Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa joins SC Montredon B after spells in France, England and Italy

Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, the France and Central African Republic centre-back, has joined SC Montredon B, adding a former French champion to the club’s defence.

The 37-year-old completed the move on 2 August 2026 after previously being without a club. He most recently played for Istres FC, whom he joined in January 2025, before leaving at the end of the 2024-25 season.

Yanga-Mbiwa brings extensive experience from France’s top two divisions and from European football. He made 176 Ligue 1 appearances, scoring four goals and recording three assists, while also featuring 64 times in Ligue 2.

His career has included spells with Montpellier, Newcastle United, Roma and Lyon. He began his senior career at Montpellier after progressing from the club’s under-19 side, and helped the team win the Ligue 1 title in the 2011-12 season.

The defender moved from Montpellier to Newcastle in January 2013 for €8m, beginning a period in which he played in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League. He later joined Roma on loan from Newcastle in September 2014, with the Italian club paying a €1.26m loan fee.

Roma made the move permanent in January 2015 for €7.35m, but Yanga-Mbiwa returned to France later that year when Lyon signed him for €9.4m. His European record also includes 28 Serie A appearances, 37 Premier League matches and 21 Champions League appearances.

Yanga-Mbiwa is a right-footed central defender who stands 1.84m tall. Across his career, he has also played in the Europa League, Coupe de la Ligue, Coupe de France, EFL Cup and FA Cup.

His move to SC Montredon B marks the latest chapter in a career that has taken him from Montpellier’s youth ranks to major leagues in England and Italy. Yanga-Mbiwa officially joined the French club on 2 August 2026.