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From Kinshasa to Rennes: The Football Career of Jirès Kembo Ekoko
Jirès Kembo Ekoko’s football journey began far from the glamorous stadiums of Europe. He was born in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), on January 8, 1988. As the son of Kembo Uba Kembo, a legendary forward who represented Zaire at the 1974 FIFA World Cup, elite football was in his blood from day one. After moving to France at the age of six, his talent was eventually spotted on school pitches, leading him to sign with AS Bondy in 1997. His rapid development earned him a spot at the prestigious Clairefontaine academy in 2001, followed by a move to Stade Rennais in 2004.
At Rennes, teammates affectionately nicknamed him “Kembinho” in recognition of his brilliant technical skills. He signed his first professional contract with the club in 2006 and spent six seasons in Brittany, making 141 appearances and scoring 22 goals across all competitions. His standout campaign came in 2011-12, when he netted a career-best 13 goals. During his rise, Kembo Ekoko also gained French citizenship and represented the France U21 national team, earning 13 caps and scoring 3 goals.
In search of new horizons, Kembo Ekoko embarked on a highly lucrative career in the Middle East in 2012, signing a four-year contract with UAE giants Al Ain FC. He won two UAE Pro League titles with the club and spent a loan spell in Qatar with El Jaish, before joining Al Nasr in 2015. His final professional chapter took him to Turkey, where he played for Süper Lig side Bursaspor from 2017 until his retirement from professional football in 2019.
🔗 Read full article: Kembo Ekoko – How His Career Shaped Mbappé’s Career
The Secret Behind the Skill: How Jirès Taught Kylian the Signature Fake Shot
While Kylian Mbappé’s signature fake shot and sudden changes of direction are celebrated on the world’s biggest stages, the origins of these movements were forged in the modest backyard of the family home in Bondy. Despite a ten-year age gap, Jirès and Kylian spent countless hours playing intense one-on-one matches in their small garden, creating a fierce but healthy competitive spirit between the brothers.
To the young Kylian, Jirès was the ultimate model—an older brother he loved to tease but deeply wished to resemble in every way. While our sources do not explicitly trace the exact technical blueprint of a handed-down “fake shot” move, the family dynamics suggest a powerful cycle of soccer mentorship: Wilfrid Mbappé, a passionate coach, taught Jirès, Jirès tested his skills against Kylian in backyard duels, and Kylian absorbed those lessons like a “sponge”. Jirès recalled once taking a very young Kylian to play with his older, professional friends; after watching the boy hold his own, Jirès prophetically told his parents:
“It’s certain, Kylian is going to go very, very high.”
🔗 Read full article:“Deconstructing Mbappé’s Signature Fake Shot”
The Mbappe
Clan
Behind every record-breaking contract lies a surgical organization. Discover the full mapping of Clan Mbappe — from family pillars to high-profile legal advisors.
What Does Jirès Kembo Ekoko Do Today? Inside the Mbappé Inner Circle
Retiring from professional football in 2019 was a brutal transition for Kembo Ekoko, who confessed that the sudden loss of a highly structured daily routine threw him into a mild depression. Supported closely by his family during this difficult phase, Jirès found his way back to the pitch in July 2025. He joined the coaching staff of US Ivry—a National 3 (fifth-division) club presided over and managed by his uncle, Pierre Mbappé. In this role, Jirès acts as an assistant coach, specifically mentoring and training the team’s attackers on finishing, deep runs, positioning, and movement. He even experienced a thrilling Coupe de France run in November 2025, sitting on the bench as Ivry narrowly lost on penalties to professional side Le Mans.
Within the Mbappé family empire, Jirès holds no formal corporate title, yet his strategic and emotional presence is completely irreplaceable. He remains incredibly close to both of his younger brothers, talking to them constantly on the phone and traveling to watch them play. His pride was on full display in October 2025 when he sat in the stands with Wilfrid to watch Ethan (playing for Lille) and Kylian (representing Real Madrid) go head-to-head in a 1-1 Ligue 1 clash.
🔗 Read full article:“What Does Jirès Kembo Ekoko Do Today? Inside the Mbappé Inner Circle“
The KEWJF Legacy: Written Into the Family Empire
The structural integration of Jirès within the family’s affairs was codified long before Kylian’s global superstardom. In 2017, when Kylian was still a teenager at Monaco, the family incorporated a marketing and image rights company called KEWJF. The acronym stood directly for the first names of the family unit:
- Kylian
- Ethan
- Wilfried
- Jirès
- Fayza
Fayza Lamari served as its president, while Kylian held 100% of the shares to maintain absolute control over his brand and protect his public image.
KEWJF’s commercial success was astronomical, with revenues rising from €12.2 million in 2021 to an estimated $20 million. In late 2023, the business was reorganized and professionalized under the name Interconnected Ventures, bringing in Ziad Hammoud as CEO. Yet, the legacy of KEWJF remains a powerful symbol of the family’s philosophy: a tightly-knit family business where every member, including Jirès, is permanently written into the foundation of the empire.
Why is Jirès the Brother of Kylian?
The brotherly bond between Jirès and Kylian is a testament to the extraordinary generosity of the Mbappé family. While Jirès’s biological father, Kembo Uba Kembo, was a renowned footballer in Zaire, the political and social instability in the country during the mid-1990s prompted Jirès’s mother to make the heartbreaking decision to send her six-year-old son to France for his safety, education, and future. Jirès initially lived in Bondy with his uncle and sister.
His life changed when his school physical education teacher noticed his exceptional footballing skills in the schoolyard and contacted Wilfrid Mbappé, who was a youth coach at AS Bondy. Wilfrid immediately took young Jirès under his wing, welcoming him into the Mbappé household and becoming his legal guardian (tuteur légal). While Jirès was never formally adopted in a way that severed ties with his biological family in Africa, Wilfrid and Fayza raised him as their own son. Consequently, Jirès grew up considering himself blessed to have “four parents”—his biological parents in Africa and his legal guardians in France. When Kylian was born in 1998, Jirès had already been a core member of the household for years. To Kylian, Jirès has simply “always been there” as his beloved older brother, leaving Jirès with two cherished younger brothers on the Mbappé side: Kylian and Ethan.
🔗 Read full article:“I Have Four Parents”: The Untold Story of Jirès Kembo Ekoko’s Family Heritage
Deepen Your Intelligence
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About the author
Victor Blanc
Football Business Correspondent at Mbappé Live. Covers contracts, sponsorships, investment strategy, and the financial architecture behind elite sport.
