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Nicke Kabamba
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Oh Nicke, you’re so fine…
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By:
Max Bygraves
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11/01/2025
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More On Nicke KABAMBA
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You think you grow out of that disappoint you feel as a kid when your star striker goes to another club. It turns out no matter how much you try and play it cool, when you’re invested in a player at any level, it hurts to say goodbye.
Nicke Kabamba arrived at Barnet in June 2022 following an eventful, mixed bag of a career in the decade previous. From Brent originally, he was back in North London via the South East non-league circuit the South Coast of Portsmouth, the North East with Hartlepool and even the Scottish Premier League with Kilmarnock. During his time north of the border, he’d been on the verge of an international call up for DR Congo but Covid put paid to this.
He returned to England in 2021 but after a fairly underwhelming, goalless spell at Northampton Town and a not particularly fruitful loan at Woking, he became available on a free transfer.
Dean Brennan, ahead of his first campaign in full charge snapped up his former charge. The pair had worked together at Hemel Hempstead several years previous. He was one of a number of tried and trusted characters recruited by the Irishman, who stated on his arrival: “Nicke is a fantastic character with all the attributes to score more goals. He’s a natural finisher and good in both boxes so he should do really well. He’s got good presence and is a good size but he’s too selfless. I need him to be selfish and that’s how I’m gonna play him.”
Questions were raised before a ball was kicked over just how selfish and how clinical our new number nine would be. Since the 2016/17 campaign in the National League South for Hampton & Richmond, Kabamba had not gone into double figures for goals in a season. It seemed like a bit of a risk pinning our goalscoring hopes, after a couple of truly miserable years, on a man with his recent return.
After his first 10 days and 3 games in a Barnet shirt, there weren’t too many complaints. A very cool striker’s finish wrapped up opening day points in a 2-0 win against Halifax at The Hive. He looked at home straight away.
Nicke really announced himself at Huish Park the following Tuesday week. A brace, including the most outrageous of long range chips, leaving team mates wandering around the pitch with their hands in their hands in disbelief really brought Kabamba to the Bees fans attention. What have we here?
Barnet went top that night and enjoyed a nose bleed start to the campaign following two years at the wrong end of the table. The goals didn’t flow freely immediately but his contribution and value to the team was quickly evident.
Nicke was part of the spine of the new look side that had been recruited for their ability to play and clearly for being the sort of people needed in the building. Walker - Okimo - Pritchard - Kabamba was a near ever present core of the 2022/23 side as some pride was restored in the Barnet name.
It was a varied set of results into the Autumn but once the clocks went back and the other side of a miserable evening being walloped at home to Southend, a superb run of form into the winter months saw us very much at the right end of the table.
On the first weekend of December, Kabamba bagged his 11th goal of the season already as Wealdstone were comfortably dispatched in a lunchtime kick off. More festive cheer followed with the opener in a 2-1 win over Boreham Wood on Boxing Day.
Unavailable for the return fixture on 2nd January, Nicke took to the away end in his Barnet tracksuit at Meadow Park. There was no fuss, he wasn’t doing it to take pictures for social media and look like he was ‘down with the fans.’ He just was. Ben Wynter’s second half header down our end to earn a point resulted in Nicke having the misfortune to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and receiving an excitable hug from one unnamed supporter. Can’t a man just enjoy watching his team mates in peace? Honestly…
Goals continued in the early part of 2023 and on the final weekend of January, his finest hour yet was saved for the visit of Chesterfield at The Hive. Along with Woking, we were the ‘best of the rest’ with Notts County and Wrexham pulling away at the top. Chesterfield however were made to look very ordinary. An extraordinary showing from Barnet’s number nine the difference. A first hat trick for the club on an afternoon where Kabamba was simply unplayable. A joy to watch.
Into the next month and as the run in loomed, Brennan called for reinforcements. Harry Smith was signed on loan from League Two Leyton Orient. All of a sudden, there was competition. For the majority of Kabamba’s time with Barnet, he was the first, second and third choice striker. However, the arrival of another quality individual with something of a different playing style made things a little uncomfortable at times.
After both playing and both scoring at Halifax in early February, Kabamba’s goals and opportunities dried up somewhat. He would go on to bag just twice more before the end of the campaign.
His final goal of the season was a moment of brilliance away at Wealdstone as he cut in from the left and fired home from outside the box. A lovely bit of football symmetry as he and Pritchard again got the two goals in a 2-0 win.
There were no more goals - though this was number 19 on only 25th March. However, there was one further moment of note in a season of many positives that ended in misery.
Nicke surprisingly found himself on the bench at Gateshead for the FA Trophy Semi Final on April 1st. Maybe Brennan did feel something of an April Fool as Kabamba was introduced at half time and helped guide the side back to a 3-3 draw. We all know what happened in the penalties that day; Nicke one of those unfortunately to miss.
Kabamba and Smith both started in the play-offs at home to Boreham Wood. An abject display by all resulted in a 1-2 win for the visitors. New Barnet arrival Lee Ndlovu with both the goals for the Wood.
There was no time for moping on the return the following August. Kabamba was off the mark on the opening day against former employers Hartlepool, before grabbing a crucial goal at his now new employers, Bromley, to guide us to a 2-0 win the following week.
He finished the first month of the season on five goals - despite a few games without. On the late Bank Holiday Monday he notched his second Barnet hat trick in an enthralling encounter with Ebbsfleet, the Bees winning 3-2.
Nicke’s goalscoring form continued in steady, consistent fashion as the season matured. He was amongst the goals in arguably the best team display of the season in a 3-0 win over Altrincham that could have finished any number.
With Kabamba on the pitch, it’s meant for the best part of three seasons you’ve always felt we’ve got someone who could grab us a goal from nowhere. This was evident on a Tuesday night in early October when he popped up in stoppage time to snatch a lucky win against Fylde. Just a few days later, he got us back on track at Dorking scoring the first goal in a memorable 2-3 comeback win.
On October 16th, he bagged his third Barnet hat trick in under nine months. An FA Cup replay against Aveley was witnessed by a paltry crowd but those present were treated to a fine trio of goals, including another audacious dinked finish from outside the box.
The teams form took a disappointing wobble after a fantastic start but the trickle of goals remained fairly steady. A number unfortunately coming on the losing side, before the beginning of a December turnaround with a brace at home to Maidstone in the FA Trophy followed by a brilliant, acrobatic finish in a draw at Ebbsfleet.
A nine point Christmas was in store for the first time since 2006 and it was started in amazing fashion. Boreham Wood, so often a source of frustration and impossible to break down felt the wrath of many years pent up Barnet anger. A 6-0 rout two days before Christmas was a lovely present. And St Nicke? Only a third hat trick of the season for the big man. The picture of him with the matchball and Santa hat on at full time was brilliant.
It was around this time that I recall the nudges and talking out of the side of our mouth in Block E about just how good Kabamba was. Every week we seemed to be able to reel off a new goal stat. Not just this, his contribution to the team as a whole was huge. Undoubtedly, Barnet’s best number 9 since Akinde. Nicke was starting to be involved in some pretty serious conversations about Barnet strikers.
The second half of the 23/24 season saw Barnet end up on 86 points and finish 2nd yet it still felt a little disjointed, performance wise. Kabamba suffered an injury in late January and was in and out of the team until the Spring as he looked to regain fitness.
February was a great month for Barnet off the pitch. On the 19th, the club announced the planned return to Underhill and before the month was out, news was shared that Nicke had signed a much deserved new long term deal. Despite surpassing the age 31 at the beginning of that month, a three and a half year deal the reward for his goalscoring exploits. Much more fanfare and clamour for this news than his original contract in June 2022.
Once fit again, Nicke finished the season in decent form. He only got one in another 6-0 rout, this time of Dorking, before a sensational volley on the tele at Solihull in a 2-2 draw on Good Friday.
In a horrible bit of Deja vu, this was another season of many positives that ended sourly. Nicke nor anyone else was on the scoresheet in our Play Off disaster against Solihull at The Hive. No Wembley and no Football League for another year.
It was an unusual looking Barnet side for much of the first six weeks of the 2024/25 campaign. Kabamba featured in the first two games but injury then kept him out until September 21st’s visit to Wealdstone.
Nicke reminded us all of what we’d been missing with another goal at Grosvenor Vale - on this occasion in a 3-0 victory to go top of the league. He then followed that up with an absolute bullet of a header in a 1-0 win at Aldershot the following Tuesday before going onto score in his next two as well. He was back.
As this writer would argue has been somewhat unfairly documented, Kabamba’s goals since October had not been as free-flowing. He got to this point in the campaign (January) with 12 in all competitions in 16 starts and 5 sub appearances. Hardly a dreadful return.
His final really memorable goals for Barnet were both spot kicks. 3-1 down at Dagenham in the final third of the game. Nicke stepped up twice with ice in his veins to score two penalties in front of the away end. Rhys Browne grabbed the winner in an amazing comeback but Kabamba’s delight in the celebrations was clear to see. Happy memories of that big smile roaring in my face at the front of the stand. What an afternoon that was.
Nicke’s final Barnet goal was also from the spot, this time against a poor Ebbsfleet side on December 14th, his 5th goal against them in a Bees shirt.
It disappoints me that over the final few weeks of his Barnet career he was in and out of the team and came in for some pretty harsh, undue criticism from both his manager and some supporters. Strikers go in and out of form but look at this guy’s numbers. 63 goals in 110 starts (+14 sub) is an astounding record. As the kids these days say, put some respect on his name.
To see anyone say they’re ’not all that fussed,’ on this departure is utter madness. You might have to wait some time to see another Nicke Kabamba stroll through the door. Yes, it’s a cracking financial deal and no one would blame him for moving up a league - but it’s a struggle to understand anyone not being bothered. Sentiment does matter at this level of football where the players are people. This is the end of an era of a good ‘un.
If Barnet do go up this season and had Nicke stayed to see it through, there would be no question about legend status being firmly cemented. It’s a pity he’s gone before achieving tangible success with the club - but timing is what it is. One last chance at cracking the football league; I’d love to see him absolutely smash it at Bromley.
As with the likes of the now departed Walker, Gorman and Pritchard, Kabamba is a name that should always raise a nod of approval from anyone connected to the club. He was the number 9 saviour no one really expected. Throughout his time at Barnet, he’s conducted himself as a brilliant professional and appeared both a decent striker and bloke.
I didn’t see too much of Akinde given the era he played and what my attendance at those times was like. From my perspective, I hadn’t seen a number 9 regularly to enjoy this much since Grazioli at Underhill. Kabamba leaves Barnet just two goals shy of Graz’s total (and one behind the amazingly named Spanker Ridley from the 1900s!), having only played for the club for only half as long. Like I said before, this is a man who belongs in some serious conversations when it comes to Barnet goal scorers.
Number 32 on our all time goalscoring list and the first player to score four hat tricks for Barnet since the much fabled Nicky Evans.
Thank you, Nicke. What a pleasure watching a proper Bees Number 9.
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