

|caption =

|fullname =

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|2|14|df=y}}

|birth_place = Cameroon

|height =

|position = Defender

|youthyears1 =

|youthclubs1 = Hibernian

|years1 = 2005–2008

|clubs1 = Whitburn Junior

|caps1 =

|goals1 =

|years2 = 2008–2013

|clubs2 = Cowdenbeath

|caps2 = 104

|goals2 = 3

|years3 = 2013

|clubs3 = → Stenhousemuir (loan)

|caps3 = 3

|goals3 = 0

|years4 = 2013–2014

|clubs4 = East Fife

|caps4 = 25

|goals4 = 0

|years5 = 2014–2017

|clubs5 = Edinburgh City

|caps5 = 30

|goals5 = 0

|club-update = 21:06, 1 June 2017 (UTC)

}}

Joe Mbu (born 14 February 1982) is a Cameroonian retired semi-professional footballer who played as a defender. During his career, which started as a youth player at Hibernian, he played for Whitburn Junior, Cowdenbeath, Stenhousemuir on loan, East Fife and finally, Edinburgh City.

Early and personal life

Born in Cameroon, Mbu moved to London at the age of one, and then to Scotland six years later.{{cite web | url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Football%3A+Joe's+dreaming+of+a+Cameroon+cap%3B+EAST.-a0141608549 | title=Joe's dreaming of a Cameroon cap| date=3 February 2006 | work=Daily Record|location=Glasgow}} As well as playing football, Mbu has also worked as a banker.{{cite web | url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Joe+out+to+bank+big+win.-a0198246202 | title=Joe out to bank big win | work=Daily Record|location=Glasgow | date=22 April 2009}}

Career

Mbu spent six years playing football at youth level at Hibernian before being released by the club due to being deemed "too small".{{Cite web |url=http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/edinburgh-city/edinburgh-city-s-joe-mbu-was-freed-by-hibs-for-being-too-small-1-4153332 |title=Archived copy |access-date=1 June 2017 |archive-date=16 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221016034016/https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/edinburgh-city/edinburgh-city-s-joe-mbu-was-freed-by-hibs-for-being-too-small-1-4153332 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web | url=http://www.scottishfootballleague.com/news/article/mbu-has-grown-into-his-role-in-cowdenbeath-defence/ | title=Mbu has grown into his role in Cowdenbeath defence | date=10 February 2012 | publisher=SFL}} He then joined Whitburn Junior who play in the East Region of Scottish junior football and was voted their Player of the Year twice.{{cite web | url=http://www.westlothiancourier.co.uk/west-lothian-sport/latest-sport/2008/07/17/mbu-takes-step-up-and-signs-a-one-year-deal-at-cowdenbeath-62405-21351245/|title=Mbu takes step up and signs a one year deal at Cowdenbeath | date=17 July 2008 | author=Eric MacKinnon | work=West Lothian Courier}} During his time there he played for the Scottish junior national team several times and won the Quadrangular Tournament with Scotland.

Mbu was ready to join Arthurlie, but instead joined Cowdenbeath on a one-year deal in 2008. He enjoyed successive promotions with the club in 2008–09 and 2009–10 to the reach Scottish First Division, but was regularly injured as the team were relegated in their first season as a First Division club. Mbu won the Scottish Second Division in 2011–12 with the club and was voted in Team of the Year.{{cite web | url=http://www.centralfifetimes.com/sport/13547445.Steady_Big_Joe_wins_Times_Trophy_for_a_second_time/ | title=Steady Big Joe wins Times Trophy for a second time | work=Central Fife Times | date=3 May 2012}}{{cite web | url=http://pfascotland.co.uk/2012/news/pfa-scotland-division-two-team-of-the-year/ | title=PFA SCOTLAND DIVISION TWO TEAM OF THE YEAR | publisher=PFA Scotland | date=3 May 2012 | access-date=13 June 2016 | archive-date=11 May 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120511083658/http://pfascotland.co.uk/2012/news/pfa-scotland-division-two-team-of-the-year/ | url-status=dead }}

He signed on loan for Stenhousemuir in March 2013.{{cite web | url=http://www.scottishfootballleague.com/football/second/fixtures/3519765/ |title=Stenhousemuir vs Brechin City - 2nd March 2013: Match Preview | date=2 March 2013 | publisher=SFL}} He signed for East Fife on 1 July 2013.{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/EastFifeFC/status/351800625673154561|title=East Fife FC|publisher=East Fife F.C.}} In July 2014, Mbu signed for Edinburgh City who were at the time in the Scottish Lowland League.{{cite web|title=Lowland League: City boss Jardine rates Spartans favourites|url=http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/local-football/lowland-league-city-boss-jardine-rates-spartans-favourites-1-3496235|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808034036/http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/local-football/lowland-league-city-boss-jardine-rates-spartans-favourites-1-3496235|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 August 2014|publisher=Edinburgh Evening News|date=1 August 2014|access-date=1 August 2014}} Mbu won the Lowland League title twice with City in 2014–15 and 2015–16. He also helped City become the first non-league team to earn promotion to Scottish League Two of the SPFL in 2015–16 via the new pyramid system.{{cite web | url=http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/lower-leagues/edinburgh-city-s-joe-mbu-mystified-by-ridiculous-red-card-1-4122345 | title=Edinburgh City's Joe Mbu mystified by 'ridiculous' red card | work=Edinburgh News | date=9 May 2016}}{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36234801 | title=East Stirlingshire 0:1 Edinburgh City | publisher=BBC | date=14 May 2016}}

Mbu played in City's first ever SPFL league match on 6 August 2016 against Forfar Athletic, in which he was sent-off in the 93rd minute for an altercation with Forfar forward David Cox.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36997971 |title=Scottish League Two: Edinburgh City begin life in senior league with loss |publisher=BBC Sport|date=6 August 2016 |access-date=1 June 2017}}{{cite web |url=http://spfl.co.uk/league-two/fixture/3638446/ |title=Edinburgh City 2 – 3 Forfar Athletic |publisher=Scottish Professional Football League |date=6 August 2016 |access-date=1 June 2017 |archive-date=12 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170512233543/http://spfl.co.uk/league-two/fixture/3638446/ |url-status=dead }} Mbu announced his retirement from football at the end of the 2016–17 season due to injury,http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/edinburgh-city/veteran-edinburgh-city-defender-joe-mbu-may-delay-retirement-1-4416349 {{Dead link|date=February 2022}} with his final appearance for Edinburgh City coming in a 3–2 defeat against Berwick Rangers on 6 May 2017.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39754143 |title=Berwick Rangers 3 – 2 Edinburgh City |publisher=BBC Sport|date=6 May 2017 |access-date=1 June 2017}}