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Olivier Mambwa has experienced a chaotic half-year. First, he made his debut as a 16-year-old for in the starting XI for Young Boys, and then he represented Switzerland at the U17 World Cup, where they were knocked out in the quarterfinals against eventual winners Portugal (0-2). As a Bern-native, the talented defender has set high expectations for himself.
Born in the Bern neighbourhood of Bümpilz, Mambwa played his youth football at SC Bümpliz 78 and FC Köniz before joining Young Boys two years ago. But once there, he left an excellent first impression. Towards the end of last season, he was promoted to the U17 before making the jump to the U21, who play in Switzerland’s third division. But there too, he wouldn’t stay long and quickly moved on to the first team.
On matchday 5, Mambwa became the youngest player to play for Young Boys in the first division since the Super League reform in 2003. Not only did he feature, but he started. On top of that, he also managed an assist in the 48th minute that made it briefly 2-1. There was never any indication that Mambwa was overwhelmed by the stage or the older opponents.
The talented defender showed confidence and, when in the attack, always asked for the ball, often showing frustration when a play didn’t work out. After 61 minutes, Mambwa was brought off while receiving a standing ovation. His team would win the game 3-1, and the fans celebrated Mambwa’s first game for the club. “Incredible,” Christian Fassnacht, who scored from his assist, said when asked about the performance of the Mambwa. At that point, the defender was only 16 years, eight months, and 26 days old.
Mambwa: The 16-year-old is already a consummate professional
The coach at the time, Giorgio Contini, seemed to have expected nothing else. “He listens and tries to put into action what we are telling him to do,” the 51-year-old head coach said about the teenager. “When I told him in the office that he was going to start, he already knew who his opponent was going to be and what his strengths and weaknesses were.” But Contini also tried to lower expectations. “It is just a first step. It is important to stay grounded and remain humble.”
Mambwa has internalized all that. The young talent has given everything and remains focused on the job. “The first game was good, but there is room to grow,” Mambwa said after his first game. Since then, he has played two more games for Young Boys’ first team before he headed to the U17 World Cup. But before playing at the World Cup, the Bern club signed him to a new long-term contract until 2028. At the tournament, Mambwa played every single minute for Switzerland.
“It was a valuable experience for every single player in the team,” Mambwa said in an interview with Transfermarkt. “We had a great team spirit. Individually and as a team, we showed some great performances. Unfortunately, we failed to overcome the favorite Portugal in the quarterfinal. But in that game, you could tell why Portugal ended up winning the tournament. It was exciting to compete with the best players in my age group. I think Switzerland shouldn’t be underestimated.”
Before the tournament kicked off, the teenager received a starting market value of €800,000. Among Swiss players in his age group, only the now 22-year-old Bryan Okoh has had a higher historic market value of €1m. “It was all a bit of a surprise and very fast,” Mambwa said. “Of course, I was thrilled when I first made my debut for the first team and when I signed my first professional contract. My goal is to show everything in every training session and not to overthink, but to show a good mentality, have fun, and just play.”
One of his role models is former Brazil star Marcelo. “I always loved watching his technique and mentality when he played for Real Madrid,” Mambwa said. “When I was younger, I also really liked Paul Pogba.” But what are his strengths? Transfermarkt Data Scout and Switzerland expert Maximilian Meyer has a good perspective on the player. “For a wing-back, Mambwa is quite tall, which makes him more flexible as he can also play in a back-three,” Meyer said. “He is fast, technically gifted, and can cross the ball well. The expectations in him are high, but thus far he has been able to withstand the pressure.”
That isn’t supposed to change. Mambwa isn’t interested in any sort of rumors or speculations. A look ahead doesn’t interest the defender, and he loves being in Bern. “I want to establish myself at YB,” Mambwa said. “The most important thing is to play and to keep developing. I don’t want to rest on what I have achieved already, and hard work always pays off.”
From December 1 to 24, we introduce new players from different countries born in 2008 and 2009. Area managers, users, and data scouts come into play as experts throughout the series. You can follow all those players by adding them to your TM watchlist.
