Inside The Den: “I Want Them To Fear Me” – Anthony Thambwe Talks About Year Two In Macon
6/25/2026 11:04:00 AM | Men's Soccer
MACON – After serving as a pivotal piece in Mercer's back line a season ago, Anthony Thambwe returns for his second year in Macon ready to lead the Bears into battle.
"When I step onto that pitch, I want the opposing team to fear me," Thambwe said. "I like to play aggressive and bring the energy. We are going to battle for every single ball, and they better not expect me to be nice about it."
After missing the first three matches of the season, Thambwe started in 14 of Mercer's final 15 contests. The 6-foot-3 centerback logged 1,084 minutes, kept two clean sheets and helped the Bears secure a second-place finish in the Southern Conference regular season standings.
Before coming to Mercer, Thambwe spent the previous two seasons leading RFC Tournai through the lower divisions in Belgium. Thambwe helped RFC Tournai return to the fourth tier of Belgian soccer after a decade before earning a spot in Belgian Division I, the third-highest division in the Belgian soccer league system.
When asked about his time in Belgium, Thambwe mentioned there was another level of expectations.
"There was a different kind of pressure due to the importance of getting results," Thambwe said. "I was 19 years old and playing with grown men that were trying to provide for their families. With the threat of relegation, there was no room for mistakes. My coaches and teammates had high expectations of me."
Thambwe is no stranger to high-pressure situations. As a 16-year-old, Thambwe earned a spot on the U17 National Team for the Democratic Republic of Congo.
"I was taught early the pressure and weight of representing my country," Thambwe said. "The coaches put a lot of expectations on us because they view us as the future of the national team. I was only 16 training against guys in their thirties. I was only about 5-foot-6 at the time, so I was challenged physically."
When asked about how these experiences helped Thambwe prepare for Division I soccer, he mentioned that it allowed him to be ready for the type of soccer that Americans tend to play. He noted that Americans pride themselves on their physicality and how he will be challenged every day by extremely talented athletes.
As one of seven returning starters from last year's squad, Thambwe mentioned how close this group has grown since stepping foot on campus.
"Last year, we had a bunch of new faces trying to learn to play together," Thambwe said. "Now, we have learned each other's strengths and weaknesses. We are prepared to fight for one another. We are challenging each other to continue to improve, and I believe we have the potential to do something special."
The Bears begin the preseason on August 8 with an exhibition on the road against Winthrop. Mercer opens the regular season with Florida Atlantic on August 20 at Betts Stadium.
"When I step onto that pitch, I want the opposing team to fear me," Thambwe said. "I like to play aggressive and bring the energy. We are going to battle for every single ball, and they better not expect me to be nice about it."
After missing the first three matches of the season, Thambwe started in 14 of Mercer's final 15 contests. The 6-foot-3 centerback logged 1,084 minutes, kept two clean sheets and helped the Bears secure a second-place finish in the Southern Conference regular season standings.
Before coming to Mercer, Thambwe spent the previous two seasons leading RFC Tournai through the lower divisions in Belgium. Thambwe helped RFC Tournai return to the fourth tier of Belgian soccer after a decade before earning a spot in Belgian Division I, the third-highest division in the Belgian soccer league system.
When asked about his time in Belgium, Thambwe mentioned there was another level of expectations.
"There was a different kind of pressure due to the importance of getting results," Thambwe said. "I was 19 years old and playing with grown men that were trying to provide for their families. With the threat of relegation, there was no room for mistakes. My coaches and teammates had high expectations of me."
Thambwe is no stranger to high-pressure situations. As a 16-year-old, Thambwe earned a spot on the U17 National Team for the Democratic Republic of Congo.
"I was taught early the pressure and weight of representing my country," Thambwe said. "The coaches put a lot of expectations on us because they view us as the future of the national team. I was only 16 training against guys in their thirties. I was only about 5-foot-6 at the time, so I was challenged physically."
When asked about how these experiences helped Thambwe prepare for Division I soccer, he mentioned that it allowed him to be ready for the type of soccer that Americans tend to play. He noted that Americans pride themselves on their physicality and how he will be challenged every day by extremely talented athletes.
As one of seven returning starters from last year's squad, Thambwe mentioned how close this group has grown since stepping foot on campus.
"Last year, we had a bunch of new faces trying to learn to play together," Thambwe said. "Now, we have learned each other's strengths and weaknesses. We are prepared to fight for one another. We are challenging each other to continue to improve, and I believe we have the potential to do something special."
The Bears begin the preseason on August 8 with an exhibition on the road against Winthrop. Mercer opens the regular season with Florida Atlantic on August 20 at Betts Stadium.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's SoccerSunday, May 10
Saturday, May 09
Saturday, May 09
Sunday, May 03
