Michel-Ange Balikwisha
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Michel-Ange Sumai Balikwisha[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 10 May 2001 | ||
| Place of birth | Ghent, Belgium | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Antwerp | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2014 | Anderlecht | ||
| 2014–2020 | Standard Liège | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2021 | Standard Liège | 32 | (9) |
| 2021– | Antwerp | 113 | (22) |
| 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 as of 17:45, 26 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 21:48, 25 June 2023 (UTC) | |||
Michel-Ange Sumai Balikwisha (born 10 May 2001) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Royal Antwerp.[2]
Club career
Balikwisha made his professional debut for Standard Liège on 20 September 2020 in a Belgian First Division A game against KV Kortrijk.[3]
Royal Antwerp
On4 July 2021, Balikwisha joined Royal Antwerp on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee.[4]
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.[5]
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.[6]
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.[7] 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.[8]
In July 2024, Scottish club Celtic approached Royal Antwerp to try to sign Balikwisha.[9]. Celtic went back in for him on 20/08/25 and, although the player agreed personal terms, it was reported that internal issues at his club were preventing the move from happening.
International career
Born in Belgium, Balikwisha is of Congolese descent. He is a youth international for Belgium.[10]
Personal life
Balikwisha is the brother of the footballer William Balikwisha.[11]
Career statistics
Club
- As of matches played 25 May 2025[2]
| 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 | |
| 2024–25 | Belgian Pro League | 15 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 4 | |||
| Total | 113 | 22 | 10 | 2 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 140 | 29 | ||
| Career totals | 145 | 31 | 12 | 2 | 22 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 180 | 38 | ||
- ^ a b Appearances in the UEFA Europa League
- ^ Appearances in the UEFA Europa Conference League
- ^ Appearances in the UEFA Champions League
- ^ Appearance in the Belgian Super Cup
Honours
Royal Antwerp
References
- ^ "Aspire Academy Tri-Series Season 2016–17" (PDF). Aspire Academy. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
- ^ a b Michel-Ange Balikwisha at Soccerway. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Nu ook officieel: Michel-Ange Balikwisha krijgt zijn zin en ruilt Standard voor Antwerp" (in Dutch). nieuwsblad.be. 4 July 2021.
- ^ "Alderweireld earns Royal Antwerp first Belgian league title in 66 years". The Guardian. 4 June 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
- ^ a b "Antwerp wint nu ook de Supercup! KV Mechelen plooit pas na strafschoppen" (in Dutch). Sporza. 23 July 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
- ^ "Antwerp make history after qualifying for Champions League group stages for first time". Brussels Times. 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
- ^ "Antwerp 2 Shakhtar Donetsk 3 - Highlights". BEIN Sports. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
- ^ "Celtic Open Talks to sign Michel-Ange Balikwisha". msn.com. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ "Foot-Belgique: Deux léopards sauvent le Standard de Liège". 27 September 2020.
- ^ "Foot-Belgique: deux léopards sauvent le Standard de Liège". 27 September 2020.
- ^ "Royal Antwerp win first Belgian title in 66 years after Toby Alderweireld's stoppage-time equaliser". BBC. 4 June 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
External links
- Michel-Ange Balikwisha at Soccerway
- Michel-Ange Balikwisha at the Royal Belgian Football Association