Career So Far: Miguel Chaiwa
21-year-old defensive midfielder Miguel Chaiwa becomes David Gray’s sixth summer signing – learn more about the Zambian international below!
Born in Luanshya, Zambia, Chaiwa started off his career at youth level with Zambian outfits Shamuel Academy and Atletico Lusaka before moving to Europe.
The versatile midfielder, who can be deployed in defence, has signed for Hibernian on a three-year contract with an option for a further year from Swiss Super League side Young Boys.
Chaiwa joined the Bern-based outfit on a long-term contract in July 2022 and made 11 Super League appearances during his first season with the club.
Six of these 11 appearances came in the league, while a further three occurred in UEFA Conference League qualifying – including his first full 90 in continental competition versus Finnish side KuPS.
By the end of his first season in Europe, Chaiwa would earn winners’ medals for both the Swiss Super League and the Swiss Cup.
He also gained further experience during the same season with Young Boys U19s as he excelled in five UEFA Youth League outings – scoring twice and captaining his team on two occasions.
Chaiwa would play on a handful of occasions in the league during the 2023/24 season, as Young Boys won the title once more, and performed against Manchester City, at the Etihad Stadium, and Red Star Belgrade, both home and away, in the UEFA Champions League group stage.
Limited game time in the league allowed for the midfielder to gain valuable minutes on loan with Swiss Challenge League club Schaffhausen in the second half of the campaign.
Returning to Young Boys ahead of the 2024/25 season, Chaiwa would miss part of the season after sustaining an ankle injury in September – limiting him to 10 league appearances as Young Boys placed third in the league.
Ruled out for four of Young Boys’ eight Champions League matches, he would still have two involvements during the League Phase – including an appearance in Glasgow against Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic.
The 21-year-old has already made 12 international appearances for Zambia – with his first coming in an international friendly versus Iraq in March 2022, aged just 17.
Chaiwa also played at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations. While on the bench for his nation’s opening match against DR Congo, he would appear as a substitute during a 1-1 draw versus Tanzania before playing the full 90 minutes in a narrow defeat to FIFA World Cup fourth-place finishers Morocco.