Ngal’ayel Mukau

About

Ngal’ayel Mukau (born 3 November 2004) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ligue 1 club Lille. Born in Belgium, he plays for the DR Congo national team.

Mukau is a youth product of Mechelen and Zulte Waregem. On 20 July 2022, he signed his first professional contract with Mechelen for 2+1 seasons. He made his senior and professional debut with Mechelen in a 2–0 Belgian First Division A loss to Zulte Waregem on 8 January 2023.

On 11 July 2024, Mukau signed for French Ligue 1 club Lille, on a four-year contract. The financial details of the transfer include an initial and base fee of €4 million and a maximum of €1 million add-ons depending on sporting conditions. On 27 November, he scored his first professional goals with a brace in a 2–1 win at Bologna in the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League league phase.

Born in Belgium, Mukau is of DR Congolese descent. Mukau holds both Congolese and French nationalities from his parents. He is a former youth international for Belgium, having played for the Belgium U18s. However, he was called up to a training camp for the DR Congo U21s in September 2023, and…