Mateus Kolenda: Liberia-Germany Forward Completes Move from Kitzbuhel to Riga Mariners

Riga Mariners have completed the signing of Liberia-Germany centre-forward Mateus Kolenda from Austrian side Kitzbuhel in a confirmed transfer to the Latvian club, who compete in the Futbola Pirma liga. The move was finalised on 2026-07-03, with the forward already listed as a Riga Mariners player.

Kolenda joins the Latvian second tier from Kitzbuhel, who play in Austria’s Regionalliga West. The transfer has been recorded with the fee listed as “?” and no market value stated, indicating that full financial details of the deal have not been disclosed. There is no information in the data confirming whether he moved as a free agent or for an undisclosed sum.

The 21-year-old centre-forward, standing at 1.85m and preferring his right foot, is now officially on the books at Riga Mariners, with his contract already under way from 2026-07-03. No end date for the agreement is provided in the available data, leaving the contract length unspecified and raising the possibility that his status could change later in his stint in Latvia, including the potential to become a free agent when the deal expires.

Born in Boston and holding nationalities of Liberia and Germany, Kolenda brings a diverse background to Riga Mariners. His dual heritage means he could potentially represent either Liberia or Germany at international level, although no senior national-team activity is documented beyond his club registration with Riga Mariners. His main position is listed as attack – centre-forward, underlining that he has been recruited primarily as a central striker rather than as a wide forward or attacking midfielder.

The move marks a confirmed switch from Austrian regional football to the Latvian Futbola Pirma liga, where Kolenda will be competing abroad rather than in either of his passport nations. His previous club Kitzbuhel operate in the Regionalliga West, a competition that has often been a stepping stone for young players looking to establish themselves in more prominent European leagues, and this transfer places him in a different footballing environment with new tactical and physical demands.

No market value is currently assigned to Kolenda in the data, and there are no recorded statistics for recent matches, appearances, goals, or assists in the current season. Likewise, there are no specific match details such as opponents, scorelines or individual performances available, meaning that his recent form prior to the switch cannot be quantified from the information provided.

With the contract at Riga Mariners already underway from 2026-07-03 and the player now registered in Latvia’s Futbola Pirma liga, Kolenda’s next steps will unfold in a competition outside his home countries of Liberia and Germany. How he adapts to Latvian football and converts this confirmed move into tangible performances will be crucial in determining the trajectory of his career and his reputation as an emerging centre-forward in European football.