Benjamin George Cabango (born 30 May 2000) is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a defender for EFL Championship club Swansea City and the Wales national team.
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Benjamin George Cabango[1] | ||
Date of birth | 30 May 2000 | ||
Place of birth | Cardiff, Wales | ||
Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
Position(s) | Defender | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Swansea City | ||
Number | 5 | ||
Youth career | |||
Newport County | |||
Swansea City | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2018– | Swansea City | 173 | (9) |
2018–2019 | → The New Saints (loan) | 16 | (0) |
International career‡ | |||
2017 | Wales U17 | 1 | (0) |
2018–2019 | Wales U19 | 10 | (1) |
2019 | Wales U21 | 5 | (0) |
2020– | Wales | 11 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:23, 29 September 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:01, 14 October 2024 (UTC) |
Early life
editCabango was born in Cardiff to an Angolan father and a Welsh mother. He has a younger brother named Theo who plays rugby union for Cardiff.[2] He attended Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Plasmawr, a Welsh language comprehensive school.[3][4]
Club career
editCabango began his career as a youth player with local amateur side Maindy Corries, where his father Paolo was a coach, before joining the youth academy at Newport County,[5] where he played from under-13 to under-15 levels. He moved to the academy at Swansea City when he is 14,[6] where he captained the under-19 side to win the FAW Welsh Youth Cup in 2018 and helped the under-23 side reach the final of the Premier League Cup.[3][7]
In June 2018, Cabango signed his first professional deal with Swansea City, then signed for reigning Welsh Premier League champions The New Saints on a six-month loan deal.[3][8] He made his senior debut for the side in a 5–0 defeat to Macedonian side KF Shkëndija in the first leg of the first qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League.[9] In the return leg, Cabango scored his first senior goal as The New Saints won 4–0 but were eliminated on aggregate.[10]
On 13 August 2019, he made his professional debut for Swansea in a 3–1 victory over Northampton Town in the first round of the League Cup.[11] He made his league debut as a substitute against Huddersfield Town on 26 November 2019.[12] In March 2020, he signed a new deal with Swansea until 2023.[13]
International career
editCabango made his senior Wales international debut as a second-half substitute during the team's UEFA Nations League League B match against Finland on 3 September 2020, which Wales won 1–0.[14] In May 2021 he was selected for the Wales squad for the delayed UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.[15] In November 2022 he was named in the Wales squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.[16]
Personal life
editBen Cabango is the elder brother of professional rugby union player Theo Cabango.[17]
Career statistics
editClub
edit- As of match played 29 September 2024
Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Swansea City | 2018–19[18] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
2019–20[19] | Championship | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 26 | 1 | |
2020–21[20] | Championship | 30 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[a] | 0 | 35 | 4 | |
2021–22[21] | Championship | 37 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 39 | 2 | ||
2022–23[22] | Championship | 43 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 46 | 2 | ||
2023–24[22] | Championship | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 36 | 0 | ||
2024–25[23] | Championship | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 9 | 1 | ||
Total | 173 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 191 | 10 | ||
The New Saints (loan) | 2018–19[24] | Welsh Premier League | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6[b] | 1 | 25 | 1 |
Career total | 189 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 216 | 11 |
- ^ a b Appearance(s) in Championship play-offs
- ^ Two appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League, four appearances in UEFA Europa League
International
edit- As of match played 11 October 2024
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Wales | 2020 | 2 | 0 |
2021 | 1 | 0 | |
2022 | 2 | 0 | |
2023 | 2 | 0 | |
2024 | 3 | 0 | |
Total | 10 | 0 |
References
edit- ^ "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – Squad list: Wales (WAL)" (PDF). FIFA. 15 November 2022. p. 32. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
- ^ Thomas, Simon (15 November 2019). "Introducing the Cabango brothers, the super-talented siblings excelling in Welsh rugby and at Swansea City". WalesOnline. Media Wales. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
- ^ a b c Bloor, Stewart (12 June 2018). "Saints Sign Swansea Starlet". The New Saints. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ "Annual Report of the Governing Body 2015–16" (PDF). Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Plasmawr. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ Masrani, Daniel (15 August 2015). "Maindy Boy Selected for Welsh Squad". Maindy Corries F.C. Archived from the original on 13 August 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ "Ben Cabango pens new Swansea City contract". Swansea City AFC. 18 March 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
- ^ Edwards, Joe (12 June 2018). "The New Saints sign Swansea youngster". Shropshire Star. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ "Cabango joins TNS on loan". Swansea City AFC. 12 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
- ^ "KF Shkendija 5–0 The New Saints". BBC Sport. 10 July 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ "The New Saints 4–0 KF Shkendija". BBC Sport. 17 July 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ "Swansea City 3–1 Northampton Town". BBC Sport. 13 August 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ "Huddersfield 1-1 Swansea". BBC. 26 November 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
- ^ "Ben Cabango: Swansea City defender signs new contract". BBC Sport. 18 March 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
- ^ Cabango Wales debut
- ^ "Uncapped Colwill in Wales Euro 2020 squad". BBC Sport.
- ^ 2022 Wales World Cup squad
- ^ "Theo Cabango: Brother of Swansea City's Ben bids to seize Cardiff Rugby chance". BBC Sport. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
- ^ "Games played by Ben Cabango in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ "Games played by Ben Cabango in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ "Games played by Ben Cabango in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ "Games played by Ben Cabango in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Games played by Ben Cabango in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ "Games played by Ben Cabango in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ "B. Cabango: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
External links
edit- Ben Cabango at Soccerway