At 35, Peniel Mlapa has decided to retire from professional football, bringing an end to a career spanning several clubs and memorable moments on the pitch.
Born in Lome and arriving in Germany at the age of two, the former Togolese international has had a rich career, primarily in Germany, but also in the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, and Thailand.
“From a little boy in Lome, through an asylum center in Unterfohring, to a professional soccer player traveling the world. Soccer has shown me the world,” the player wrote on social media.
Having come up through the youth ranks at FC Unterfohring and then TSV 1860 Munich, Mlapa played in the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim and Borussia Monchengladbach before going on to play for several other German clubs.
His stint with VVV-Venlo remains one of the highlights of his career, with 15 goals in 30 Eredivisie matches during the 2018–2019 season.
A German youth international up to the U21 level, he later chose to represent Togo. He earned 15 caps with the Eperviers between 2017 and 2020.
After a final stint in Asia, notably in South Korea and Thailand, Mlapa has decided to hang up his cleats.
