Kembo Kibato | |
Birth Date: | 16 September 2000 |
Birth Place: | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Height: | 1.70 m |
Position: | Attacking midfielder |
Currentclub: | Vancouver FC |
Clubnumber: | 21 |
Youthyears1: | –2017 |
Youthclubs1: | North Toronto Nitros |
Youthyears2: | 2017–2019 |
Youthclubs2: | Toronto FC |
Years1: | 2016–2017 |
Clubs1: | North Toronto Nitros |
Caps1: | 21 |
Goals1: | 4 |
Years2: | 2018 |
Clubs2: | Toronto FC III |
Caps2: | 8 |
Goals2: | 0 |
Years3: | 2019–2020 |
Clubs3: | Helsingør |
Caps3: | 0 |
Goals3: | 0 |
Years4: | 2020–2021 |
Clubs4: | Rio Grande Valley FC |
Caps4: | 12 |
Goals4: | 1 |
Years5: | 2021 |
Clubs5: | → FC Tulsa (loan) |
Caps5: | 29 |
Goals5: | 2 |
Years6: | 2022 |
Clubs6: | FC Tulsa |
Caps6: | 28 |
Goals6: | 0 |
Years7: | 2023 |
Clubs7: | Hartford Athletic |
Caps7: | 19 |
Goals7: | 0 |
Years8: | 2024– |
Clubs8: | Vancouver FC |
Caps8: | 1 |
Goals8: | 0 |
Pcupdate: | April 14, 2024 |
Kembo Kibato (born September 16, 2000) is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as an attacking midfielder for Canadian Premier League side Vancouver FC.
Kibato played youth soccer with the North Toronto Nitros.[1]
In 2017, he played with Team Ontario at the 2017 Canada Summer Games, helping them win the gold medal.[2] [3]
In 2017, Kibato joined the Toronto FC Academy.
In 2016, Kibato debuted with the North Toronto Nitros senior team in League1 Ontario, making two substitute appearances.[4] The following season, he joined the senior squad full-time, scoring 4 goals in 19 appearances,[5] and was named a league third-team all-star.[6] In 2018, he played with Toronto FC III.
In 2019, he attended training camp with Forge FC of the Canadian Premier League, but did not ultimately sign with the club.[7]
On July 18, 2019, Kibato signed with Danish 2nd Division side FC Helsingør.[8] [9] Kibato left on January 14, 2020 without making an official first team appearance, having only played in friendlies.[10]
On March 7, 2020, Kibato joined USL Championship side Rio Grande Valley FC.[11] He made his debut for RGVFC on July 11, 2020, appearing as an 83rd-minute substitute during a 1–0 loss to El Paso Locomotive.[12] He scored his first professional goal on August 8 against Austin Bold FC.[13] [14] In October, he was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week after recording two assists in a 4-2 victory against OKC Energy FC in the season finale.[15]
On April 9, 2021, Kibato moved on a season-long loan to USL Championship side FC Tulsa.[16] At the end of the season, he was named the team's Newcomer of the Year.[17] [18] On December 29, Tulsa announced they had signed Kibato to a permanent deal ahead of the 2022 season.[19] Following the 2022 season, Kibato’s contract ended. [20]
On December 12, 2022, Kibato was announced as a new signing for USL Championship side Hartford Athletic ahead of their 2023 season.[21]
On February 29, 2024, Vancouver FC announced the signing of the Canadian midfielder on a two-year contract, ahead of the 2024 Canadian Premier League season.[22] [23]
Club | Season | League | Playoffs | Domestic Cup | Continental | Total | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
North Toronto Nitros | 2016 | League1 Ontario | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
2017 | League1 Ontario | 19 | 4 | — | — | — | 19 | 4 | |||||
Total | 21 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 4 | |||
Toronto FC III | 2018[24] | League1 Ontario | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||||
FC Helsingør | 2019–20 | Danish 2nd Division | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
Rio Grande Valley FC | 2020 | USL Championship | 12 | 1 | — | — | — | 12 | 1 | ||||
FC Tulsa (loan) | 2021 | USL Championship | 29 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 2 | |||
FC Tulsa | 2022 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 30 | 0 | |||
Total | 57 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 2 | |||
Hartford Athletic | 2023 | USL Championship | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 17 | 0 | ||
Career total | 115 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 118 | 7 |