‘I HAVE A NAME AND A SURNAME’ – AS MONACO’S MALAMINE EFEKELE ‘IRRITATED’ BY KYLIAN MBAPPÉ COMPARISONS

Malamine Efekele (19) has struggled to shift the Kylian Mbappé (25) comparisons. Having grown up in Bondy, like Mbappé, and being managed by Mbappé’s dad at youth level before making the move to AS Monaco, it is clear to see the similarities.

In the second half of this season, he went on loan to Monaco’s satellite club, Cercle Brugge, where he has played 10 games, scoring one goal. Without a clear path to playing consistent first-team football in the short term, it was a loan move that Efekele believed he needed.

“I went to see the manager (Adi Hütter) because I was a bit frustrated with not being rewarded. I had a discussion with him and he agreed on the loan,” Efekele told L’Équipe, adding that he would have a discussion with the hierarchy at Monaco before making a decision on his future beyond this summer.

‘I have a name and a surname’ – Efekele
Still just a teenager, there are great expectations of Efekele and those expectations are only heightened by the constant Mbappé comparisons. “At the start, I saw the comparison when I was at home in Bondy,” began Efekele, who said that over time he has grown to dislike the comparison.

“It annoyed me when I came to Monaco because I was being asked to be like Kylian. But Kylian is Kylian. He’s an alien,” he said before being asked about whether the comparison provided extra pressure. “No, but it irritated me a bit. Every time, I had to say that I wasn’t Mbappé, but Malamine. I have a name and a surname,” said the France U19 forward. Regardless of what the future holds, Efekele is looking to write his own story.