Esteban Obiang
Equatoguinean footballer (born 1998)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Esteban Orozco Fernández (born Esteban Obiang Obono, 7 May 1998), also known simply as Esteban, is a professional footballer who plays as a defender or a defensive midfielder for Liga I club Unirea Slobozia.[3] Born in Spain, he plays for the Equatorial Guinea national team.[4]
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Obiang with Equatorial Guinea in 2022 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Esteban Orozco Fernández[1] | ||
| Birth name | Esteban Obiang Obono[2] | ||
| Date of birth | 7 May 1998 | ||
| Place of birth | Zaragoza, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | |||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Unirea Slobozia | ||
| Number | 98 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2011–2016 | Utrera | ||
| 2016–2017 | Betis | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016 | Utrera | 7 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | Betis B | 3 | (0) |
| 2018 | → Utrera (loan) | 14 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | Utrera | 15 | (1) |
| 2019–2021 | Ibiza | 1 | (0) |
| 2019–2021 | → Sant Rafel (loan) | 41 | (3) |
| 2021–2022 | Antequera | 13 | (0) |
| 2022–2023 | Chindia Târgoviște | 27 | (1) |
| 2023–2026 | Argeș Pitești | 48 | (2) |
| 2026– | Unirea Slobozia | 8 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2017– | Equatorial Guinea | 47 | (1) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23 March 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 31 December 2025 | |||
Originally registered in the Spanish football competitions with his Equatorial Guinean biological parents' surnames (Obiang Obono),[5] Orozco later replaced them with the ones from his Spanish adoptive parents (Orozco Fernández).
Early life
Esteban was born in Zaragoza. His biological mother died from complications during his birth. Then, his grandmother and his aunt took care of him. When he was only 22 months old, he was adopted by a Spanish family from Utrera, where he would spend most of his life. He considers himself as a person from Utrera.[6]
Club career
Esteban made his senior debut with CD Utrera on 7 February 2016, in a 1–1 away tie against CD Alcalá.[7][8] He finished that season having played a total of 7 Tercera División matches.[9] Then, he moved to the youth team of Real Betis Balompié.[10]
Esteban was renewed by Betis and promoted to its reserve team.[2] He made his Segunda División B debut on 25 November 2017, in a 1–4 away win against FC Cartagena.[11] On 25 January 2018, he returned to Utrera, loaned by Betis.[12]
International career
Esteban made his international debut for Equatorial Guinea on 9 October 2017, in a 3–1 victory over Mauritius in a friendly match. He came on as a second-half substitute for Diosdado Mbele.[13] On 16 January 2022, he help his national team to defeat Algeria during the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations by scoring the lone goal of the match.
In January 2024, he took part in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Career statistics
International
- As of match played 31 December 2025[14]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equatorial Guinea | 2017 | 1 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 10 | 0 | |
| Total | 47 | 1 | |
- Scores and results list Equatorial Guinea's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Esteban goal.[14]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 January 2022 | Japoma Stadium, Douala, Cameroon |  Algeria | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2021 Africa Cup of Nations |
