Jonathan Muzinga

Jonathan Muzinga
Personal information
Date of birth (2002-11-10) 10 November 2002 (age 21)
Place of birth Lappeenranta, Finland
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
 KuPS
Youth career
0000–2018 Kontu
2018–2020 PK-35
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018 Kontu 1 (0)
2019–2021 PK-35 42 (24)
2022 SJK II 22 (8)
2022 SJK 1 (0)
2023 Honka II 5 (1)
2023 Honka 14 (2)
2024– KuPS 19 (3)
International career‡
2023– Finland U21 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21 October 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23 January 2024

Jonathan Muzinga (born 10 November 2002) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Veikkausliiga club KuPS.

Early years

Born in Lappeenranta to parents from Democratic Republic of Congo, Muzinga moved to Helsinki with his family at an early age. He started playing football in youth team of FC Kontu in Kontula, East Helsinki, before joining PK-35 when aged 15.[1]

Club career

Muzinga made his senior debut with FC Kontu first team in 2018, in fourth-tier level Kolmonen.

PK-35

Since 2019, he played with PK-35 first team in Kolmonen, Kakkonen and Ykkönen. At the end of the 2020 season interrupted by the pandemic, he was named the Player of the Season in Kakkonen Group A, and the Top Goalscorer after scoring 11 goals in 12 matches.[2]

SJK

He joined SJK for the 2022 season. Muzinga made his Veikkausliiga debut with the first team, but due to injury, he was mainly deployed in the club's reserve team SJK Akatemia in second-tier Ykkönen.[3]

Honka

On 16 November 2022, he joined fellow Veikkausliiga side FC Honka.[4] During the 2023, Muzinga made 14 appearances in the league scoring two goals. He was mainly deployed as a late substitute. After the season, Honka was suddenly declared for bankruptcy, and Muzinga was released.

KuPS

On 23 January 2024, Muzinga signed with Kuopion Palloseura (KuPS) in Veikkausliiga, on a one-year deal with an option to extend.[5][6] On 22 May 2024, Muzinga scored his first Veikkausliiga goal for KuPS, in a 3–1 away win against Vaasan Palloseura (VPS). On 12 October, his contract option for the 2025 was exercised.[7]

International career

Muzinga has made one appearance for Finland under-21 national team, in a friendly match against Iceland on 7 September 2023.[8][9]

Career statistics

As of 21 October 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season Division League Cup[a] League cup[b] Europe Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Kontu 2018 Kolmonen 1 0 — — — 1 0
PK-35 2019 Kolmonen 7 4 — — — 7 4
2020 Kakkonen 12 11 — — — 12 11
2021 Ykkönen 23 9 3 1 — — 26 10
Total 42 24 3 1 0 0 0 0 45 25
SJK 2022 Veikkausliiga 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
SJK Akatemia 2022 Ykkönen 22 8 2 1 — — 24 9
Honka 2023 Veikkausliiga 14 2 2 0 4 2 0 0 20 4
Honka Akatemia 2023 Kakkonen 5 1 — — — 5 1
KuPS 2024 Veikkausliiga 19 3 5 3 7 1 3[c] 0 34 7
Career total 104 38 12 5 11 3 3 0 130 46
  1. ^ Includes Suomen Cup
  2. ^ Includes Finnish League Cup
  3. ^ Includes UEFA Conference League

Honours

PK-35

Honka

KuPS

Individual

  • Kakkonen Group A: Player of the Year, 2020[2]
  • Kakkonen Group A: Top Goalscorer, 2020[2]

References

  1. ^ Hyökkääjä Jonathan Muzinga PK-35:sta SJK-paitaan, sjk.fi, 26 January 2022
  2. ^ a b c Jonathan Muzinga jatkaa uraansa SJK:ssa, pk-35.fi
  3. ^ Aspegren ja Muzinga jatkavat uraansa muualla, sjk.fi, 3 November 2022
  4. ^ Honka vahvisti hyökkäystään - Jonathan Muzinga siirtyy SJK:sta, Veikkausliiga, 16 November 2022
  5. ^ Jonathan Muzinga ja Kuopion Palloseura sopimukseen, kups.fi, 23 January 2024
  6. ^ Jonathan Muzinga sopimukseen KuPS:n kanssa - "Voin luvata parempaa kuin viime vuonna", Veikkausliiga, 23 January 2024
  7. ^ Jo­nat­han Mu­zin­ga jat­kaa Kuo­pios­sa kau­del­la 2025!, kups.fi, 12 October 2024
  8. ^ KuPSin tuorein hyökkääjäkiinnitys kellotti viime kaudella minuutteja Suomen maajoukkuepaidassa, Savon Sanomat, Outi Poikonen, 23 January 2024
  9. ^ Muzinga U20-maajoukkueeseen, pk-35.fi
  10. ^ a b pk-35, soccerway
  11. ^ honka, soccerway
  12. ^ Kuopio villiintyi KuPSin mestaruudesta – Eini ilmestyi juhlahumuun, Yle, 19 October 2024
  13. ^ KuPS nousi takaa ohi Suomen Cupin voittoon – Petteri Pennanen ratkaisi pelin upealla laukauksella, Yle, 21 September 2024