One of the retired players who had soorced clubs of Football is Jires Kembo Ekoko from France country of origin. Ekoko is also notable for being the brother to adopted football star, Kylian Mbappé.
Jires Kembo Ekoko is a French professional football player who has already retired. During his professional career, Ekoko primarily played as a winger or forward. His senior football career kicked off after he joined the Rennes team in 2006.
The Zaire native developed an interest in football at a young age and aimed to pursue a career in this field. During his early days, Ekoko used to play football in the street, but later, scouts discovered him.
Furthermore, Jires grew up in a sports family where most of the members were involved in sports, which helped him get more exposure to sports. He is also a former youth international for France.
Jires Kembo Ekoko Age and Height: All About His Early Life
Jires Kembo Ekoko was born on January 8, 1988, in Kinshasa, Zaire, making his age 36 as of 2024. Talking about his physical appearance, Ekoko has an athletic body, and he stands 5 feet 10 inches tall (1.78 m).
Despite being a native of Kinshasa, Ekoko moved to France at the age of six. He lived with his uncle and older sister in Bondy, Île-de-France after his arrival.
Jires’ decision to move to France was beneficial for him as it shaped his life and football career. He started playing football in the street. While playing in the school, Ekoko was spotted by the scouts.
In 1997, Jires was signed by the youth team AS Bondy at just nine years old. Four years later, he joined Clairefontaine. Ekoko gradually began making progress and played for Rennes’ youth team.
Jires Kembo Ekoko’s Parents – His Father Was A Professional Footballer
Jires Kembo Ekoko was raised by his parents in Zaire before he went to France. The details regarding his mother remain unclear, but it is known that his mom sent him to Europe for education.
On the other hand, Jires’ father, Kembo Uba Kembo, was a Congolese football midfielder. During his career, he represented the AS Vita Club team.
He also played an important role in helping the club win the African Cup of Champions Clubs. Likewise, Kembo was also part of Zaire’s national team and made 23 appearances for them, scoring five goals.
Kembo was part of the national team that played at the 1968 and 1974 African Cup of Nations finals. Sadly, he passed away on March 26, 2007, at the age of 59.
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Jires Kembo Ekoko Was Adopted By The Mbappé Family
Jires Kembo Ekoko was adopted by the Mbappé family when he was a teenager. Wilfried Mbappé and Fayza Lamari adopted Jires, and he became the older adopted brother of footballers Kylian Mbappé and Ethan Mbappé.
Kylian plays for the La Liga club Real Madrid and is also the captain of France’s national football team. Likewise, Ethan is a professional footballer playing for Ligue 1 club Lille as a footballer.
Meanwhile, Ekoko shares a strong bond with his adopted brothers. He can be followed on Instagram under the username @jires_kembo, and he has over 71k followers.
Ekoko often shares snaps with his brothers on Instagram, where they can be seen enjoying time together. Jires can usually be seen congratulating his brother Kylian on his achievements.
Short Details On Jires Kembo Ekoko’s Football Career
Jires Kembo Ekoko played youth football at teams like Bondy, INF Clairefontaine, and Rennes. He joined Rennes’ senior team in 2006 and made his debut against Lille.
Ekoko remained with Rennes for six years, making 110 game appearances and scoring 16 goals. In 2012, he went on to play with Al Ain, representing them in 57 matches. His career at Al Ain went well, and he netted 25 goals in total.
For the 2013-14 season, he was loaned to El Jaish, playing with them in 22 games and scoring six goals. From 2015 to 2017, Jires was a prominent player of the Al Nasar team, scoring 12 goals in 55 matches.
Following that, Jires played for 26 games and netted four goals until 2019. He also represented the French national team.
