The forward is having a career season with Red Wolves SC. How it all came together.

Although Mayele Malango first picked up a soccer ball at the age of five in Congo, his journey has taken him across the world.

When he was seven, his family fled from conflict in the country of his birth, spending the next ten years as refugees in Malawi. It was there he mastered his craft.

“There were no electronics, no TV station, no video games, just me and friends and soccer,” he said, “after school, soccer, before school, soccer.”

The friends with whom he played in the refugee camp were from different cultures and different nationalities, all escaping similar circumstances. The soccer ball brought them together.

When he was 17, his family moved to the United States, settling in Lowell, Massachusetts. He arrived in time for one senior season at Lowell High School, where the skills picked up in Malawi made an immediate impact. He joined the varsity men’s soccer team, scoring 24 goals en route to an 18-4-1 record.

“It was not easy,” he said. He spoke little English, and the weather was much colder than in Malawi. But he had the support of a few other players from African countries who told him to “just be yourself, just play.”

“It’s the same sport you played in Africa,” they reassured.

This led to a spot on the team at Salem State University, where he helped lead the Division III school to its first conference title in over ten years. He earned conference Player of the Year honors, and then made the move to Division I UMass Lowell. While there, he also appeared with USL League Two side Boston Bolts.

Professional Goals Realized

When a chance to turn professional under an MLS side came, he took it.

“Since I was a kid, I wanted to be a professional,” he said, “it was one of my goals when I had the chance to come here to America.”

MLS side New England Revolution began scouting Malango when he was with UMass Lowell, and invited him to train in 2019. Ahead of the 2020 season, they offered him a spot on their second team, then in USL League One. When the pandemic-shortened season finally started that Summer, he made 14 appearances, with a goal and an assist.

In 2021, he signed with NISA side New Amsterdam FC. That Fall season, he’d find his rhythm, scoring nine goals in 18 matches. This led to a season at Albion San Diego, where he played under future Chattanooga Red Wolves coach Ziggy Korytoski. With Albion San Diego, he scored seven goals in 26 matches.

When Korytoski made the move to coach USL League One side Chattanooga Red Wolves, he brought along Malango for the 2023 season.

Chattanooga Red Wolves

The 2023 Chattanooga season was marred by coaching instability. Korytoski was relieved of his duties in June after a record of 3-7-2. Under interim coach Jimmy Weekley, Malango only found one start. Then Weekley went on a medical leave of absence at the end of July.

After Weekley’s departure, the team brought in Scott MacKenzie from one of its USL League Two clubs, with Weekley returning as assistant.

Going through three coaches in one season is not easy players, who have to adapt to new systems under each one. But it was under MacKenzie that Malango seemed to rediscover himself.

He returned from an injury, and eased back into the roster, winning back a starting role. He rewarded his team with two goals in his final three matches.

We asked MacKenzie what he thought the catalyst was to Malango’s shift. He was adamant that it was Malango’s own hard work.

“He is a hard worker, and he has quality in important areas,” MacKenzie told us, “he is a runner, he can run at or beyond, he is one of the most dangerous dribblers in the league and he is a very, very good finisher.”

If anything under his coaching, MacKenzie told us, Malango has been able to “tap into and understand his identity as a player, focus on his strengths and not worry about the things he doesn’t do as well.”

Malango agreed, saying there were a lot of self-talks, consultations with teammates and the coaching staff to help figure it out.

It came down to “hey, you’re a good player, find your form, you got this,” he said, “everything sort of falls in and starts happening.”

“It’s a lot of listening and hard work.”

The team saw the continued potential for Malango, and rewarded him with the first option pickup of his career.

“It was a no-brainer with the way he ended 2023 with us,” said MacKenzie, “I believe in him and his abilities and he is showcasing it for all to see.”

He continued, “I don’t think we have scratched the surface of what he can be as a player.”

This season, Malango has found a regular spot in the starting 11, and has appeared in every match. He leads the team with seven goals across both the regular season and the Jägermeister Cup. While the team is struggling to pick up wins, and has suffered from several injuries to key players, Malango is doing all he can to keep his side afloat.

National Team Call Up

In October, Malango received a call-up from the Malawi National Team, traveling to the country to train. While he has yet to make a match appearance, he says it was still meaningful to be called up.

“It’s every player’s dream to play for Malawi,” he said at the time.

“I left the Congo in 1998 because of the war, and Malawi took me in,” he continued (via Chattanooga’s press release), “I appreciate them taking me in as a refugee, and it made me want to play for them today.”

The call-up happened quickly, he told us, but due to visa issues, he was unable to play. While things are sorted out between Congo and Malawi, he’s waiting for his opportunity.

“I’ll be ready for it,” he told us.

Outside of Soccer: Taking Care of Business

If Malango wasn’t playing soccer, he’d like to be a business owner. Playing soccer has helped form a network spanning multiple continents, he said, so it would be global. It is also something influenced by his family and his education.

Thinking ahead, he returned to take classes online through Salem State after turning pro. He finished a bachelor of science degree last year.

We asked if he had a favorite place to get a day-off cheat meal around Chattanooga. He claims he is mostly a modest, eat-at-home type of guy, but every now and then he enjoys the wings at Champy’s Chicken.

Chattanooga is next in action on July 27th in a regular season matchup against Union Omaha. They are sitting just inside the playoff bubble in regular season play, with 11 matches to go.

This story was originally published at Beyond the 90 on Monday, July 22.