Noe Baba: Former Athlone and Finn Harps Midfielder Joins Mayo FC on Free Transfer

Ireland and Cameroon midfielder Noe Baba has joined Mayo FC on a free transfer after a short spell without a club, strengthening the new sides options in defensive midfield.

Baba, 29, moves to Mayo from free agency, having left Athlone Town at the start of 2026. The transfer was completed on 6 July 2026 and involves no fee. A right-footed defensive midfielder standing at 1.78m, he arrives with experience across the League of Ireland and the lower tiers in Germany and England.

The move represents a return to his home county. Baba began his career in Mayo with Castlebar Celtic before leaving for Fulhams academy in 2012. After progressing from Fulhams under-18s to their under-21s and then moving on to Birmingham Citys under-21 side, he stepped into senior football with Macclesfield Town in 2017.

Baba first returned to Ireland in 2018 with Waterford FC before heading to Germany in early 2019 to join USI Lupo-Martini Wolfsburg. A subsequent move to SC Fortuna Koln saw his market value peak at around 100,000 in 2020, reflecting an established role in the German lower leagues before a later switch to KFC Uerdingen 05.

He came back to Irish football again in March 2023 with Finn Harps, and then moved to Athlone Town in January 2025. His most recent recorded market valuation, during his time with Finn Harps in 2023, stood at zero euros after a period of contract changes and free transfers.

Baba now links up with Mayo FC as an experienced holding midfielder with a career spanning academies in England, senior football in Germany and multiple spells in the League of Ireland.