Simon Banza

Simon Bokoté Banza (born 13 August 1996) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Primeira Liga club Braga. Born in France, he plays for the DR Congo national team.

Formed at Lens, where he played 98 games and scored 16 goals including in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, he went on to play in Portugal's Primeira Liga for Famalicão and Braga. Shortly after making his senior international debut, he was chosen for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Lens
Born in Creil, Oise, Banza began his senior career with Lens, first with its reserve team in the fourth tier. He scored his first Ligue 2 goal on 6 May 2016, as consolation at the end of a 2–1 loss at Bourg-en-Bresse.

In January 2017, Banza was loaned to Championnat National club Béziers until the end of the season. That August, he moved to UT Pétange of the Luxembourg National Division in the same manner. He was the season's sixth highest scorer with 13 goals, including a hat-trick in a 4–1 home win over Esch on 15 April 2018.

On 24 May 2019, Banza scored the extra-time winner as Lens won 2–1 at Troyes in the second leg of the play-off semi-finals. The following season, he scored seven times as Lens won promotion as runners-up, including two on 3 December 2019 in a 3–0 home win over his local side Chambly. He was sent off 18 days later in a 1–0 win over Niort also at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.

Famalicão
On 31 August 2021, Banza joined Famalicão in Portugal on loan for the 2021–22 season. On his Primeira Liga debut 12 days later, he scored twice in a 2–2 draw at Moreirense; he added both goals of a win at Santa Clara on 23 October, though he was also sent off. He finished the season as joint seventh top scorer with 14 goals in 29 games, including two on the final day in a 3–2 home comeback win over neighbours Braga to ensure a top-half finish.

Braga
On 19 July 2022, Banza signed a five-year deal with Braga for a €3 million fee, complete with a buyout clause of €30 million. He made his debut on 7 August in the season opener at home to Sporting CP, scoring his club's first goal of a 3–3 draw; five days later he added two more goals in a 3–0 win on his return to Famalicão. In the 2023–24 season, he managed to score 21 goals in the Primeira Liga, equalling his club's top scorer in a single campaign, Chico Gordo in the 1977–78 season.

International career
Banza was born in France to DR Congolese parents. On 2 October 2023, he was called up to the DR Congo national team for a set of friendlies. He made his debut 11 days later in a 1–1 draw with New Zealand in Murcia, Spain, playing the final 11 minutes as a substitute for Cédric Bakambu. He was chosen for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations at the start of the following year, in the Ivory Coast.

Honours
Braga
 * Taça da Liga: 2023–24

Individual
 * Primeira Liga Player of the Month: August 2022
 * Primeira Liga Forward of the Month: August 2022