Zambian Midfielder Kings Kangwa Officially Joins Panathinaikos from Hapoel Be'er Sheva

Kings Kangwa, the 27-year-old Zambian midfielder, has officially signed with Greek club Panathinaikos. The transfer was completed on Friday, July 31, 2026, after Kangwa helped Hapoel Be'er Sheva reach the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League and secure a long European campaign this season. He said farewell to his teammates, arrived in Athens, attended Panathinaikos' match against Hungarian side Paksi from the stands, passed medical tests, and was formally presented by the club as "The Green Panther."

Panathinaikos paid approximately 4 million euros for Kangwa and signed him to a four-year contract worth about 1 million euros annually. He was assigned the number 42 jersey. Due to his participation with Be'er Sheva in European competition this season, Kangwa is ineligible to play for Panathinaikos in the Conference League qualifying rounds and will only be registered if the club advances to the group stage. Consequently, he will miss the third qualifying round matches against CSKA 1984 Sofia and any playoff games, making his debut in the Greek Super League on August 23 against Kifisia.

Kangwa first joined Be'er Sheva's youth team at age 18 and returned to the club exactly two years ago on July 30, 2024, signing a four-year deal. In his first season, he led the team to the State Cup and a second-place league finish, and in his second season, he celebrated his first Israeli Premier League title and was named Player of the Year. Over two seasons, he scored 29 goals and provided 20 assists in 87 appearances across all competitions.

Hapoel Be'er Sheva expressed gratitude for Kangwa's contributions, highlighting his role in winning the league, State Cup, and Super Cup, as well as his inclusion in the club's Hall of Fame as one of the top 10 players in its history by fan vote. This transfer ranks as the club's second-highest sale, behind Dia Saba's 4.37 million euro transfer to Guangzhou R&F in January 2019.