CONNECTIONS
Part 4 Yves Makubu Ma-Kalambay

The Belgian Olympic football squad will have a Scottish connection in Beijing this year.
The Hibernian goalkeeper Yves Makubu Ma-Kalambay has been named in the squad that will travel to China.
Yves has already represented Belgium at under-21 level and has been named in the full national squad this year.

Yves was born in Brussels, on 31st January 1986, to parents from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He has a younger brother, Jonathan, and spent some time at PSV Eindhoven with him. With his brothers' career finished by a serious injury Yves moved from PSV to Chelsea in 2003. In four years at Chelsea he was limited to warming the bench, most famously against Barcelona in the Champions League. With Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini injured Yves was named as back up to Henrique Hilario, this was his first appearance on a Chelsea first team team-sheet. Yves spent some time on loan at Watford in February 2006, but again made no first team appearances. After training with Hibernian in January 2007 the injuries to Cech and Cudicini meant he could not join the Edinburgh club at the time. Chelsea then brought in former Celtic goalkeeper Magnus Hedman which meant that Yves was now fifth in line for the gloves. On 27th June 2007 Yves eventually joined Hibs.

Yves made an immediate impression for Hibs with a clean sheet in a debut 0-1 win away to Hearts. In all he made 34 appearances and kept 11 clean sheets before losing his place due to a groin injury. This (pre) season he has appeared once in a 0-2 defeat, at home, to Elfsborg in the Inter-Toto Cup. Yves involvement with the Olympic squad will result in him missing friendly matches with Barcelona, Middlesbrough and Wigan Athletic, he will also miss (at least) three league games. Hibs will now have to rely on the services of Andrew McNeil, David Grof and Zbigniew Malkowski, although there is talk of the manager trying to bring in another goalkeeper on a short term loan.

Andrew Boyd