Randal Kolo Muani

Randal Kolo Muani (born 5 December 1998) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt and the France national team.

In this Congolese name, the surname is Kolo and the post-surname is Muani.

Randal Kolo Muani
Kolo Muani with Nantes in 2020
Personal information
Full name Randal Kolo Muani
Date of birth (1998-12-05) 5 December 1998
Place of birth Bondy, France
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Eintracht Frankfurt
Number 9
Youth career
2005–2010 Villepinte FC
2010–2011 Tremblay FC
2011–2015 Torcy
2015–2018 Nantes
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2020 Nantes B 62 (17)
2018–2022 Nantes 79 (21)
2019–2020 → Boulogne (loan) 14 (3)
2022– Eintracht Frankfurt 30 (14)
International career‡
2020–2021 France U21 7 (1)
2021 France Olympic 4 (1)
2022– France 7 (1)
Honours
Men's football
Representing  France
FIFA World Cup
Runner-up2022 Qatar
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:58, 13 May 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:37, 27 March 2023 (UTC)

Early life

Randal Kolo Muani[2] was born on 5 December 1998 in Bondy, Seine-Saint-Denis.[3] He is of Congolese descent.[4][5]

Club career

Nantes

At the start of his career, Kolo Muani played for several Parisian teams, including Villepinte,[6] Trembley and US Torcy.[7] During the same period, he also trained with Italian teams Vicenza and Cremonese,[8] before joining Nantes' youth academy in 2015.[9] Kolo Muani received his first call-up to the Nantes first team on 12 February 2017 for a match against Marseille[10] and on 4 June 2018, he signed his first professional contract with his childhood club, Nantes.[11] He made his professional debut in a 3–0 Ligue 1 loss to Saint-Étienne on 30 November 2018.[12] On 21 January 2019 he made his first start in a 1–0 loss to Angers.[13]

In August 2019, Kolo Muani joined Boulogne on a season-long loan deal.[14] On 30 August, he made his first appearance with the club in a Championnat National match against Avranches, and he scored his first goal for the club on 21 February 2020.[15] At Boulogne, he demonstrated his talents and contributed 3 goals and 5 assists, helping the club reach third place in the standings in the tournament, which ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[16][17]

Kolo Muani returned to Nantes for the 2020–21 season and scored his first goal for Les Canaris in a 3–1 win against Brest.[18] He scored 9 goals and provided as many assists in 37 appearances, but the club had a challenging season and finished in seventeenth place. As a result, they landed in the Ligue 1 relegation/promotion play-offs against Toulouse, winners of the Ligue 2 play-offs.[19] During the play-offs, Kolo Muani scored one goal in two matches, helping Nantes avoid relegation.[20] During the following season, Kolo Muani had another outstanding performance, scoring 12 goals and providing 5 assists in 37 appearances. He also won his first trophy with the club, the 2021–22 Coupe de France.[21][22]

Eintracht Frankfurt

On 4 March 2022, Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt signed Kolo Muani on a pre-contract agreement ahead of the expiration of his Nantes contract.[23] He signed a five-year deal with the club.[24] On 26 October 2022, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in a 2–1 win over Marseille,[25] and on 1 November, he scored the winning goal in a 2–1 away victory over Sporting CP, securing his club's qualification to the knockout phase for the first time in the Champions League era.[26]

On 7 February 2023, Kolo Muani scored his first double in the DFB-Pokal in a 4–2 home victory over Darmstadt.[27] Eleven days later, he scored his 10th goal in the Bundesliga against Werder Bremen.[28] On 4 April, he scored a brace in 93 seconds in a 2–0 win over Union Berlin in the DFB-Pokal quarter-finals.[29]

International career

Kolo Muani was a youth international for France. He has previously played matches for his country's under-21 national team.[30]

On 15 September 2022, Kolo Muani received his first call-up to the France national team for two UEFA Nations League matches.[31] On 16 November 2022, he replaced Christopher Nkunku in France's FIFA World Cup squad after the latter was forced to withdraw due to injury.[32][33] On 14 December, Kolo Muani scored his first goal for France, in the semi-final match against Morocco, slotting in a deflected shot from Kylian Mbappé.[34] He also became the third fastest player to score a goal as a substitute in the World Cup, after 44 seconds, only behind Richard Morales and Ebbe Sand.[34][35] In the final against Argentina, he won a penalty which was converted into a goal by Kylian Mbappé, then scored in the penalty shootout which ended in a 4–2 defeat.[36] During the match, past the 120th minute and into the final stoppage time before penalties, Kolo Muani had an opportunity to score the go-ahead goal and potentially win the World Cup for France, but it was saved by Emiliano Martínez in what has been described as the "new "Save of the Century"".[37] Kolo Muani recalls the moment by saying "I could have lobbed him, or find Kylian Mbappé [to the left]. But in the moment, I didn't see him. It's only when you watch back that you discover the other options. It's too late. It still sticks in my throat and it'll be there for life."[38][39][40][41]

Player profile

Style of play

Kolo Muani's playing style has drawn comparisons to the legendary French striker Thierry Henry. Like Henry, Kolo Muani began his career as a wide player known for his pace and trickery, but eventually transitioned into a center-forward position. Both players have a similar height of around 6'2" and possess rangy physiques. Kolo Muani's languid dribbling style and impressive speed are also reminiscent of Henry's style of play, particularly during his younger days. He has a remarkable strength on the ball and a playful approach to the game that can leave defenders trailing behind him.

France national team coach, Didier Deschamps, acknowledged Kolo Muani's many qualities, describing him as a player who has a significant presence, runs in behind from deep, and has a good finishing ability.

Frankfurt's head coach, Oliver Glasner, praised Kolo Muani's speed, tackling, dribbling, and finishing skills, noting that he is an asset to the team.

Markus Krösche, Eintracht Frankfurt's board member for sport, expressed his excitement for Kolo Muani's potential, stating that his speed, robustness, finishing skills, and tactical versatility are qualities that the team needs. He further noted that Kolo Muani's potential had attracted the interest of many clubs, and the team is delighted that he has chosen to take his next steps with them.[42]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 13 May 2023[43]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[lower-alpha 1] Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Nantes B 2015–16 CFA 10———10
2016–17 CFA 218———218
2017–18 Championnat National 3 216———216
2018–19 Championnat National 2 173———173
2019–20 Championnat National 2 10———10
2020–21 Championnat National 2 10———10
Total 6217———6217
Nantes 2018–19 Ligue 1 6000—0060
2020–21 Ligue 1 37910—2[lower-alpha 2]14010
2021–22 Ligue 1 361251——4113
Total 792161—218723
Boulogne (loan) 2019–20 Championnat National 143———143
Eintracht Frankfurt 2022–23 Bundesliga 3014567[lower-alpha 3]21[lower-alpha 4]04322
Career total 18555117723120665
  1. Includes Coupe de France, DFB-Pokal
  2. Appearances in Ligue 1 relegation/promotion play-offs
  3. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  4. Appearance in UEFA Super Cup

International
As of match played 27 March 2023[44]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
France 202251
202320
Total71
As of match played 27 March 2023
France score listed first, score column indicates score after each Kolo Muani goal.[44]
List of international goals scored by Randal Kolo Muani
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
114 December 2022Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar4 Morocco2–02–02022 FIFA World Cup[45]

Honours

Nantes

France

Individual

References
  1. "Randal Kolo Muani". Eintracht Frankfurt. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  2. "Squad List: Men's Olympic Football Tournament Tokyo 2020: France (FRA)" (PDF). FIFA. 22 July 2021. p. 6. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  3. "Randal Kolo Muani". L'Équipe (in French). Paris. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  4. "Football (National): Vahid, Mbappe, le Congo, la fusée Randal Kolo Muani se confie". La Voix du Nord (in French). 13 February 2020. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  5. "Eintracht Frankfurt - Kolo Muani kommt an den Main". bundesliga.de - die offizielle Webseite der Bundesliga (in German). 4 March 2022. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  6. "Randal Kolo Muani: Forged in Villepinte, Hardened in Boulogne, Nurtured in Nantes and Unlocked by Antoine Kombouaré". 9 June 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  7. "L'enfant de Villepinte, Tremblay et Torcy a bien grandi…" (in French). 13 January 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  8. "Kolo Muani e la Cremonese" (in Italian). 17 December 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  9. "Formation – Randal Kolo-Muani, Made In FC Nantes" (in French). Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  10. "Le groupe nantais face à Marseille". 17 February 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  11. "Effectif – Randal KOLO MUANI jusqu'en 2022" (in French). Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  12. "AS Saint-Etienne – FC Nantes (3–0) – Saison 2018/2019 – Ligue 1 Conforama" (in French). Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  13. "1ère titularisation pour l'attaquant" (in French). 21 January 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  14. "Football: Boulogne se fait prêter le Nantais Kolo Muani" (in French). La Voix du Nord. 22 August 2019.
  15. "Le Puy finit par craquer à Boulogne" (in French). 21 February 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  16. "FC Nantes. À Boulogne, Randal Kolo Muani se révèle en National". 6 March 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  17. "Football: Randal Kolo Muani, l'histoire d'un prêt réussi à Boulogne". 8 May 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  18. "Les images de la victoire (3-1)" (in French). 18 October 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  19. "Le maintien passera par les barrages" (in French). 23 May 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  20. "Une option à confirmer à la maison!" (in French). 27 May 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  21. "Nantes beat Nice to win Coupe de France". 7 May 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  22. "Nice 0–1 Nantes: Ludovic Blas penalty wins French Cup for Nantes". BBC Sport. 7 May 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  23. "Eintracht holt Stürmer Kolo Muani". kicker (in German). 4 March 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  24. "Official | Eintracht Frankfurt sign Randal Kolo-Muani". Get German Football News. 4 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  25. "Randal Kolo Muani: The Bundesliga's top creator". DW. 29 October 2022.
  26. "Randal Kolo Muani: the Bundesliga assist king leading Eintracht Frankfurt to UEFA Champions League knockouts". Bundesliga. 2 November 2022.
  27. "Kolo Muani double helps Frankfurt beat Darmstadt 4-2 in German Cup". 7 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  28. Gennaro Arpaia (19 February 2023). "Eintracht Frankfurt-Werder Brema 2-0, Kolo Muani manda messaggi al Napoli" (in Italian). Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  29. "Randal Kolo Muani: Eintracht Frankfurts Skill-Experte". Bundesliga (in German). 4 April 2023.
  30. "Randal Kolo Muani". Fédération Française de Football (in French). Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  31. Dicks, Jonathan (15 September 2022). "Kolo Muani called up to France squad". Bulinews. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  32. "Kolo Muani replaces injured Nkunku in France's World Cup squad". Reuters. 16 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  33. "Coupe du monde 2022 : Randal Kolo Muani remplace Christopher Nkunku, blessé, au sein de l'équipe de France". Le Monde (in French). 16 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  34. "Der Joker sticht: Kolo Muani trifft mit erstem Ballkontakt". FAZ.NET (in German). dpa. 14 December 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  35. "France bring Morocco's adventure to an end and reach World Cup final". The Guardian. 14 December 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  36. "Randal Kolo Muani: Who is the Eintracht Frankfurt forward and 2022 World Cup runner-up with France?". Bundesliga. 26 December 2022.
  37. "Qatar 2022 - 'Dibu' Martínez's new "Save of the Century"". Mundo Deportivo USA. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  38. "'It'll be there for life' - France star Kolo Muani admits he's still haunted by miss in dying embers of World Cup final defeat to Argentina | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  39. Sears, Ethan (18 December 2022). "Emiliano Martínez's heroics save Argentina in clutch for World Cup title". New York Post. NYP Holdings, Inc. Retrieved 20 February 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  40. "'I still have it in my throat, it will stay for life': Kolo Muani on his last minute miss in World Cup final against Emi Martinez". The Indian Express. 3 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  41. Jones, Mark (3 February 2023). "Heartbroken France star can't get over World Cup miss- "It'll be there for life"". mirror. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  42. "Randal Kolo Muani: Who is the Eintracht Frankfurt forward and 2022 World Cup runner-up with France?". bundesliga.com - the official Bundesliga website. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  43. "R. Kolo Muani". Soccerway. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  44. "Randal Kolo Muani". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  45. "France vs. Morocco 2–0: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  46. "COUPE DE FRANCE 2021 – 2022 – FINALE". French Football Federation. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  47. McNulty, Phil (18 December 2022). "Argentina 3–3 France". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  48. "The official Bundesliga Team of the Season 2022/23". Bundesliga. 13 May 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
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