Alfred Effiong
Maltese footballer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alfred Effiong (born 29 November 1984) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Maltese club Marsaxlokk. Born in Nigeria, he plays for the Malta national team.
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 29 November 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Lagos, Nigeria | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Marsaxlokk | ||
| Number | 11 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2004 | Negeri Sembilan | ||
| 2006–2007 | St. George's | 10 | (7) |
| 2007–2008 | Ħamrun Spartans | 26 | (10) |
| 2008–2010 | Qormi | 42 | (24) |
| 2010–2011 | Marsaxlokk | 27 | (18) |
| 2011–2012 | Valletta | 26 | (9) |
| 2012–2014 | Qormi | 75 | (35) |
| 2015–2021 | Balzan | 153 | (43) |
| 2021–2022 | Sirens | 23 | (3) |
| 2022- | Marsaxlokk | 8 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2015– | Malta | 37 | (4) |
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* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 14 April 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 14 April 2023 | |||
Club career
On 28 June 2011, Effiong scored on his European debut for Valletta, netting the second in a 3–0 away win over Sammarinese club Tre Fiori in the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round first leg.[1]
International career
Born in Nigeria, Effiong moved to Malta in 2005 and married a local in 2010. In 2014, his club president, Redeno Apap, asked if he would apply for a Maltese passport, which was granted in March 2015.[2]
Later that month, national coach Pietro Ghedin was searching for a new striker after the suspension of Michael Mifsud.[2] Effiong made his senior international debut for Malta on 25 March, replacing Jean Paul Farrugia in the 60th minute of a 0–2 friendly defeat against Georgia at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi.[3] On 8 June, he came on for Andrew Cohen in the 60th minute of a home friendly against Lithuania, and 20 minutes later scored his first international goal to seal a 2–0 victory.[4] He scored his second national goal in a 1–1 draw against Estonia in August 2016. His third goal came from a header against Scotland in Malta's 5–1 home defeat in a World Cup qualifier on 4 September 2016.
International goals
- Scores and results list Malta's goal tally first.[5]
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 8 June 2015 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Attard, Malta |  Lithuania | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 2. | 6 September 2015 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Attard, Malta |  Azerbaijan | 2–1 | 2–2 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualification |
| 3. | 31 August 2016 | Pärnu Rannastaadion, Pärnu, Estonia |  Estonia | 1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 4. | 4 September 2016 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Attard, Malta |  Scotland | 1–1 | 1–5 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours
- Valletta
- Balzan
- FA Trophy winner in May 2019
