Cephas Malele (born 8 January 1994) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua.
_(cropped).png) Malele with CFR Cluj in 2023 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Cephas Malele | ||
| Date of birth | 8 January 1994[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Buco-Zau, Angola[2] | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Shanghai Shenhua | ||
| Number | 11 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2004–2005 | Industrie Zürich | ||
| 2005–2011 | Zürich | ||
| 2011–2013 | Palermo | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2011 | Zürich II | 7 | (0) |
| 2013–2017 | Palermo | 6 | (0) |
| 2014 | → Virtus Entella (loan) | 13 | (0) |
| 2015 | → Trapani (loan) | 15 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | → Atlético CP (loan) | 40 | (9) |
| 2016–2017 | → Leixões (loan) | 11 | (0) |
| 2017 | → Varzim (loan) | 21 | (5) |
| 2017–2018 | Varzim | 29 | (2) |
| 2018–2019 | Arouca | 29 | (9) |
| 2019–2020 | Oliveirense | 14 | (3) |
| 2020–2021 | Argeș Pitești | 30 | (18) |
| 2021–2023 | Al-Tai | 26 | (4) |
| 2022–2023 | → CFR Cluj (loan) | 18 | (4) |
| 2023– | Shanghai Shenhua | 35 | (13) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2009 | Switzerland U15 | 2 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Switzerland U16 | 5 | (5) |
| 2011 | Switzerland U17 | 4 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | Switzerland U18 | 6 | (2) |
| 2013 | Switzerland U19 | 2 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22 August 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23 March 2013 | |||
After starting out as a senior at FC Zürich II, he went on to appear for teams in Italy, Portugal, Romania Saudi Arabia and China.
Born in Angola, Malele represented Switzerland internationally at under-16, under-17, under-18 and under-19 levels.
Club career edit
Born in Angola, Malele moved with his family in Switzerland as a child and grew up in the youth system of FC Zürich, also making a couple appearances for their Under-21 reserve side between 2010 and 2011.
During the summer of 2011, he was signed by Palermo and included into their Primavera squad. After a difficult first season due to injuries, Malele became a key player for the main Rosanero youth team throughout the first half of 2012–13 season, pairing with another rising star, Mauro Bollino, and being one of the main topscorers of the Campionato Nazionale Primavera. As a consequence, and also due to lack of strikers in the first team, he was asked by Gian Piero Gasperini to join the senior side, and made his professional Serie A debut on 7 January 2013, playing the final minutes of a league game against Parma. He was featured again on 19 January 2013, playing the final 15 minutes of a home game against Lazio as a replacement to Josip Iličić. He was successively confirmed for the club's triumphal 2013–14 Serie B campaign, where he managed to make only three appearances as a substitute throughout the whole season.[3]
On 28 July 2014, Malele was loaned out to newly promoted Serie B club Virtus Entella for the whole 2014–15 season in order to gain more first team experience.[4]
On 13 August 2021, Malele joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Tai.[5] On 4 August 2022, Malele joined Romanian club CFR Cluj on a season-long loan.[6]
On 30 March 2023, Malele joined Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua.[7]
International career edit
Malele has appeared for Switzerland from the under-15 level to the under-19 level.
Career statistics edit
- As of match played on 25 November 2023[8]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Palermo | 2012–13 | Serie A | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14 | Serie B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| Total | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | ||||
| Virtus Entella (loan) | 2014–15 | Serie B | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 0 | ||
| Trapani (loan) | 15 | 0 | — | — | — | 15 | 0 | |||||
| Atlético CP (loan) | 2015–16 | LigaPro | 40 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 42 | 9 | |
| Leixões (loan) | 2016–17 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 0 | |||
| Varzim (loan) | 21 | 5 | — | — | — | 21 | 5 | |||||
| Varzim | 2017–18 | 29 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 2 | |||
| Arouca | 2018–19 | 29 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 32 | 11 | ||
| Oliveirense | 2019–20 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 | |||
| Argeș Pitești | 2020–21 | Liga I | 30 | 18 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 31 | 18 | ||
| Al-Tai | 2021–22 | Saudi Professional League | 26 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 4 | ||
| CFR Cluj (loan) | 2022–23 | Liga I | 18 | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | 8 | 0 | 28 | 5 | |
| Shanghai Shenhua | 2023 | Chinese Super League | 29 | 11 | 3 | 4 | — | — | 32 | 15 | ||
| Career total | 281 | 65 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 306 | 72 | ||
Honours edit
Palermo
Shanghai Shenhua
Individual
References edit
- ^ "Cephas Malele" (in Italian). US Città di Palermo. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
- ^ "Cephas Malele". NBC Sports. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
- ^ "Scheda anagrafica di Cephas Malele" (in Italian). AIC Football. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- ^ "MOVIMENTI DI MERCATO" (in Italian). US Città di Palermo. 28 July 2014. Archived from the original on 28 July 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
- ^ "رسميًا: الطائي يعلن التعاقد مع سيفاس ماليلي".
- ^ "BUN VENIT, CEPHAS MALELE!".
- ^ "官宣：前锋马莱莱正式加盟上海申花" (in Chinese). Sina Sports. 30 March 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
- ^ Cephas Malele at Soccerway
- ^ "LPF a ales "echipa ideală" a sezonului din Liga 1! Care echipă a oferit cei mai mulți jucători" [LPF has chosen the "ideal team" of the Liga 1 season! Which team offers the most players] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 4 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
External links edit
- Cephas Malele at Soccerway
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