| Peniel Mlapa | |
| Full Name: | Peniel Kokou Mlapa |
| Birth Date: | 20 February 1991 |
| Birth Place: | Lomé, Togo |
| Height: | 1.93 m[1] |
| Currentclub: | Busan IPark |
| Clubnumber: | 9 |
| Position: | Striker |
| Youthyears1: | –1999 |
| Youthclubs1: | FC Unterföhring |
| Youthyears2: | 1999–2009 |
| Youthclubs2: | 1860 Munich |
| Years1: | 2008–2010 |
| Clubs1: | 1860 Munich II |
| Caps1: | 13 |
| Goals1: | 5 |
| Years2: | 2009–2010 |
| Clubs2: | 1860 Munich |
| Caps2: | 23 |
| Goals2: | 6 |
| Years3: | 2010–2012 |
| Caps3: | 54 |
| Goals3: | 5 |
| Years4: | 2011–2012 |
| Caps4: | 3 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Years5: | 2012–2015 |
| Clubs5: | Borussia Mönchengladbach |
| Caps5: | 25 |
| Goals5: | 3 |
| Years6: | 2012–2013 |
| Clubs6: | → Borussia Mönchengladbach II |
| Caps6: | 6 |
| Goals6: | 1 |
| Years7: | 2014–2015 |
| Clubs7: | → 1. FC Nürnberg (loan) |
| Caps7: | 24 |
| Goals7: | 3 |
| Years8: | 2015–2017 |
| Clubs8: | VfL Bochum |
| Caps8: | 62 |
| Goals8: | 13 |
| Years9: | 2017–2019 |
| Clubs9: | Dynamo Dresden |
| Caps9: | 21 |
| Goals9: | 4 |
| Years10: | 2018–2019 |
| Clubs10: | → VVV-Venlo (loan) |
| Caps10: | 30 |
| Goals10: | 15 |
| Years11: | 2019–2023 |
| Caps11: | 69 |
| Goals11: | 31 |
| Years12: | 2023 |
| Clubs12: | Al Nasr |
| Caps12: | 12 |
| Goals12: | 1 |
| Years13: | 2024 |
| Clubs13: | Daejeon Hana Citizen |
| Caps13: | 16 |
| Goals13: | 4 |
| Years14: | 2024– |
| Clubs14: | Busan IPark |
| Caps14: | 8 |
| Goals14: | 2 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2009–2010 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 10 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 1 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2010–2013 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 21 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 8 |
| Nationalyears3: | 2017– |
| Nationalcaps3: | 15 |
| Nationalgoals3: | 0 |
| Pcupdate: | 15 September 2024 |
| Ntupdate: | 17 November 2020 |
Peniel Kokou Mlapa (born 20 February 1991) is a Togolese professional footballer who plays as a striker for K League 2 club Busan IPark .[2] He also holds German citizenship.
Born in Lomé, Togo, Mlapa emigrated to Germany as a young child. He began his youth career with FC Ismaning, but in 1999, he moved to TSV 1860 Munich. He made his debut for 1860's U19 team on 12 September 2008 against 1. FC Heidenheim. Over the 2008–09 season, he made two appearances as a substitute for 1860's reserve side, both of which came in victories, but he remained a regular for the U19s.
On 17 May 2009, Mlapa made his debut in professional football as a stoppage time substitute against Alemannia Aachen He scored his first senior goal for 1860 on 4 October against St. Paul. In the next game against MSV Duisburg, Mlapa appeared in the starting lineup for the first time and scored again.
In the summer of 2010, Mlapa joined the Bundesliga side Hoffenheim, signing a contract through 2013.He scored his first goal for the club in the DFB-Pokal against Hansa Rostock. In all, Mlapa scored five times in 54 Bundesliga games for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
In May 2012, Mlapa joined Borussia Mönchengladbach for €3 million. The striker signed a four-year contract.[3]
In March 2024, Mlapa joined K League 1 club Daejeon Hana Citizen.[4]
On 7 October 2009, Mlapa made his debut for the German under-19s as a 90th-minute substitute against Luxembourg. A few weeks later, he was called up to represent Togo in their final world cup qualifier, but he declined this invitation and progressed to the German under-21 squad.
He finally accepted a call-up to the Togo national team for 2017 AFCON qualifiers against Tunisia in March 2016.[5] On 1 June 2017, he made his debut with the Togolese national team, in a 3–0 defeat against Nigeria.[6]
The Togolese-born Mlapa acquired German citizenship in his childhood,[7] thus becoming eligible for his adopted home country's national side.
| Club | Season | League | Domestic Cup | European Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| TSV 1860 Munich II | 2008–09 | Regionalliga Süd | 3 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| 2009–10 | 10 | 5 | — | — | 10 | 5 | |||||
| Total | 13 | 5 | — | 0 | 0 | 13 | 5 | ||||
| 1860 Munich | 2008–09 | 2. Bundesliga | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2009–10 | 21 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — | 23 | 6 | ||||
| Total | 23 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 6 | |||
| 1899 Hoffenheim | 2010–11 | Bundesliga | 30 | 4 | 4 | 1 | — | 34 | 5 | ||
| 2011–12 | 24 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 28 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 54 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 6 | |||
| 1899 Hoffenheim II | 2011–12 | Regionalliga Süd | 3 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| Borussia Mönchengladbach | 2012–13 | Bundesliga | 20 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5[8] | 1 | 26 | 3 | |
| 2013–14 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 25 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 31 | 4 | |||
| Borussia Mönchengladbach II | 2012–13 | Regionalliga West | 4 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| 2013–14 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 6 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | ||||
| 1. FC Nürnberg | 2014–15 | 2. Bundesliga | 24 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 25 | 3 | ||
| VfL Bochum | 2015–16 | 2. Bundesliga | 28 | 5 | 3 | 0 | — | 31 | 5 | ||
| 2016–17 | 32 | 8 | 1 | 0 | — | 33 | 8 | ||||
| 2017–18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 62 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 13 | |||
| Dynamo Dresden | 2017–18 | 2. Bundesliga | 21 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | 22 | 4 | ||
| VVV-Venlo | 2018–19 | Eredivisie | 30 | 15 | 1 | 0 | — | 31 | 15 | ||
| 2019–20 | UAE Pro League | 18 | 11 | — | — | 18 | 11 | ||||
| Career total | 279 | 66 | 18 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 302 | 68 | |||