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Xavier Mandza

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Xavier Mandza
Personal information
Full name Xavier Junior Mandza Tsiendi
Date of birth (2009-04-06) 6 April 2009 (age 17)
Place of birth Nice, France
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Positions
Team information
Current team
 Nice
Number 35
Youth career
2015–2026 Nice
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2026– Nice 3 (0)
International career‡
2024 France U15 2 (0)
2024–2025 France U16 8 (0)
2025– France U17 1 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 11 September 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of 11 September 2026

Xavier Junior Mandza Tsiendi, more commonly known simply as Xavier Mandza or Junior Mandza, (born 6 April 2009) is a French professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or midfielder for Ligue 1 club Nice.[1]

Club career

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Born and grown in Nice, Xavier Mandza joined the OGC Nice academy in 2015, aged only 6,[2][3] spending all his youth years with the club, where he emerged as one of its brightest prospects,[4][5] along the likes of Kaïl Boudache[6], Everton, Hamza Koutoune or Djibril Coulibaly.[7][8]

During the 2025–26 season [fr], he was a standout with the under-19 team, most notably in the Coupe Gambardella as they went past the likes of Monaco[9][10] and Olympique de Marseille's academy [fr],[11][12][13] only losing to the eventual finalists, Megnan-Pavé's Montpellier.[3][14][15]

Mandza signed his first professional contract with the club on the summer 2026,[3][16][17] despite being reportedly very close join Serie A giant Juventus.[18][19][20]

Initially playing as a box-to-box midfielder, he was repositioned as a centre-back in Olivier Pantaloni's 3–4–3 during Nice pre-season friendlies.[2][8][21]

Mandza made his professional debut for Nice on the 22 August 2026, starting in a 0–0 home Ligue 1 draw to Lorient,[22][23] where he impressed, showing calm and control for this first game.[2][7][24]

International career

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Mandza is a youth international for France, first receiving a call with the under-17 in September 2025.[18][25]

Personal life

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Xavier Mandza is the son of former Gabon international Thierry Mandza.[17][25]

References

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  1. ↑ Xavier Mandza at Soccerway. Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Iacono, Leandra (29 August 2026). "De son arrivée à l'âge de 6 ans jusqu'à la découverte de la L1 à 17 : Junior Mandza fait la fierté du centre de formation de l'OGC Nice". Nice-Matin (in French). Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 "Premier contrat professionnel pour Junior Mandza". OGC Nice (in French). 6 July 2026. Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  4. ↑ Lopez, Paul; Marquis, Etienne (18 August 2026). "Pas de but depuis près de 300 minutes, la révélation Mandza, un effectif affaibli… Où en est l'OGC Nice, premier adversaire du FC Lorient en Ligue 1 ?". Le Télégramme (in French). Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  5. ↑ Zikpi, Kokou Alfred (5 August 2026). "Mandza à la Juve ? Do Marcolino partage son point de vue". AfricaFoot (in French). Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  6. ↑ "OGC Nice : Kaïl Boudache la grosse Clim en perspective pour le Gym ?". Jeunesfooteux (in French). 10 April 2026. Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  7. 1 2 Bacquié, Maxime (28 August 2026). "La minute Rouge et Noir : le Gym rit jeune cet été". ici (in French). Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  8. 1 2 Humberset, William (6 August 2026). "La belle surprise Mandza, la promesse Ponsot : découvrez les jeunes Aiglons qui pourraient faire l'avenir de l'OGC Nice". Nice-Matin (in French). Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  9. ↑ "Mandza envoie le Gym en 8ème de finale de Gambardella !". OGC Nice (in French). 31 January 2026. Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  10. ↑ Roux, Christopher (31 January 2026). "Coupe Gambardella: Nice s'offre Monaco et se qualifie pour les 8es de finale". Nice-Matin (in French). Archived from the original on 4 February 2026. Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  11. ↑ Danchesi, Nathan (11 January 2026). "Gambardella : Nice renverse l'OM aux tirs au but et file en 16es de finale". Actufoot. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  12. ↑ "Une panenka ratée, une autre réussie... Voilà comment Nice a éliminé l'OM aux tirs au but en Coupe Gambardella". L'Équipe (in French). 11 January 2026. Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  13. ↑ Galeron, Tom (11 January 2026). "Football | Il rate une panenka avec l'OM, ce qui suit est irréel". FFL (in French). Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  14. ↑ Meira, Gabriel (3 July 2026). "Mercato Nice - Une jeune pépite du centre de formation va signer en professionnel à l'OGC Nice !". MadeInFOOT (in French). Ouest-France. Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  15. ↑ Bacquié, Maxime (5 April 2026). "L'OGC Nice éliminé en quart de finale de la Coupe Gambardella". ici (in French). Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  16. ↑ Del Lungo, Alessio (6 July 2026). "Il Nizza dice no ai 3 milioni di euro offerti dalla Juventus: Mandza non si muove". TUTTOmercatoWEB (in Italian). Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  17. 1 2 Bekwen, Dokira (9 July 2026). "Mercato : Xavier Junior Mandza premier contrat professionnel à l'OGC Nice". Gabonactu.com (in French). Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  18. 1 2 Trésarrieu, Flavien (6 July 2026). "Mercato : malgré une offre de dernière minute de la Juventus, Xavier Junior Mandza va bien signer avec Nice". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  19. ↑ Zikpi, Kokou Alfred (3 August 2026). "La Juventus prépare une offre de 8 millions d'euros pour Xavier Mandza". AfricaFoot (in French). Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  20. ↑ Essone, Lyonnel Mbeng (10 August 2026). "Mercato : 5,2 milliards FCFA sur la table de la Juventus pour Xavier Mandza !". Gabon Media Time (in French). Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  21. ↑ Humberset, William (1 August 2026). "Déjà cohérent, pas encore séduisant : l'OGC Nice a montré une base solide mais a manqué de tranchant offensif face à la Juventus". Nice-Matin (in French). Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  22. ↑ Otrante, Jessé (22 August 2026). "Nice 0-0 Lorient, Ligue 1 : Nice et Lorient se partagent les points". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  23. ↑ Bekwen, Dokira (24 August 2026). "Ligue 1 : Xavier Junior Mandza, 17 ans, première titularisation avec Nice". Gabonactu.com (in French). Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  24. ↑ Doucet, Thomas; Grégoire, Mathieu (22 August 2026). "Les notes de Nice-Lorient : la promesse Mandza, la valeur sûre Avom Ebong". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  25. 1 2 Spagnolo, Francesco (6 July 2026). "Chi è Mandza, il talento francese che la Juve ha sondato. Tutto sul centrocampista del Nizza". Juventus News 24 (in Italian). Retrieved 12 September 2026.
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