Olivier Mbaizo

Olivier Mbaissidara Mbaizo (born 15 August 1997) is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a defender for the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer and the Cameroon national team.

Olivier Mbaizo
Mbaizo with Bethlehem Steel in 2018
Personal information
Full name Olivier Mbaissidara Mbaizo[1]
Date of birth (1997-08-15) 15 August 1997
Place of birth Douala, Cameroon
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2]
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Philadelphia Union
Number 15
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016 Union Douala
2017 Rainbow Bamenda 10 (0)
2018 Bethlehem Steel 0 (0)
2018– Philadelphia Union 74 (0)
2018–2019 → Bethlehem Steel (loan) 33 (1)
International career‡
Cameroon U17
2017 Cameroon U20 3 (1)
2019 Cameroon U23 3 (0)
2020– Cameroon 11 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Cameroon
Africa Cup of Nations
Third place2021 Cameroon
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12 April 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 5 February 2022

Club career

Union Douala

Mbaizo began his professional career at Union Douala of MTN Elite One league in 2016. He helped Douala to 4th in the league table and made an appearance in the CAF Champions League against Zamalek SC.[3]

Rainbow FC

In 2017, Mbaizo played for Rainbow FC making 10 appearances during the season.[3]

Bethlehem Steel FC

In January 2018, Mbaizo signed for Bethlehem Steel FC, the USL affiliate of the Philadelphia Union.[4] The organization reunites him with fellow Cameroonian youth national, Eric Ayuk.

Philadelphia Union

By April 2018, Mbaizo was signed to Bethlehem Steel's MLS affiliate Philadelphia Union after impressing with the first team during preseason training. While signed with the Union, Mbaizo would mostly be loaned back to Bethlehem for the 2018 season.[5] He made his first team debut for the Union in September, starting in a 2–0 win over Sporting Kansas City.[6]

International career

Mbaizo has worked his way up the Cameroonian national team ladder starting with the U17s in 2014 and most recently earning a call-up for training with the senior team. In 2017, he appeared with Cameroon's U-20's for the 2017 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations. He started all three matches and played every minute of the team's Group Stage. Mbaizo scored a goal in their second match of the tournament, a 4–1 victory over Sudan on 2 March 2017.[7]

Mbaizo earned his first senior call-up in November 2020 for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches. He debuted for Cameroon on 12 November, starting in a 4–1 victory over Mozambique.[8]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 5 November 2022[9]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Bethlehem Steel FC 2018 USL Championship 240——2[lower-alpha 1]0260
2019 91———91
Total 331——20351
Philadelphia Union 2018 Major League Soccer 10———10
2019 3010——40
2020 140———140
2021 300—6[lower-alpha 2]01[lower-alpha 3]0370
2022 19010—3[lower-alpha 3]0230
Total 670206040790
Career total 10012060601141
  1. Appearance(s) in USL Cup Playoffs
  2. Appearance(s) in CONCACAF Champions League
  3. Appearance(s) in MLS Cup Playoffs

International
As of match played 5 February 2022[10]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Cameroon 201610
201700
201800
201900
202020
202150
202230
Total110

Honours

Philadelphia Union

Cameroon

References
  1. "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – Squad list: Cameroon (CMR)" (PDF). FIFA. 15 November 2022. p. 5. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  2. "Olivier Mbaizo". Philadelphia Union. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  3. Evan Villella (22 January 2018). "Bethlehem Steel sign Olivier Mbaizo". Brotherly Game. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  4. Tom Via (22 January 2018). "Bethlehem Steel FC Acquire Defender Olivier Mbaizo". Philadelphia Union. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  5. Dave Zeitlin (17 April 2018). "Philadelphia Union sign Cameroonian international Olivier Mbaizo". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  6. "BOX SCORE: Union 2-0 Sporting Kansas City". philadelphiaunion.com. 23 September 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  7. "Olivier Mbaizo | Bethlehem Steel Profile". Bethlehem Steel FC. 22 January 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  8. "Mbaizo earns first start with Cameroon". Philadelphia Union. 12 November 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  9. Olivier Mbaizo at Soccerway. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  10. "Mbaizo, Olivier". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  11. "Philadelphia Union win 2020 MLS Supporters' Shield on regular season's final day". Major League Soccer. 8 November 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  12. Sigal, Jonathan (5 November 2022). "Hollywood ending! LAFC win legendary MLS Cup 2022 over Philadelphia Union". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  13. AfricaNews. "Cameroon beats Burkina Faso to end AFCON 2021 in third place | Africanews". Africanews. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
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