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Kembo Kibato

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Kembo Kibato
Kibato in 2024
Personal information
Date of birth (2000-09-16) September 16, 2000 (age 24)
Place of birth Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team
 York United FC
Number 21
Youth career
0000–2017 North Toronto Nitros
2017–2019 Toronto FC
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2017 North Toronto Nitros 21 (4)
2018 Toronto FC III 8 (0)
2019–2020 Helsingør 0 (0)
2020–2021 Rio Grande Valley FC 12 (1)
2021 → FC Tulsa (loan) 29 (2)
2022 FC Tulsa 28 (0)
2023 Hartford Athletic 19 (0)
2024 Vancouver FC 9 (0)
2024– York United FC 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of October 27, 2024

Kembo Kibato (born September 16, 2000) is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as an attacking midfielder for Canadian Premier League side York United FC.

Early life

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Kibato played youth soccer with the North Toronto Nitros.[1]

In 2017, he played with Team Ontario at the 2017 Canada Summer Games, helping them win the gold medal.[2][3]

In 2017, Kibato joined the Toronto FC Academy.[1]

Club career

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In 2016, Kibato debuted with the North Toronto Nitros senior team in League1 Ontario, making two substitute appearances.[4] The following season, he joined the senior squad full-time, scoring 4 goals in 19 appearances,[5] and was named a league third-team all-star.[6] In 2018, he played with Toronto FC III.[7]

In 2019, he attended training camp with Forge FC of the Canadian Premier League, but did not ultimately sign with the club.[1][8]

On July 18, 2019, Kibato signed with Danish 2nd Division side FC Helsingør.[9][10] Kibato left on January 14, 2020 without making an official first team appearance, having only played in friendlies.[1][11]

On March 7, 2020, Kibato joined USL Championship side Rio Grande Valley FC.[12] He made his debut for RGVFC on July 11, 2020, appearing as an 83rd-minute substitute during a 1–0 loss to El Paso Locomotive.[13] He scored his first professional goal on August 8 against Austin Bold FC.[14][15] In October, he was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week after recording two assists in a 4-2 victory against OKC Energy FC in the season finale.[16]

On April 9, 2021, Kibato moved on a season-long loan to USL Championship side FC Tulsa.[17] At the end of the season, he was named the team's Newcomer of the Year.[18][19] On December 29, Tulsa announced they had signed Kibato to a permanent deal ahead of the 2022 season.[20] Following the 2022 season, Kibato’s contract ended.[21]

On December 12, 2022, Kibato was announced as a new signing for USL Championship side Hartford Athletic ahead of their 2023 season.[22]

On February 29, 2024, Vancouver FC announced the signing of the Canadian midfielder on a two-year contract, ahead of the 2024 Canadian Premier League season.[23][24]

In September 2024, Kibato was transferred to York United FC, signing a contract through 2025, in a player swap deal with Austin Ricci moving to Vancouver.[25][26]

Career statistics

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As of match played October 27, 2024[27]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Playoffs Domestic Cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
North Toronto Nitros 2016[4] League1 Ontario 2 0 — — — 2 0
2017[5] League1 Ontario 19 4 — — — 19 4
Total 21 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 21 4
Toronto FC III 2018[7] League1 Ontario 8 0 — — — 8 0
FC Helsingør 2019–20 Danish 2nd Division 0 0 — 0 0 — 0 0
Rio Grande Valley FC 2020 USL Championship 12 1 — — — 12 1
FC Tulsa (loan) 2021 USL Championship 29 2 1 0 — — 30 2
FC Tulsa 2022 28 0 0 0 2 0 — 30 0
Total 57 2 1 0 2 0 0 0 60 2
Hartford Athletic 2023 USL Championship 17 0 0 0 0 0 — 17 0
Vancouver FC 2024 Canadian Premier League 9 0 0 0 1 0 — 10 0
York United FC 2024 Canadian Premier League 3 0 2 0 0 0 — 5 0
Career total 127 7 3 0 3 0 0 0 133 7

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Merk, Carson A (July 27, 2020). "Kembo Kibato's journey has led him from the Six to the Valley". Beautiful Game Network.
  2. ^ Baker, Brian (August 31, 2017). "North Toronto Senior Wins Gold with Provincial Team". Puffin God.
  3. ^ Nielsen, Aaron (November 1, 2017). "Top 10 prospects from the 2017 League1 Ontario season". Red Nation Online.
  4. ^ a b "Kembo Kibato 2016 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  5. ^ a b "Kembo Kibato 2017 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  6. ^ Glover, Robin (May 3, 2018). "Toronto FC III 1-1 FC London: Match report". Waking the Red.
  7. ^ a b "Kembo Kibato 2018 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  8. ^ Jacques, John (April 16, 2019). "Cavalry FC To Announce Player Signing Tomorrow". Northern Tribune.
  9. ^ "Canadians Dada-Luke and Kibato joins FC Helsingør". FC Helsingør.
  10. ^ Kloke, Joshua (July 15, 2019). "North America or Europe? Danish club FC Helsingor enters the fray over developing top Canadian talent". The Athletic.
  11. ^ "FC Helsingør siger farvel til fem spillere" [FC Helsingør says goodbye to five players]. Bold (in Danish). January 14, 2020.
  12. ^ "RGV FC add ten players to 2020 roster". Rio Grande Valley FC. March 7, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  13. ^ "El Paso Locomotive FC Secures Three Points with 1-0 Win over Rio Grande Valley FC". El Paso Locomotive FC. July 12, 2020.
  14. ^ Merk, Carson A (August 12, 2020). "All Toros, No Bull: 10-man Toros blasted by Bold FC". Beautiful Game Network.
  15. ^ "Recap: Toros Fall 4-1 in Austin". Rio Grande Valley FC. August 8, 2020.
  16. ^ "Kibato Selected to USL Championship Team of the Week – Week 15". Rio Grande Valley FC. October 6, 2021.
  17. ^ "FC Tulsa Acquires Kembo Kibato on Loan from Toros". USL Championship. April 9, 2021.
  18. ^ "Announcing the FC Tulsa End of Season Player Awards". FC Tulsa. November 10, 2021.
  19. ^ "Returning to the North: Kembo Kibato to earn first professional minutes in Canada with Vancouver FC". Vancouver FC. February 29, 2024.
  20. ^ "Tulsa Brings Aboard Midfielder Kembo Kibato with New Deal". USL Championship. December 29, 2021.
  21. ^ Galbreath, Nolan (December 7, 2022). "FC Tulsa Announces Departures of Lebo Moloto, Kembo Kibato". FC Tulsa.
  22. ^ "Hartford brings aboard midfielder Kembo Kibato". USL Championship. December 12, 2022.
  23. ^ "Vancouver FC sign attacking midfielder Kembo Kibato". Canadian Premier League. February 29, 2024.
  24. ^ Vallejo, Felipe (February 29, 2024). "Vancouver FC Signs North York Native Kembo Kibato". Northern Tribune.
  25. ^ "York United FC confirms signing of Canadian midfielder Kembo Kibato". York United FC. September 13, 2024.
  26. ^ "Vancouver FC acquires Ricci, York United FC acquires Kibato in roster freeze deadline swap". Canadian Premier League. September 13, 2024.
  27. ^ Kembo Kibato at Soccerway
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