Togo international Peniel Mlapa has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 35, bringing an end to a career that took him across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Mlapa, who was born in Lomé and moved to Germany when he was two, confirmed his decision after a final spell in Thailand with Lamphun Warriors.
The striker spent the final eight years of his career playing outside Germany, representing VVV-Venlo in the Netherlands, Ittihad and Al Nassr in the United Arab Emirates, Daejeon Hana Citizen and Busan I’Park in South Korea, and Thai clubs Port FC and Lamphun Warriors.
Reflecting on his journey, Mlapa highlighted how football had taken him from his childhood in Togo to a career that spanned several countries.
“From a little boy in Lomé, through an asylum in Unterföhring, to a professional footballer with a global reach. Football has shown me the world,” the player wrote on social media.
Mlapa began his football education in Germany after arriving in the country as a child.
He came through the youth system at FC Unterföhring before joining TSV 1860 Munich, where he continued his development.
His performances earned him a move into the Bundesliga, where he played for Hoffenheim and Borussia Mönchengladbach.
He subsequently represented a number of other German clubs during the early stages of his senior career.
One of the most productive periods of Mlapa’s career came in the Netherlands with VVV-Venlo.
During the 2018-19 season, he scored 15 goals in 30 Eredivisie appearances, establishing himself as one of the club’s notable attacking players.
Mlapa’s career also included an international switch. Having represented Germany at youth level through the Under-21 team, he later opted to play for Togo at senior level.
The decision allowed him to represent the country of his birth, with Mlapa earning 15 caps for the Hawks between 2017 and 2020.
His career subsequently took him well beyond European football.
After his time in the Netherlands, Mlapa continued his career in the United Arab Emirates, where he played for Ittihad and Al Nassr. He then moved to South Korea, featuring for Daejeon Hana Citizen and Busan I’Park.
Thailand became the final destination of his professional career. Mlapa played for Port FC before joining Lamphun Warriors, where he spent his final period as a professional footballer.
Across his career, the striker experienced football in several different environments while maintaining a connection to both his German upbringing and Togolese international identity.
His decision to retire at 35 closes a career that began in Germany and eventually extended across multiple continents.
