Paris FC, second in the French Ligue 2 championship, has a solid defender in its ranks: the 1.92m Senegalese rock, Moustapha Mbow. Part of the team and above all an indisputable starter in the Parisian 11, this young 24-year-old player is starting to make a name for himself in France and hopes to soon be called up to the Senegal national team.
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It was in 2019 that the one we nicknamed Alta arrived in France and its adaptation is far from easy. “ I didn’t have any friends here, I didn’t know anyone, it was a bit complicated for me. I was all alone at the training center”, remembers Moustapha Mbow met at the PFC training ground, in Orly, in the Paris region.
This training center is that of the Reims stadium where he very quickly becomes a member of the reserve team. He even played a match with the first team against Olympique de Marseille Vélodrome. A club well known by the one he takes as an example, his big brother Pape Daouda Mbow, who played for the Olympian club between 2007 and 2010. “ He’s my role model, because it’s thanks to him that we started playing football. Our father didn’t want us to play football. »
The Kalidou Koulibaly reference
After a short stint at Nîmes Olympique and in Belgium (RFC Serain), he arrived at Paris FC, now one of the richest football clubs in France, even if it is still in Ligue 2. He became one of the best defenders in Ligue 2. Enough to make him ambitious when he talks about the Senegal national team whose tunic he wore in the junior category with a CAN contested in 2019. “ Me, I’m here in any case, I work every day for and I think that I will one day manage to join the national team “.
To finally play alongside his idol and reference Kalidou Koulibaly, central defender and captain of the Senegal Lions, African champions 2022. “ I watched all of Kalidou Koulibaly’s matches when he was at Naples and Chelsea, to inspire myself as much as possible, confides the native of Dakar. This is a reference to my position and an example for me. »
For his teammates, Moustapha is an example in the locker room, especially for the younger ones. Omar Sissoko, 18 years old, just a professional, speaks highly of it. “ He’s a big brother, he’s an example too, always first in the room. First on the field all the time. »
When asked about his preference between a Ligue 2 champion title and a CAN 2025 in Morocco, Moustapha Mbow is voracious. “ Why not both? Move up to Ligue 1 and play in the CAN. And win it… »
See you in March to find out if it is on the list of Pope Thiaw for the playoffs of the 2026 World Cup.