Bill Leeroy Antonio (born 3 September 2002) is a Zimbabwean professional footballer who plays as a winger for Belgian club Mechelen, and the Zimbabwe national team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Bill Leeroy Antonio | ||
| Date of birth | 3 September 2002 | ||
| Place of birth | Dzivarasekwa, Zimbabwe[1] | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Mechelen | ||
| Number | 38 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2020 | Prince Edward School | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2022 | Dynamos | ||
| 2022– | Jong KVM | 33 | (10) |
| 2023– | Mechelen | 12 | (3) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2021– | Zimbabwe | 1 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14:16, 22 January 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18:26, 9 January 2022 (UTC) | |||
Club career
editFor the 2023-24 Belgian season, Antonio started in Mechelen's second team in Belgian Division 2, Jong KV. He made his professional debut for Mechelen as a substitute in a 3-0 Mechelen win over Standard Liege on 5 November 2023, and continued to make appearances off the bench for the Malinwa, scoring the winner in a 2–1 win at Gent on 19 January 2024, the club's first away win over the Buffalos since 2012.[2]
International career
editAntonio made his international debut with the Zimbabwe national team as an 18-year-old in a 1–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification loss to South Africa on 11 November 2021.[3] It was his first call-up.[4]
Antonio was named in the Zimbabwe squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations,[5] but along with Panashe Mutimbanyoka and Temptation Chiwunga did not travel to Cameroon due to organisational problems.
References
edit- ^ "DeMbare Schoolboy Bill Antonio Makes Warriors Debut – ZimEye".
- ^ "Met lesje in efficiëntie smeert KV Mechelen AA Gent eerste thuisnederlaag aan (With a lesson in efficiency, KV Mechelen inflicts AA Gent's first home defeat)". Sporza (in Dutch). 19 January 2024.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "South Africa vs. Zimbabwe (1:0)". www.national-football-teams.com.
- ^ Zibanda, Mehluli (8 November 2021). "Bill Antonio gets nod for World Cup qualifiers". Sunday News.
- ^ "Afcon 2021: A Zimbabwe squad is named despite threat of a Fifa ban". BBC Sport. 29 December 2021.
External links
edit- Bill Antonio at National-Football-Teams.com
- Bill Antonio at Soccerway
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