Michel-Ange Balikwisha

Michel-Ange ra Balikwisha
Personal information
Date of birth (2001-05-10) 10 May 2001 (age 23)
Place of birth Ghent, Belgium
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Antwerp
Number 67
Youth career
–2014 Anderlecht
2014–2020 Standard Liège
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020–2021 Standard Liège 32 (9)
2021– Antwerp 98 (18)
International career‡
2017 Belgium U16 4 (1)
2018 Belgium U17 5 (1)
2019 Belgium U18 1 (0)
2019 Belgium U19 3 (0)
2021–2023 Belgium U21 10 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:45, 26 May 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:48, 25 June 2023 (UTC)

Michel-Ange ra Balikwisha (born 10 May 2001) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Royal Antwerp.[1]

Club career

Balikwisha made his professional debut for Standard Liège on 20 September 2020 in a Belgian First Division A game against KV Kortrijk.[2]

Royal Antwerp

On4 July 2021, Balikwisha joined Royal Antwerp on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee.[3]

He was part of the squad that won a domestic double during the 2022–23 season, including the club's first league title in 66 years.[4]

On 23 July 2023, Balikwisha scored a goal in the Belgian Super Cup against Mechelen. Antwerp would win on penalties to claim the trophy for the first time in their history.[5]

On 30 August 2023, he helped the club secure a spot in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League for the first time ever, by scoring a goal in the second leg of their 3–1 aggregate victory over AEK Athens in the play-off round.[6] He scored in Antwerp's first home match in the Champions League proper on 4 October, putting his side 2–0 up against Shakhtar Donetsk, but would squander the lead and fall to a 2–3 defeat.[7]

In July 2024, Scottish club Celtic approached Royal Antwerp to try to sign Balikwisha.[8]

International career

Born in Belgium, Balikwisha is of Congolese descent. He is a youth international for Belgium.[9]

Personal life

Balikwisha is the brother of the footballer William Balikwisha.[10]

Career statistics

Club

As of matches played 26 May 2024[1]
Club statistics
Club Season League Belgian Cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Standard Liège 2020–21 Belgian Pro League 32 9 2 0 6[a] 0 — 40 9
Antwerp 2021–22 Belgian Pro League 32 4 1 0 5[a] 1 — 38 5
2022–23 Belgian Pro League 33 7 5 2 4[b] 1 — 42 10
2023–24 Belgian Pro League 33 7 3 0 7[c] 2 1[d] 1 44 10
Total 98 18 9 2 16 4 1 1 124 25
Career totals 130 27 11 2 22 4 1 1 164 34
  1. ^ a b Appearances in the UEFA Europa League
  2. ^ Appearances in the UEFA Europa Conference League
  3. ^ Appearances in the UEFA Champions League
  4. ^ Appearance in the Belgian Super Cup

Honours

Royal Antwerp

References

  1. ^ a b Michel-Ange Balikwisha at Soccerway. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  2. ^ "Résultat Standard de Liège - KV Courtrai, Championnat de Belgique, 6e journée, Dimanche 20 Septembre 2020". L'Équipe (in French). 20 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Nu ook officieel: Michel-Ange Balikwisha krijgt zijn zin en ruilt Standard voor Antwerp" (in Dutch). nieuwsblad.be. 4 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Alderweireld earns Royal Antwerp first Belgian league title in 66 years". The Guardian. 4 June 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Antwerp wint nu ook de Supercup! KV Mechelen plooit pas na strafschoppen" (in Dutch). Sporza. 23 July 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  6. ^ "Antwerp make history after qualifying for Champions League group stages for first time". Brussels Times. 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Antwerp 2 Shakhtar Donetsk 3 - Highlights". BEIN Sports. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  8. ^ "Celtic Open Talks to sign Michel-Ange Balikwisha". msn.com. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  9. ^ "Foot-Belgique: Deux léopards sauvent le Standard de Liège". 27 September 2020.
  10. ^ "Foot-Belgique: deux léopards sauvent le Standard de Liège". 27 September 2020.
  11. ^ "Royal Antwerp win first Belgian title in 66 years after Toby Alderweireld's stoppage-time equaliser". BBC. 4 June 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.


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