Ben Cabango
Benjamin George Cabango is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a defender for club Swansea City, which he captains, and the Wales national team.
Early life
Cabango was born in Cardiff to an Angolan father and a Welsh mother. He has a younger brother named Theo who plays rugby union for Cardiff. He attended Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Plasmawr, a Welsh language comprehensive school.Club career
Cabango began his career as a youth player with local amateur side Maindy Corries, where his father Paolo was a coach, before joining the youth academy at Newport County, where he played from under-13 to under-15 levels. He moved to the academy at Swansea City when he is 14, where he captained the under-19 side to win the FAW Welsh Youth Cup in 2018 and helped the under-23 side reach the final of the League Cup (football)|Premier League Cup].In June 2018, Cabango signed his first professional deal with Swansea City, then signed for reigning Welsh Premier League champions The [New Saints F.C.|The New Saints] on a six-month loan deal. He made his senior debut for the side in a 5–0 defeat to Macedonian side KF Shkëndija in the first leg of the first qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League. In the return leg, Cabango scored his first senior goal as The New Saints won 4–0 but were eliminated on aggregate.
On 13 August 2019, he made his professional debut for Swansea in a 3–1 victory over Northampton Town in the first round of the League Cup. He made his league debut as a substitute against Huddersfield Town on 26 November 2019. In March 2020, he signed a new deal with Swansea until 2023.
On 8 July 2020, Cabango scored his first goal for Swansea City in a 3-1 win over Birmingham City. Following Joe Rodon's departure, Cabango became a regular starter, starting 34 games across the season including all 3 matches in the EFL Championship play-offs, as Swansea lost to Brentford in the final. In March 2021, he signed a new contract with Swansea until 2025.
In the 2021-22 season, Cabango was given the number 5 shirt. Cabango scored Swansea's second in a 4-0 victory over South Wales rivals and Cabango's hometown team, Cardiff City as Swansea became the first side to win both South Wales Derbies in a league season. Cabango repeated this feat in the following season, scoring a 99th minute winner in a 3-2 victory at the Cardiff City Stadium, marking a fourth consecutive Swansea City win in the derby.
In December 2024, Cabango signed a new contract with Swansea, until 2028. In January 2025, following an accepted bid for Matt Grimes, Cabango was named club captain.