Dominique Malonga

Dominique Malonga
Personal information
Full name Dominique Sossorobla Malonga
Date of birth (1989-01-08) January 8, 1989
Place of birth Châtenay-Malabry, France
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current team
Pro Vercelli
Number 14
Youth career
0000–2002 Montrouge FC 92
2002–2004 Tours
2004–2007 Monaco
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2009 Torino 9 (1)
2008–2009Foggia (loan) 10 (1)
2009–2014 Cesena 57 (10)
2012–2013Vicenza (loan) 38 (10)
2013–2014Murcia (loan) 28 (5)
2014–2016 Hibernian 43 (17)
2016– Pro Vercelli 16 (3)
National team
2007–2008 France U19 2 (2)
2014– Congo[1] 5 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 26 January 2016.

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23 September 2014

Dominique Sossorobla Malonga[2] (born 8 January 1989) is a French born Congolese footballer who plays for Serie B side Pro Vercelli as a striker. Malonga has previously played for Italian sides Torino, Foggia, Cesena and Vicenza, as well as Murcia in Spain and Hibernian in Scotland.

Early career

Born in Châtenay-Malabry, France, Malonga grew up in the suburbs of Paris to Congolese parents.[3] Malonga grew up supporting Monaco, which later he ended up joining as a youth team.[4] Malonga later described his time at Monaco, quoting: "It is beautiful and Monte Carlo is beautiful and we were very privileged, because in the stadium we had a school and everything we needed. It was a great, great, great centre. They don’t get many people going to their games, though. The money is good but the fans are not as good. It is better to play here.".[4]

Club career

Torino

In 2007, after three years at Monaco, Malonga joined Torino,[5] where he would stay until 2011.[6] Malonga stated that he felt moving to Italy gave him confidence and that he wasn't scared.[7] He made his Serie A debut on 23 September 2007, against A.C. Siena. However, his time at Torino was plagued with injuries.

Cesena

After a successful loan with the Serie B champions, he signed for Cesena in a co-ownership deal for €750,000.[8][9] In June 2011 Cesena acquired Malonga outright for another €1.4 million, making him cost €2.15 million. (i.e. they paid Torino an additional €650,000 on top of the €750,000 already booked in the balance sheets for co-ownership)[9] He also signed a new 3+1 year contract.[9] However the club relegated at the end of 2011–12 Serie A, which saw Malonga sent out on loan to other clubs for the rest of his contract.[10]

On 31 August 2012, Malonga joined Serie B side Vicenza on a season-long loan.[11] Malonga made his debut soon after against Cesena and scored in a 3–1 win.[12] Malonga would then add three more goal in his next three games against Juve Stabia, Hellas Verona and Brescia Calcio. At the end of the season, Malonga had scored a total of 10 goals at Vicenza.

On 2 September 2013, he joined Spanish Segunda División side Real Murcia on a season-long loan.[13] After making the move to Spain, Malonga stated that his aim for the season was to score more than the ten goals he had produced at Vicenza.[14] Malonga made his debut for the club on 21 September 2013, coming on as a substitute in the 60th minutes, in a draw against SD Eibar. It took until 15 December 2013 for Malonga to score his first goal for the club, in a 3–1 win over Barcelona B.[15] Malonga would score four further goals that season, thus failing to achieve his aim of scoring ten in the season.

Malonga was released by Cesena on 24 July 2014 ahead of the 2014–15 season.[16]

Hibernian

On 5 September 2014, it was announced that Malonga had joined Hibernian on a two-year contract.[17] He scored on his debut as Hibernian beat Cowdenbeath 3–2 on 13 September 2014.[18] On 26 October 2014, Malonga scored the opening goal in the Edinburgh Derby against Hearts, but a late equaliser meant Hibernian had to settle for a 1–1 draw.[19] On 22 November 2014, he scored a hat-trick as Hibernian won 6–3 away at Dumbarton.[20] His contract was due to finish in the summer of 2016 but left the club on 27 January 2016.[21]

Pro Vercelli

Malonga subsequently returned to Italy, signing for Serie B side Pro Vercelli for an undisclosed fee from Hibernian.[22]

International career

On 30 August 2012, he received a call-up to the Congo national team.[23] Malonga also previously represented France U19.[3][24]

Malonga was again selected by the Congo in November 2014.[25] He made his first full international appearance in 1–0 win for Congo against Sudan.[1] The victory for Congo secured their qualification for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.[1] Malonga was named as a substitute for all four of Congo's matches in the Cup of Nations in January 2015, coming on during the second half in three of them, including the quarter-final defeat at the hands of neighbours D.R. Congo.[26]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Congo duty could see Malonga miss five Hibs games". Edinburgh Evening News.
  2. http://www.hibernianfc.co.uk/news/5565
  3. 1 2 "French connection was a class apart for Hibernian import Dominique Malonga". Herald Scotland. 27 September 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  4. 1 2 "Dominique Malonga is happy at Hibs". The Scotsman. 28 September 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  5. "Asta per Bellucci Torino e Lazio rivali della Samp" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 13 April 2007. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  6. "DEBUTTO MALONGA Scienza l' ex tecnico garantisce per lui "Un gioiellino che non ha paura"" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 28 February 2009. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  7. "Entretien avec Dominique Malonga : " Un départ à l'étranger ne m'a jamais effrayé "" (in Italian). Foot Mercato. 21 December 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  8. "Acquistate le comproprietà di Malonga e Parolo". AC Cesena (in Italian). 23 June 2010. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
  9. 1 2 3 AC Cesena Report and Accounts on 30 June 2011 (Italian)
  10. "Malonga al Cesena: risolta comproprietà col Toro" (in Italian). Tutto Sport. 24 June 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  11. "Dominique Malonga in biancorosso". Vicenza Calcio Website. 31 August 2012. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  12. "Vicenza-Cesena 3-1: il tabellino". Vicenza Calcio Website. 1 September 2012. Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  13. "Malonga prêté à Murcie". L'Equipe Official Website. 2 September 2013. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  14. "Malonga: "Mi objetivo es marcar más de 10 goles"" (in Spanish). Marca.com. 3 September 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  15. "Los granas acaban con su mala racha con una remontada final" (in Spanish). Marca.com. 15 December 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  16. "Rescissione consensuale Malonga" (in Italian). AC Cesena. 24 July 2014. Archived from the original on October 30, 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  17. "Striker Malonga joins". Hibernian. 5 September 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  18. "HIBERNIAN 3 COWDENBEATH 2". Hibernian F.C. 13 September 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  19. "Hearts rescued their unbeaten league record with a late Alim Ozturk strike that secured a draw against Hibernian.". bbc.co.uk/sport/. BBC Sport. 26 October 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  20. "DUMBARTON 3 HIBERNIAN 6". Hibernian F.C. 22 November 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  21. "Malonga departs Hibernian". Hibernian F.C. 27 January 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  22. "Ufficiale: L'attaccante Dominique Malonga arriva a Vercelli" [Official: Attacker Dominique Malonga arrives in Vercelli] (in Italian). FC Pro Vercelli. 27 January 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  23. "Malonga convocato dalla nazionale del Congo". Romagna NOI. 30 August 2012. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  24. "Torino, Malonga convocato nella nazionale francese Under 19". Tutto Mercato Web. 22 November 2007. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  25. "Hibernian: Dominique Malonga relishing international call-up". BBC Sport. BBC. 6 November 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  26. "Congo 2 DR Congo 4". BBC. 31 January 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
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