City Edition: Hans Mpongo Interview

In Safe Hans - Originally published in Volume 43, Issue 2 of City Edition

It’s fair to suggest that a return to the First Division was not the Cork City plan in 2026. But even in the yin, there is the yang. Seani Maguire and Ruairí Keating have stuck around, and have already shown what they bring at this level. 
 
But they’re not the only players to impress up front. Hans Mpongo, the 22-year-old who arrived ahead of this season from Finn Harps, has already announced himself with two hugely impressive displays.  

The first, against Treaty United a fortnight ago saw him receive a massive ovation from the home crowd, after he assisted Keating for the last-gasp winner. The next, Wexford away, saw Hans open his account with a right-foot curler into the top corner. 

It’s safe to say it’s been a happy start to life on Leeside for the Dutchman, but especially the manner in which he netted his first goal for the club. 

“A feeling that I can't really describe,” Hans begins. “Obviously, it's my first goal for the club and I just thank Jesus for that.  

“In pre-season I was goalless and I was thinking like: ‘Well, if I can't even score in pre-season, how am I going to score in the game?’  

“But Jesus did it for me and it was a really good feeling. I was really happy to have scored my first goal against Wexford. 

And, as for all good forwards, hitting the net for Hans was all instinct. 

 “I wasn't really thinking much,” he explains. “As soon as I got the ball back, I saw myself being in a nice area and I just looked at the goal and, if I have to be honest, there was no thought. It just happened. I just saw the position I was in, saw the goal and I just shot and luckily it went in.” 

Hopefully the first of many for Hans, but the reception he’s received from the Rebel Army in just two games has already left an impression. 

“The fans, fantastic,” he says. “The fans are actually, it's really, really, really good. The feeling is nice. You get goosebumps from it. Turner's Cross, I've heard of it, I've seen videos of it online before I came and people were telling me that playing there is really nice. But now that I’ve actually experienced it myself, it's an amazing feeling, it's really good to play there.” 

The ovation he received after being subbed off against Treaty, shortly after setting up the only goal of the game, was a welcome surprise, too. 

“I was kind of surprised. But the fans are absolutely amazing, fantastic. Obviously we are trying to win, trying to get back to where we belong to, but we also play for the fans, to give them also what they deserve.  

“From what I've seen, from the first game that we had, they are right there with us, so it's only right that we give back. And the way we give back is by giving them three points, by winning games, by entertaining them, by making their ticket worth buying.”

The ambition of winning and entertaining was a factor in the club being able to get Hans’ signature for 2026, and the calibre of players surrounding him made the move all the more appealing.  

“Basically, I just got a call from the manager that was here before [Ger Nash],” Hans outlines.

“I didn’t know that they were interested in me, but I later found out towards the end of the season that they had interest in me.  

“And eventually I got a call from Ger when he was still here and he was telling me how he really wanted me to come in. He called me, he was telling me the plan he had for me and why he wanted me in and stuff. It took a while, but eventually we got the job done.  

“Obviously when I wanted to sign there was big speculation on Seani leaving. But it was definitely a big reason why I also wanted to sign, because I want to play with an experienced player like him. And honestly, I learned a lot from him by just watching him in training and in the games and stuff. And before coming, I knew I was confident in my ability.  
 
“But when I would play with players like them [Seani and Ruairí, I was thinking to myself: ‘How am I going to add anything when they already have Seani and Keats?’ But I can see how the manager is using me. And now I see that I add my part to it as well. And I'm just really happy that it's working out and it's going in the right direction.  

“We had a long pre-season together and that's where we kind of all worked together and we started to grow week by week, knowing how other players plays and stuff. So I'm just really happy to be able to play with players like Seani and Keats up front. And this season, I know that there will be many more goals and assists coming.” 

Hans has already got one of each in two games, and he’s also been very impressed with what he’s seen from new manager Barry Robson. 

“Honestly, he's a really demanding manager and I like that,” says Hans. “He's given me the freedom to be myself. He always tells us to express yourself. Don't be nervous, don't be scared. And he's really putting a confidence in me that I really like. I really, really enjoy playing under him at the moment, and I just hope that it continues like that.” 

And while Hans credits the experienced Robson and veteran striker Seani with elevating his game, he’s already quite experienced for a 22-year-old. Not just on the pitch, but off it too. Not many leave home in their early teens to play football in the UK, fewer again travel to countries such as Iceland and Slovenia, before then touching down in Ballybofey to play for Finn Harps. 

 “That’s only some of the countries that I've been to,” Hans says. “The back story, it will blow your mind, probably! Talking about the countries that you mentioned, obviously at the time it wasn’t easy.  

“I was born in Holland but at the age of 13, 14 I moved to the UK.  Playing in Holland was normal for me and eventually moving to the UK was normal for me as well. But obviously when I then moved to a country like Iceland and Slovenia and a lot of other countries that I've been at, it's not really easy being alone, going to different countries.  

“You get a lot of experience out of it, that’s one thing. But it's just really eye-opening how football is being played in certain countries. I really learned a lot by going from country to country. And it is a nice experience as well, but not easy. And obviously now being in Ireland is also a good experience and I'm enjoying my time right now. So the journey has not been the easiest, but it has been an interesting one with lots of learning for sure.” 

So what were some of the biggest culture shocks Hans has faced on his travels so far? 

“The first club I went to in Iceland, I remember it never got dark,” he says. “Like, it's really weird to say, but it was because of where the city was located – it wasn't even a city, it was like a small place. But where the club was located, but it would be 2, 3, 4am and it would never get dark.  

“Like, I was there for, I think, two months at the first club in Iceland, I never saw the night time. It was always light. That was obviously a big factor. My body struggled to adjust to that, I struggled a bit because of that.  

 “So that is one major one that, culture-wise, was different. Luckily enough in Slovenia, they spoke English.  

 “So obviously the actual language was a bit difficult to understand of course, but the club where I was at was literally on the border with Italy. So my teammates spoke Slovenian, Italian or, luckily, English. So the language barrier wasn't bad. The food – that was different, if I have to be honest... I couldn't really adjust to the food, the food was a bit different.  

 “So obviously I had to then adjust to that, but luckily I could cook myself so I just made myself dinner and stuff. But let's say if I had to go outside and if I wanted to go out for lunch, it wasn't really something that I would usually go for, but I had no choice. So I had to take it.” 

 For all that differs between life in Ireland and the UK, there are enough similarities that give Hans some home comfort to where he spent much of his teen years. For starters, even as far north as Ballybofey, perpetual darkness in winter and sunlight in summer are not factors that need considering. The food situation, too. 

 “There are a lot of similarities, I haven't been in London since I left. But I remember the first time I came here I was like, ‘whoa, like this really looks like the UK, really looks like England,’ so I saw a lot of similarities there.” 

And what about between Ballybofey and Cork, how different is life down south?  

 “There's a major difference, Cork is obviously a bigger place. There are more things to do,” he explains. “And obviously Donegal is a nice place. Let's say when you're at an older age and you're married with your wife and you just want peace, then I would advise you to live there. But for somebody like me, it's not really the ideal place to be. It's really peaceful, I can say that. It's really, really peaceful.  

“But me, normally I'm not really used to that. I'm used to a lot of noise, a lot of cars, for me being from the place where I am. Both places are nice, if I have to be honest, it's just one is busier than the other.” 

Hans has taken on some pretty remarkable leaps into the unknown that most 22-year-olds wouldn’t comprehend, but it all stems from a simple point. 

The love for a game called football, and the love he’s received from his mother. 

“I was really, really young when I started to play football,” he says. “I remember my mum one time showed me a picture. I think I was maybe like three, four years old and I had a football in my hand and I was kicking it. 

“So I guess around that age, that's when I started to really get into football and stuff. And it wasn't easy for my mum to get me into a football club or whatever.  

“I don't know if they still do it now, but like when I was younger, you had to pay for your son to play or whatever. You had to like, a pay, like a contribution, I can't remember what it was. And my mum and I didn't really grow up with a lot. But my mum knew instantly that I wanted to play football, so whatever she could do for me to be playing for a club, she did.  

“And I'm really grateful for my mum that she saw the gift in me that I could play football.  

“I just played for a local team for a while. And then, from my local team, I just started to grow. I started to play with older guys. First I was just playing for fun, then later I realised that I'm actually not too bad at this sport! I started to realise that once my coach told me that I would be playing with older ages, so that's when I decided to actually try to take this seriously.” 

One of the challenges of moving around so much so early in his career is adjusting to new housemates, but Hans has enjoyed his welcome not just from City’s fans but also from his new team-mates. 

“From the first day I came in, the boys made me feel comfortable,” says Hans. “They made me feel good. They’re a really, really good bunch of guys in the team. I'm really liking it in the team, they make you feel comfortable.  

“It has helped me a lot. For myself, I had to also dig in as well to get out of my shell a little bit, but the players have just welcomed me really well. I live with David [Odumosu], with Charlie Lyons, and I live with AJ [Bridge].”

And what’s that cocktail like?  
 
“Everyone is just doing their own thing. Some people go home for the weekend, everybody has their own car. I'm the only one in the house with no car. I have my licence, but I don't have a car here. So it's a bit difficult for me to go around.  

“But when we're in the house, whenever we get a chance, we speak to each other. But everybody has their car, so one might go to do this and one might go out to do that.” 

While other team-mates have the option of visiting family around the country, Hans is looking forward to bringing his family members to Cork. 

 “Definitely. I'm definitely looking forward [to it],” he says. “I don't know which game yet, but I want her to come over to one of the games with my little brother and hopefully they will enjoy it. 

“When I am in the Netherlands, then that's when I see her, but I don't really see her much now,” says Hans. “I started travelling away from home from the age of like 14, 15. That's when I started to go away from home and travel to different places for football. So I do see my mum but, like, when I am away, that's when I don't see her at all.” 

If the welcome that Hans has received in his first few months on Leeside is anything to go by, his mother and little brother will be well looked after on their arrival.  

Jack McKay