The 2022 FIFA World Cup saw the last of the Belgian golden generation as they were knocked out in the group stage in their final chance to win some silverware. So now, they must focus on the future. Thankfully, Belgium have a talented crop of youngsters that, in a few years, may be ready to make the Red Devils a top force again. And one of them is Noah Mbamba, who has now been signed by Bayer Leverkusen.
The 18-year-old can play both at centre-back and defensive midfielder but has been deployed at the latter position In a transfer window where the news has been dominated by top transfers such as Cody Gakpo to Liverpool and Mykhailo Mudryk to Chelsea, Leverkusen’s acquisition of Mbamba for only € 100,000 is a steal which they have managed to do ahead of clubs such as Crystal Palace and Chelsea.
We must remember this is the same club that back in 2020 paid a meagre € 200,000 for Florian Wirtz who now is among the top young attackers in the world with a reported release clause upward of € 100 million.
And now they have another talented player who could follow Wirtz’s path to become another great player.
So, who is Noah Mbamba, and how good is he?
How good is Noah Mbamba?
Noah Mbamba-Muanda was born on January 5, 2005, in Ixelles, a municipality under the Brussels Capital Region. His parents are of Congolese descent, as his parents had migrated from Congo to Belgium.
Mbamba’s career started at the age of nine at FC Vilvoorde, where he would spend two years from 2014-16. Mbamba would then join KV Woluwe-Zaventem, where he would spend two more years.
It was at KV Woluwe-Zaventem where he caught the eyes of the scouting network of KRC Genk, who moved quickly to snap him up. During his second year at the club, he would get a call-up to Belgium’s under-15 team, where he featured in games against England and the Netherlands.
His performances would attract the attention of Club Burgee, who signed him in 2020. Mbamba would join Club NXT, which is Brugge’s youth academy. The youngster was one of the few positives in an abysmal season for the youth side as they finished last in their league, conceding 64 goals in 28 matches.
Mbamba would earn a…
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