Kenji Mboma Dem

Kenji Mboma Dem
Mboma Dem with FC Cincinnati in 2026
Personal information
Date of birth (2002-01-22) 22 January 2002
Place of birth Mantes-la-Jolie, France
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Position Forward[2]
Team information
Current team
 FC Cincinnati
Number 17
Youth career
Paris Saint-Germain
Black Rock FC
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020–2022 Omaha Mavericks 42 (12)
2023 Dayton Flyers 15 (9)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2024–2025 FC Cincinnati 2 26 (10)
2025 → FC Cincinnati (loan) 1 (0)
2025– FC Cincinnati 21 (5)
2025 → FC Cincinnati 2 (loan) 10 (4)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 02:07, 23 August 2026 (UTC)

Kenji Mboma Dem (born 22 January 2002) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Major League Soccer club FC Cincinnati.

Mboma Dem is an alumnus of the Omaha Mavericks and Dayton Flyers soccer programs, and was picked 57th overall in the second round of the 2024 MLS SuperDraft by FC Cincinnati.

Early career

Mboma Dem trained with the Paris Saint-Germain academy.[3] Mboma Dem later attended Northwood School in Lake Placid, New York, United States, where he helped his school to advance to the semi-finals of the U-19 Dallas Cup in 2018, and a year later he scored 26 goals during the U-19 IMG Cup, which his school ultimately won.[4] Mboma Dem graduated from Northwood School in 2020.[5] Mboma Dem also spent time in the academy of USL League Two club Black Rock FC.[6][7]

Omaha Mavericks

Later in 2020, Mboma Dem began attending the University of Nebraska Omaha and joined the school's men's soccer team.[8][9] On 22 February 2021, Mboma Dem made his college debut, playing 70 minutes of a 3–1 loss to the Kansas City Roos.[10][11] Three games later, Mboma Dem made his first college goal contribution when he provided an assist to Hugo Kametani in a 4–1 win over the Western Illinois Leathernecks on 6 March.[12][11] In the following game, Mboma Dem scored his first goal of his collegiate career in a 2–0 win over the Eastern Illinois Panthers on 18 March, followed by one goal each in the following two matches against the Eastern Illinois Panthers again and Kansas City Roos.[13][11] In total throughout his first season, Mboma Dem scored three goals and provided one assist, and he was named to the All-Summit Second Team and the All-Summit Newcomer Team.[11][14]

In Mboma Dem's second season, his offensive output increased marginally to three goals and three assists, and he was named to the All-Summit Tournament Team and All-Summit First Team for his performance during the 2021 Summit League men's soccer tournament.[11][15] While with the Omaha Mavericks, Mboma Dem joined the Legends of Africa squad for a friendly match against former Niger national team players at Stade Général Seyni Kountché in Niamey, Niger in December 2021. The Legends of Africa squad defeated Niger 4–3.[16]

The following season, Mboma Dem scored his first collegiate brace in a 3–1 win at the Oakland Golden Grizzlies on 28 August 2022.[11][17] At the conclusion of his final season with the Mavericks, Mboma Dem scored six goals and made eight assists, and was again named to the All-Summit Second Team.[11][18]

Dayton Flyers

Mboma Dem transferred to the University of Dayton during his senior year, and joined the school's soccer team, the Dayton Flyers.[19] Mboma Dem said that he transferred to Dayton in order to increase his exposure to Major League Soccer teams and because of the team's playing style.[20] On 10 September 2023, Mboma Dem scored his first goals for the Dayton Flyers when he converted two in a 6–0 win at the Rhode Island Rams.[21][22] Mboma Dem would score nine goals, three of which were braces, and make three assists during his final season of collegiate soccer.[21] The Dayton Flyers won the Atlantic 10 Championship final in a 2–1 win over the VCU Rams on 13 November 2023. For his performance throughout the tournament, Mboma Dem was named the Most Outstanding Performer.[23] Additionally, Mboma Dem was named to the First Team All-Atlantic.[24]

Club career

FC Cincinnati 2

On 20 December 2023, Mboma Dem was selected in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft by FC Cincinnati as the 57th overall pick in the second round.[25] Mboma Dem said that in the lead up to the draft, he was hoping to be selected by FC Cincinnati.[20] On 17 April 2024, Mboma Dem signed with FC Cincinnati's reserve team, FC Cincinnati 2, in MLS Next Pro ahead of the upcoming 2024 MLS Next Pro season.[26] Four days later, Mboma Dem made his professional debut when he started against Atlanta United 2, but was taken off in the 32nd-minute for Ben Stitz as FC Cincinnati 2 won 4–1.[27][28] Mboma Dem returned to FC Cincinnati 2's squad on 6 June in a match against Philadelphia Union II, and scored a brace, which would ultimately be the only goals of the match.[29] In total, Mboma Dem made 19 appearances and scored seven goals and made five assists during his first professional season of football.[28]

On 26 February 2025, Mboma Dem signed a short-term agreement with FC Cincinnati to make him available for a 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup match against Motagua and a league match against the Philadelphia Union.[30][31] The same day as the announcement, Mboma Dem made his debut for FC Cincinnati when he came on as a 79th-minute substitute for Pavel Bucha in a 1–1 draw against Motagua, securing a 5–2 aggregate win.[32][33] In the Philadelphia Union match on 1 March, Mboma Dem made his league debut as an 85th-minute substitute for Lukas Engel as FC Cincinnati lost 4–1.[34]

FC Cincinnati

On 5 July 2025, Mboma Dem signed a contract with FC Cincinnati through the remainder of the 2025 Major League Soccer season, with a team option for the next two seasons.[35] At the time of Mboma Dem's signing, he had made eight appearances and scored three goals with FC Cincinnati 2 in the 2025 MLS Next Pro season.[28] On 14 September, Mboma Dem returned to FC Cincinnati 2 on loan through the remainder of the season after making four appearances with the senior team, and with them he scored four goals and made two assists across 11 more appearances.[28][36] On 26 November, FC Cincinnati announced that it had exercised Mboma Dem's contract option.[37]

On 25 February 2026, Mboma Dem scored his first goals for the senior team, when he scored a brace in a 9–0 win over O&M in the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup, helping to secure a 13–0 win on aggregate.[38] On 11 April, Mboma Dem entered as a 88th-minute substitute for Bryan Ramírez while FC Cincinnati were down one player due to a 71st-minute second yellow card for Kévin Denkey in a match against Toronto FC. Despite being a man down, Mboma Dem scored in the second minute of stoppage time to secure a 1–1 draw, his first league goal for FC Cincinnati.[39] On 23 May, Mboma Dem scored his first league brace for FC Cincinnati in a 6–2 win over Orlando City, and as a result of his performance he was named to the Team of the Matchday bench for the first time in his career.[40][41]

Personal life

Kenji Mboma Dem is the fourth of five children of Cameroon international footballer Patrick Mboma. Mboma Dem's older siblings are considerably older than him, with his two brothers being nine and seven years older respectively. Mboma Dem started playing with footballs when he learned to walk, and would play football in the backyard of their home in Paris with his siblings. Mboma Dem's brothers stopped playing football competitively in their teens, and Mboma Dem said that their father never pressured him or his siblings to play football, rather telling them to pursue whatever they wanted to do in their lives.[16][20]

Career statistics

As of match played 22 August 2026[28]
Appearances and goals by club, season and division
Club Season League Playoffs National cup[a] Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
FC Cincinnati 2 2024 MLS Next Pro 18 7 1 0 — — — 19 7
2025 MLSNP 8 3 — 1 0 — — 9 3
Total 26 10 1 0 1 0 — — 28 10
FC Cincinnati (loan) 2025 MLS 1 0 — — 1[b] 0 — 2 0
FC Cincinnati 2025 MLS 3 0 — — — 1[c] 0 4 0
2026 MLS 18 5 — — 2[b] 2 3[c] 2 23 9
FC Cincinnati total 22 5 — — 3 2 4 2 29 9
FC Cincinnati 2 (loan) 2025 MLSNP 10 4 1 0 — — — 11 4
Career total 5587 19 2 0 1 0 3 2 4 1 68 23
  1. ↑ Includes U.S. Open Cup
  2. 1 2 Appearance(s) in CONCACAF Champions Cup
  3. 1 2 Appearance in Leagues Cup

Honours

Dayton Flyers

  • Atlantic 10 Conference men's soccer tournament: 2023[23]

References

  1. ↑ "FC Cincinnati sign forward Kenji Mboma Dem". FC Cincinnati. 5 July 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  2. ↑ "Kenji Mboma". WorldFootball.net. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  3. ↑ Chapley, Carter (24 June 2026). "Kenji Mboma Dem has risen through the ranks to earn his chance, and is building confidence, comfort with each opportunity". FC Cincinnati. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  4. ↑ Weiter, Taylor (19 December 2023). "FC Cincinnati selects two players, including University of Dayton alum, in MLS SuperDraft". WCPO-TV. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  5. ↑ Baker, Mitchell (22 April 2026). "Northwood Soccer Alumni Update". Northwood Mirror. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  6. ↑ Attiso, John (2 May 2024). "Le FC Cincinnati 2 officialise la signature de Kenji Mboma Dem". AfricaFoot (in French). Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  7. ↑ "Le fils de Patrick Mboma entre dans l'histoire des USA". CamerounWeb (in French). 16 September 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  8. ↑ "2020 Men's Soccer Roster". Omaha Mavericks. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  9. ↑ "Signings". Lincoln Journal Star. 3 September 2020. p. 14. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Men's Soccer vs Kansas City on 02/22/2021". Omaha Mavericks. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Kenji Mboma Dem". Omaha Mavericks. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  12. ↑ "Men's Soccer vs Western Illinois on 3/6/2021". Omaha Mavericks. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  13. ↑ "Men's Soccer vs Eastern Illinois on 3/18/2021". Omaha Mavericks. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  14. ↑ "#SummitMSOC all-league and individual awards announced". Summit League. 21 April 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  15. ↑ "Top-seeded Denver wins #SummitMSOC Championship on penalty kicks". Summit League. 13 November 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  16. 1 2 "Omaha Forward Participates In 'Magic' Event". Omaha Mavericks. 20 April 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  17. ↑ "Men's Soccer vs Oakland on 8/28/2022". Oakland Mavericks. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  18. ↑ "Oral Roberts, Denver rack up 2022 #SummitMSOC awards". Summit League. 9 November 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  19. ↑ "Men's Soccer Completes 2023 Class". Dayton Flyers. 7 August 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  20. 1 2 3 Kapusta, Katie (30 June 2024). "FC Cincinnati rookie has Ohio roots". Spectrum News 1. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  21. 1 2 "Kenji Mboma Dem". Dayton Flyers. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  22. ↑ "Men's Soccer vs Rhode Island on 9/16/2023". Dayton Flyers. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  23. 1 2 "Dayton men's soccer wins A-10 Championship, gets automatic NCAA Tournament bid". WHIO-TV. 13 November 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  24. ↑ "Four Flyers Recognized On All-Conference Teams". Dayton Flyers. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  25. ↑ Gumbert, Damon (20 December 2023). "FC Cincinnati adds much needed depth with MLS SuperDraft selections". WLWT. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  26. ↑ "FC Cincinnati 2 sign forward Kenji Mboma Dem". FC Cincinnati. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  27. ↑ "FC Cincinnati 2 score four against Atlanta United 2 in first road win of the season". FC Cincinnati 2. 21 April 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  28. 1 2 3 4 5 "Kenji Mboma". Soccerway. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  29. ↑ "Kenji Mboma Dem brace powers FC Cincinnati 2 past Philadelphia Union II, 2-0". FC Cincinnati 2. 6 June 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  30. ↑ "FC Cincinnati add Noah Adnan, Amir Daley and Kenji Mboma Dem to roster on short-term agreement". FC Cincinnati 2. 26 February 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  31. ↑ "FC Cincinnati add Peter Mangione and Kenji Mboma Dem to roster on short-term agreement". FC Cincinnati. 1 March 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  32. ↑ "RECAP | FC Cincinnati 1, FC Motagua 1 (FC Cincinnati win 5–2 on aggregate)". FC Cincinnati. 26 February 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  33. ↑ Atcha, Marturin (28 February 2025). "Kenji Mboma, fils de Patrick Mboma, débute en professionnel avec le FC Cincinnati". Actu Cameroun (in French). Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  34. ↑ "RECAP | Philadelphia Union 4, FC Cincinnati 1". FC Cincinnati. 1 March 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  35. ↑ Nia, Kamran (5 July 2025). "FC Cincinnati signs Kenji Mboma Dem to first team contract". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  36. ↑ "FC Cincinnati loan Kenji Mboma Dem to FC Cincinnati 2". FC Cincinnati. 14 September 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  37. ↑ "FC Cincinnati announce roster decisions ahead of the 2026 season". FC Cincinnati. 26 November 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  38. ↑ Reuters, Thomson (26 February 2026). "CONCACAF Champions Cup: FC Cincinnati cap 13-0 series rout". WTVB. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  39. ↑ "Kenji Mboma Dem rallies short-handed Cincinnati to 1-1 draw with Toronto". Associated Press. 11 April 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  40. ↑ "Evander has 2 goals, 3 assists, Mboma Dem adds 2 goals as Cincinnati beats Orlando 6-2". Associated Press. 23 May 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  41. ↑ "Evander named to MLS Team of the Matchday for Matchday 15". FC Cincinnati. 25 May 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
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