Bali Mumba

Bali Mumba

Mumba in 2018
Personal information
Full name	Bali Mumba [1]
Date of birth	(2001-10-08) 8 October 2001 (age 22) [1]
Place of birth	South Shields, England
Height	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Position(s)	Full-back, wing-back, left winger
Team information
Current team	Plymouth Argyle
Number	2
Youth career
2010–2018	Sunderland
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2018–2020	Sunderland	5	(0)
2020	→ South Shields (loan)	3	(2)
2020–2023	Norwich City	5	(0)
2022	→ Peterborough United (loan)	10	(0)
2022–2023	→ Plymouth Argyle (loan)	41	(6)
2023–	Plymouth Argyle	43	(3)
International career‡
2016	England U16	3	(0)
2017	England U17	2	(0)
2018	England U18	12	(0)
2019	England U19	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 6 May 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18:43, 5 September 2019 (UTC)

Bali Mumba (born 8 October 2001) is an English professional footballer who plays as a full-back, wing-back or left winger for EFL Championship club Plymouth Argyle.

Club career

Sunderland

Mumba made his senior debut for Sunderland against Wolverhampton Wanderers on the last day of the 2017–18 EFL Championship season, coming on as an 87th-minute substitute for captain John O'Shea, who handed him the captain's armband as he entered the field of play, making him the club's youngest ever captain for the few minutes of play remaining. ^{[2] [3]} On 2 November 2018, Mumba signed his first professional contract with the club until 2021. ^[4] He joined South Shields on loan in March 2020, scoring in his second game, at home to FC United of Manchester. ^{[5] [6]}

Norwich City

In July 2020, Mumba joined Norwich City on a four-year deal. ^[7] On 21 August 2021, he made his Premier League debut in a 5–0 defeat against Manchester City. ^[8]

Loan to Peterborough

On 6 January 2022, Mumba joined EFL Championship side Peterborough United on loan for the remainder of the 2021–22 season. ^[9] He scored the winner on his debut in a 2–1 win against Bristol Rovers in the FA Cup third round. ^[10]

Loan to Plymouth

On 14 July 2022, Mumba joined EFL League One club Plymouth Argyle on loan for the 2022–23 season. ^[11] An impressive start to life at Home Park saw Plymouth sitting top of the league with Mumba winning the EFL Young Player of the Month award for September 2022. ^[12]

Mumba would play 47 games and score eight times for Argyle as they went on to win the League One title, and finished as runners-up in the EFL Trophy, with Mumba starting in the Wembley final. The majority of Mumba's appearances came at wing-back in a 3–5–2 formation, often rotating flanks with captain Joe Edwards. ^[13]

At the end of season, Mumba was named the Argyle fans' Young Player of the Season, his teammates' Player of the Season, and was honoured at the EFL Awards as the division's Young Player of the Season. ^{[14] [15]}

Plymouth Argyle

On 21 July 2023, Mumba signed for Plymouth Argyle on a permanent basis, signing a four-year contract with the club, for a reported £1 million transfer fee. This would equal Plymouth's all-time record fee that was paid to sign Morgan Whittaker earlier that same week. ^[16]

On 5 August 2023, Mumba scored in his second-debut for the club, in a 3–1 EFL Championship win over Huddersfield Town, while playing on the left-wing in a 4–3–3. ^[17]

International career

Mumba has represented England at under-16, under-17, under-18 and under-19 level. ^[18] His parents are Congolese.^{[ citation needed ]}

Career statistics

As of matches played 11 November 2023

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		EFL Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Sunderland	2017–18 [19]	Championship	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
	2018–19 [20]	League One	4	0	2	0	0	0	2 [lower-alpha 1]	0	8	0
	2019–20 [21]	League One	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0
	Total		5	0	2	0	1	0	2	0	10	0
Norwich City	2020–21 [22]	Championship	4	0	1	0	1	0	—		6	0
	2021–22 [23]	Premier League	1	0	0	0	2	0	—		3	0
	2022–23 [24]	Championship	0	0	0	0	0	0	—		0	0
	Total		5	0	1	0	3	0	—		9	0
Norwich City U23	2020–21 [22]	—			—		—		1 [lower-alpha 1]	0	1	0
Peterborough United (loan)	2021–22 [23]	Championship	10	0	3	1	—		—		13	1
Plymouth Argyle (loan)	2022–23 [24]	League One	36	6	1	0	0	0	4 [lower-alpha 1]	0	41	6
Plymouth Argyle	2023–24 [25]	Championship	16	2	0	0	1	0	—		17	2
Career total			72	8	7	1	5	0	7	0	91	9

1. Appearances in EFL Trophy

Honours

Norwich City

• EFL Championship: 2020–21

Plymouth Argyle

• EFL League One: 2022–23 ^[26]
• EFL Trophy runner-up: 2022–23 ^[27]

Individual

• EFL League One Young Player of the Season: 2022–23 ^[28]

• EFL League One Team of the Season: 2022–23 ^[29]

• EFL Young Player of the Month: September 2022 ^[12]

References

1. Bali Mumba at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
2. "Sunderland 3–0 Wolves". BBC Sport. 6 May 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2018..
3. "Lads Blow Away Champions". Sunderland A.F.C. 6 May 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
4. Lightle, Sam (2 November 2018). "Mumba pens first professional contract". safc.com. Sunderland AFC. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
5. Gardner, Conor (5 March 2020). "Mumba joins South Shields". Sunderland AFC. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
6. Gregory, Ross (15 March 2020). "How South Shields FC and their fans forget coronavirus concerns to enjoy thrilling win against FC United of Manchester". The Shield Gazette. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
7. "Norwich City sign Bali Mumba from Sunderland". BBC Sport. 27 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
8. "Manchester City 5–0 Norwich City". BBC Sport. 21 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
9. "Posh seal loan move for Canaries defender". Peterborough United FC. 6 January 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
10. "Peterborough United 2-1 Bristol Rovers". BBC Sport. 8 January 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
11. "Welcome Bali Mumba". www.pafc.co.uk. 14 July 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
12. "Plymouth Argyle's Bali Mumba wins September Young Player of the Month". www.efl.com. 15 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
13. "Steven Schumacher highlights Bali Mumba versatility as big Plymouth Argyle asset". The Plymouth Herald. 29 July 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
14. "Awards Night - Live Blog". Plymouth Argyle FC. 9 May 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
15. "Schumacher and Mumba Win EFL Awards". Plymouth Argyle FC. 23 April 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
16. "Argyle equal record fee to sign Mumba from Norwich". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
17. "REPORT - ARGYLE 3 HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 1". Plymouth Argyle FC. 5 August 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
18. "FA Profile". The FA. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
19. "Games played by Bali Mumba in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
20. "Games played by Bali Mumba in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
21. "Games played by Bali Mumba in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
22. "Games played by Bali Mumba in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
23. "Games played by Bali Mumba in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
24. "Games played by Bali Mumba in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
25. "Games played by Bali Mumba in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
26. "Plymouth beat Port Vale to win League One title". BBC Sport. 7 May 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
27. Pilnick, Brent (2 April 2023). "Bolton crush Plymouth to win Papa Johns Trophy". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
28. "Middlesbrough's Chuba Akpom takes Sky Bet Championship Player of the Season". English Football League. 23 April 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
29. "EFL Team of the Season line-ups revealed". English Football League. 23 April 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.