One of the bright spots for Albion San Diego after its first three games of the NISA regular season has undoubtedly been the play of forward Mayele Malango.
Malango, a 25-year-old native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, knows what it’s like to overcome obstacles in order to achieve his goals both on and off the field by using his personal experiences to fuel him as a professional.
“Growing up where I did in Africa that life was pretty tough,” said Malango. “I realized from a young age that sports was a way for people to come together.”
At 3 years of age, Malango and his family arrived in Malawi after being forced to flee during a civil war arriving in the U.S. through the United Nations Refugee Program several years later. He would land in Massachusetts enrolling at Lowell High School and winning back-to-back league MVP awards during his first stint in organized soccer.
“Playing soccer has allowed me to make new friends, meet new people and it makes everyone feel united,” he added.
Malango moved on to start his college career at Salem State University where he dominated as a freshman leading the Vikings and the entire Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) with 17 goals and 43 points. Malango then transferred to University of Massachusetts Lowell for his sophomore year playing 18 games for the River Hawks before turning pro at the conclusion of the season.
New England Revolution II of USL League One signed him for its inaugural season in 2020 after playing two seasons with the Boston Bolts of USL League Two making 14 appearances and representing the Revolution in the 2020 USL eCup FIFA 20 after a delay to the season caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
In March 2021, Malango joined the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) team New Amsterdam FC helping them win their first match in club history on June 16, 2021, over 1904 FC and snapping an 18 match winless streak across all official competitions.
“As a player, you always want to improve and get better along with helping the team score goals,” said Malango. “At the end of the season, Ziggy (Korytoski) talked to me and said he wanted me to come down to San Diego. He told me about his project and how he wants to build the team along with helping players reach the highest levels which really touched me.”
So far this season, Malango has scored twice for his new team Albion including a goal against USL Championship side San Diego Loyal in the second round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match played on April 6. With 23 games still left in the NISA regular season, Malango hopes to continue making his presence felt while taking his team to new heights.
Photo by David Frerker
