MEAP Nisou land French-DR Congo centre-back Thadee Kaleba on free transfer

French-DR Congo defender Thadee Kaleba has joined Cypriot club MEAP Nisou from Finland’s Ekenas IF on a free transfer.

The 27-year-old centre-back has signed a contract running until 31 May 2027 and becomes a MEAP Nisou player on 1 September 2026.

Kaleba moves to the 2. Division side after playing for Ekenas in the Ykkosliiga, Finland’s second-tier competition. He joined the Finnish club in April 2025 after a period without a club and made 41 appearances in the Ykkosliiga, scoring three goals.

The Lyon-born defender began his football journey with Olympique Lyonnais’ youth teams before moving to Chievo’s under-19 side in 2016. He later joined Amiens SC B in 2019, making the switch from Italy to France.

Kaleba moved to Italy’s Molfetta in January 2021 before changing countries again later that year, joining Belgian club Solieres. He spent the 2022-23 season with Slovenian side Tabor Sezana, where he made appearances in the Druga Liga and scored once in the Pokal Slovenije.

His next move took him to Bulgaria, with Kaleba joining Sportist Svoge on a free transfer in July 2024. He left the club in January 2025 before signing for Ekenas three months later.

The right-footed defender, who is 1.86 metres tall, has also featured in a range of domestic competitions during his career, including Italy’s Primavera 1, Serie D and Coppa Primavera, as well as France’s National 2.

At Ekenas, Kaleba added experience of Finnish league football to a career that has taken him through clubs in France, Italy, Belgium, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Finland. His arrival gives MEAP Nisou a centre-back with a playing history across several European leagues.

Kaleba’s market value is listed at €100,000, while the move to Cyprus was completed without a transfer fee. He is now contracted to MEAP Nisou through the end of May 2027.