M'Bala Nzola
{{Short description|Angolan footballer (born 1996)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = M'Bala Nzola
| image = M'Bala Nzola in 2017.jpg
| caption = Nzola with Virtus Francavilla in 2017
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|8|18|df=y}}
| birth_place = Buco-Zau, Angola{{Cite web|url=https://luandapost.com/mbala-nzola-deseja-representar-os-palancas-negras/|title=Mbala Nzola deseja representar os Palancas Negras|website=Luanda Post|language=pt|date=3 March 2021|accessdate=14 March 2021}}
| position = Forward
| currentclub = Lens
(on loan from Fiorentina)
| clubnumber = 8
| youthyears1 = 2010–2014
| youthclubs1 = Troyes
| youthyears2 = 2014–2015
| youthclubs2 = Académica
| years1 = 2015
| clubs1 = Académica
| caps1 = 0
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2015–2016
| clubs2 = Sertanense
| caps2 = 25
| goals2 = 7
| years3 = 2016–2017
| clubs3 = Virtus Francavilla
| caps3 = 33
| goals3 = 11
| years4 = 2017–2019
| clubs4 = Carpi
| caps4 = 14
| goals4 = 0
| years5 = 2018–2019
| clubs5 = → Trapani (loan)
| caps5 = 33
| goals5 = 8
| years6 = 2019–2020
| clubs6 = Trapani
| caps6 = 12
| goals6 = 1
| years7 = 2020
| clubs7 = → Spezia (loan)
| caps7 = 17
| goals7 = 6
| years8 = 2020–2023
| clubs8 = Spezia
| caps8 = 77
| goals8 = 26
| years9 = 2023–
| clubs9 = Fiorentina
| caps9 = 33
| goals9 = 3
| years10 = 2024–
| clubs10 = → Lens (loan)
| caps10 = 21
| goals10 = 6
| nationalyears1 = 2021–
| nationalteam1 = Angola
| nationalcaps1 = 8
| nationalgoals1 = 2
| club-update = 21:45, 11 April 2025 (UTC)
| nationalteam-update = 18 November 2024
}}
M'Bala Nzola (born 18 August 1996) is an Angolan professional footballer who plays as a forward for {{French football updater|Lens}} club Lens, on loan from {{Italian football updater|Fiorentina}} club Fiorentina, and the Angola national team.
Club career
On 28 January 2015, Nzola made his professional debut with Académica de Coimbra in a 2014–15 Taça da Liga match against Porto, coming on as a substitute in the 4–1 away loss.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}}
On 7 August 2016, he joined Lega Pro club Virtus Francavilla.{{cite news|url=https://www.virtusfrancavillacalcio.it/2016/08/07/mbala-nzola-e-un-nuovo-giocatore-della-virtus-francavilla-calcio/|title=M'Bala Nzola è un nuovo giocatore della Virtus Francavilla Calcio|date=7 August 2016|accessdate=18 September 2018|publisher=Virtus Francavilla Calcio|language=it}}
On 7 August 2017, after helping Virtus Francavilla reach the Lega Pro promotion play-offs, Nzola signed a four-year deal with Carpi.{{cite news|url=http://www.carpifc.com/news-prima-squadra/mercato-nzola-e-ufficialmente-biancorosso/|title=Mercato: Nzola è ufficialmente biancorosso|date=7 August 2017|accessdate=9 August 2017|publisher=Carpi F.C. 1909|language=it}}
On 16 August 2018, he joined Serie C club Trapani on a season-long loan. Trapani held the obligation to purchase him from Carpi at the end of the loan term in case of Trapani's promotion to Serie B.{{cite web|publisher=Trapani|url=http://www.trapanicalcio.it/2018/08/16/lattaccante-nzola-e-un-calciatore-del-trapani/|title=L'attaccante 'Nzola è un calciatore del Trapani|date=16 August 2018|language=it|access-date=25 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180925215809/http://www.trapanicalcio.it/2018/08/16/lattaccante-nzola-e-un-calciatore-del-trapani/|archive-date=25 September 2018|url-status=dead}} On 15 June he scored the first goal for the Trapani victory over Piacenza, and after that Trapani was promoted in Serie B after two years of Serie C.
On 13 January 2020, he joined Serie B club Spezia on loan with an option to purchase.{{cite press release|publisher=Spezia|url=https://www.acspezia.com/news/mercato-colpo-per-lattacco-ecco-mbala-nzola.21048.html|title=Mercato: colpo per l'attacco. Ecco M'Bala Nzola|date=13 January 2020|language=it}}
On 7 October 2020, Nzola signed with Spezia a three-year contract.{{cite web|url=https://m.tuttomercatoweb.com/serie-a/ufficiale-spezia-torna-nzola-ha-firmato-per-tre-stagioni-1442721|title=UFFICIALE: Spezia, torna Nzola: ha firmato per tre stagioni}} On 10 August 2023, he joined fellow Italian side Fiorentina.{{cite web |url=https://www.acffiorentina.com/it/news/tutte/prima-squadra-maschile/2023-08-10/nzola-e-un-nuovo-calciatore-della-fiorentina |title=Nzola è un nuovo calciatore della Fiorentina |publisher=ACF Fiorentina |language=it |date=10 August 2023 }}
International career
Being born in Angola, but raised in France, Nzola was eligible for either country at international level.
In March 2021, some months after he expressed his desire to represent Angola,{{Cite web|last=Tinfena|first=Gianluca|date=2020-11-24|title="Da bimbo scappavo per andare a giocare Il mio sogno? Vestire la maglia dell'Angola"|url=https://www.lanazione.it/la-spezia/cronaca/da-bimbo-scappavo-per-andare-a-giocare-il-mio-sogno-vestire-la-maglia-dell-angola-1.5746222|access-date=2021-03-26|website=La Nazione|language=it}} he received his first call-up to the national team.{{Cite web|date=2021-03-12|title=CAN 2022: seleccionador nacional anunciou hoje a lista dos convocados em conferência de imprensa|url=https://faf.co.ao/can-2022-seleccionador-nacional-anunciou-hoje-a-lista-dos-convocados-em-conferencia-de-imprensa/|access-date=2021-03-26|language=pt-BR}} Some days after, on 25 March 2021, he made his debut for the Palancas Negras against Gambia, in a qualifying match for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Personal life
Born in Cabinda, an Angolan exclave, Nzola emigrated to France as a child.{{Cite web|title=Finale playoff: da Gyasi a Nzola, gli (altri) talenti da seguire in Spezia-Frosinone|url=https://www.gazzetta.it/calcio/fantanews/20-08-2020/finale-playoff-gyasi-nzola-altri-talenti-seguire-spezia-frosinone-3801306317899.shtml|access-date=20 August 2020|website=La Gazzetta dello Sport|date=20 August 2020 |language=it}}
Career statistics
=Club=
{{updated|match played 11 April 2025}}{{soccerway|mbala-nzola/330852|accessdate=22 December 2023}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National cup{{efn|Includes Taça de Portugal, Coppa Italia}} !colspan="2"|League cup{{efn|Includes Taça da Liga}} !colspan="2"|Europe !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Académica
|0 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 2 | 1 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 2 | 1 | ||||
| Sertanense
|25 | 7 | 1 | 1 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 26 | 8 | ||||
| rowspan="3"|Virtus Francavilla
|33 | 11 | 3 | 1 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 2{{efn|name=LPP|Appearance in Lega Pro promotion play-offs}} | 0|– | 38 | 12 | |||
| 2017–18
|Lega Pro |0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 1 | 1 | ||||
| colspan="2"|Total
!33 | 11 | 4 | 2 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 2 | 0 | 39 | 13 | |||
| Carpi
|14 | 0 | 2 | 1 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 15 | 1 | ||||
| Trapani (loan)
|Lega Pro |29 | 7 | 3 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 4{{efn|name=LPP}} | 1 | 36 | 8 | |||
| Trapani
|Serie B |12 | 1 | 2 | 1 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 14 | 2 | ||||
| Spezia (loan)
|Serie B |17 | 6 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 4{{efn|Appearances in Serie B promotion play-offs}} | 1 | 21 | 7 | |||
| rowspan="4"|Spezia
|25 | 11 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 25 | 11 | ||||
| 2021–22
|Serie A |21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 22 | 2 | ||||
| 2022–23
|Serie A |31 | 13 | 2 | 2 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 1{{efn|Appearance in Serie A relegation play-off}} | 0 | 34 | 15 | |||
| colspan="2"|Total
!94 | 32 | 3 | 2 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 5 | 1 | 102 | 35 | |||
| Fiorentina
|Serie A |33 | 3 | 2 | 1 | colspan="2"|– | 11{{efn|name=UECL|Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League}} | 3 | 1{{efn|Appearance in Supercoppa Italiana}} | 0 | 47 | 7 | ||
| Lens
|21 | 6 | 1 | 1 | colspan="2"|– | 1{{efn|name=UEL|Appearances in UEFA Europa League}} | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 23 | 7 | |||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!261 | 67 | 18 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 3 | 12 | 2 | 305 | 79 |
{{notelist}}
=International=
{{updated|match played 18 November 2024}}{{NFT player|81953|access-date=17 March 2023}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+Appearances and goals by national team and year | |||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan="4"|Angola
|2021 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | |
| colspan="2"|Total | 8 | 2 |
:Scores and results list Angola's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Nzola goal.
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ List of international goals scored by M'Bala Nzola | ||||||
| scope="col"|No.
!scope="col"|Date !scope="col"|Venue !scope="col"|Opponent !scope="col"|Score !scope="col"|Result !scope="col"|Competition | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align="center"|1 | 12 November 2021 | Estádio 11 de Novembro, Luanda, Angola | {{fb|EGY}} | align="center"|2–0 | align="center"|2–2 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| align="center"|2 | 1 June 2022 | Estádio 11 de Novembro, Luanda, Angola | {{fb|CTA}} | align="center"|1–1 | align="center"|2–1 | 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Soccerway|mbala-nzola/330852}}
{{RC Lens squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nzola, M'Bala}}
Category:Sportspeople from Cabinda Province
Category:Angolan men's footballers
Category:21st-century Angolan sportsmen
Category:Angola men's international footballers
Category:French men's footballers
Category:Naturalized citizens of France
Category:Angolan emigrants to France
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Académica de Coimbra (football) players
Category:Sertanense F.C. players
Category:Virtus Francavilla Calcio players
Category:FC Trapani 1905 players
Category:Spezia Calcio players
Category:ACF Fiorentina players
Category:Campeonato de Portugal (league) players
Category:Angolan expatriate men's footballers
Category:Angolan expatriate sportspeople in Portugal
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Portugal
Category:Angolan expatriate sportspeople in Italy
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Italy
Category:French sportspeople of Angolan descent
Category:French expatriate men's footballers
Category:French expatriate sportspeople in Portugal
Category:French expatriate sportspeople in Italy
Category:Angolan people of Democratic Republic of the Congo descent