Cephas Malele
{{Short description|Swiss footballer (born 1994)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Cephas Malele
| image = Cephas Malele - CFR Cluj - Lazio 0-0 (52708259653) (cropped).png
| upright = 0.8
| caption = Malele with CFR Cluj in 2023
| fullname = Cephas Malele
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1994|1|8|df=y}}{{cite web |url=http://palermocalcio.it/it/1213/giovanili/scheda.php?idC=6&id=9484 |publisher=US Città di Palermo |language=Italian |access-date=20 January 2013 |title=Cephas Malele |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112185758/http://palermocalcio.it/it/1213/giovanili/scheda.php?idC=6&id=9484 |archive-date=12 November 2013 |url-status=dead }}
| birth_place = Buco-Zau, Angola{{cite web |url=http://scores.nbcsports.msnbc.com/seri/players.asp?player=132496 |publisher=NBC Sports |access-date=20 January 2013 |title=Cephas Malele |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112185941/http://scores.nbcsports.msnbc.com/seri/players.asp?player=132496 |archive-date=12 November 2013 |url-status=dead }}
| height = 1.85 m
| position = Forward
| currentclub = Dalian Yingbo
| clubnumber = 11
| youthyears1 = 2004–2005
| youthclubs1 = Industrie Zürich
| youthyears2 = 2005–2011
| youthclubs2 = Zürich
| youthyears3 = 2011–2013
| youthclubs3 = Palermo
| years1 = 2010–2011
| clubs1 = Zürich II
| caps1 = 7
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2013–2017
| clubs2 = Palermo
| caps2 = 6
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 2014
| clubs3 = → Virtus Entella (loan)
| caps3 = 13
| goals3 = 0
| years4 = 2015
| clubs4 = → Trapani (loan)
| caps4 = 15
| goals4 = 0
| years5 = 2015–2016
| clubs5 = → Atlético CP (loan)
| caps5 = 40
| goals5 = 9
| years6 = 2016–2017
| clubs6 = → Leixões (loan)
| caps6 = 11
| goals6 = 0
| years7 = 2017
| clubs7 = → Varzim (loan)
| caps7 = 21
| goals7 = 5
| years8 = 2017–2018
| clubs8 = Varzim
| caps8 = 29
| goals8 = 2
| years9 = 2018–2019
| clubs9 = Arouca
| caps9 = 29
| goals9 = 9
| years10 = 2019–2020
| clubs10 = Oliveirense
| caps10 = 14
| goals10 = 3
| years11 = 2020–2021
| clubs11 = Argeș Pitești
| caps11 = 30
| goals11 = 18
| years12 = 2021–2023
| clubs12 = Al-Tai
| caps12 = 26
| goals12 = 4
| years13 = 2022–2023
| clubs13 = → CFR Cluj (loan)
| caps13 = 18
| goals13 = 4
| years14 = 2023–2024
| clubs14 = Shanghai Shenhua
| caps14 = 55
| goals14 = 27
| years15 = 2025–
| clubs15 = Dalian Yingbo
| caps15 = 0
| goals15 = 0
| nationalyears1 = 2009
| nationalteam1 = Switzerland U15
| nationalcaps1 = 2
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2009–2010
| nationalteam2 = Switzerland U16
| nationalcaps2 = 5
| nationalgoals2 = 5
| nationalyears3 = 2011
| nationalteam3 = Switzerland U17
| nationalcaps3 = 4
| nationalgoals3 = 0
| nationalyears4 = 2011–2012
| nationalteam4 = Switzerland U18
| nationalcaps4 = 6
| nationalgoals4 = 2
| nationalyears5 = 2013
| nationalteam5 = Switzerland U19
| nationalcaps5 = 2
| nationalgoals5 = 0
| pcupdate = 23 July 2024
| ntupdate = 23 March 2013
}}
Cephas Malele (born 8 January 1994) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Chinese Super League club Dalian Yingbo.
After starting out as a senior at FC Zürich II, he went on to play 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
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.{{ cite web |language=Italian |access-date=25 September 2014 |publisher=AIC Football |url=http://aic.football.it/scheda/26585/malele-cephas.htm |title=Scheda anagrafica di Cephas Malele }}
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.{{cite news |language=Italian |access-date=28 July 2014 |publisher=US Città di Palermo |date=28 July 2014 |url=http://palermocalcio.it/it/1415/news/scheda.php?id=30272 |title=MOVIMENTI DI MERCATO |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728214542/http://palermocalcio.it/it/1415/news/scheda.php?id=30272 |archive-date=28 July 2014 |url-status=dead }}
On 13 August 2021, Malele joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Tai.{{cite web |title=رسميًا: الطائي يعلن التعاقد مع سيفاس ماليلي|url=https://sa.hihi2.com/2021/08/13/p151880.html}} On 4 August 2022, Malele joined Romanian club CFR Cluj on a season-long loan.{{cite web |title=BUN VENIT, CEPHAS MALELE! |url=https://cfr1907.ro/bun-venit-cephas-malele/}}
On 30 March 2023, Malele joined Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua.{{cite web|url=https://sports.sina.com.cn/china/2023-03-30/doc-imynrnhh7916838.shtml|title=官宣：前锋马莱莱正式加盟上海申花|publisher=Sina Sports|date=30 March 2023|access-date=31 March 2023|language=zh}}
On 31 December 2024, Shanghai Shenhua announced that Malele is released as a free agent.{{cite web|url=https://sports.sina.com.cn/china/j/2024-12-31/doc-ineckkxr2394268.shtml/|title=申花官方：曹赟定马莱莱金洋洋徐友刚不再续约|work=sina.com|date=2024-12-31|accessdate=2024-12-31|language=zh}}
International career
Malele has appeared for Switzerland from the under-15 level to the under-19 level.
Career statistics
{{updated|match played on 6 July 2024}}{{soccerway|cephas-malele/280245}}
| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||
| rowspan=2|Club
!rowspan=2|Season !colspan=3|League !colspan=2|National Cup !colspan=2|League Cup !colspan=2|Continental !colspan=2|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="3"|Palermo
|3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 3 | 0 | |||
| 2013–14
|3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 3 | 0 | |||
| colspan=2|Total
!6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 6 | 0 | |||
| Virtus Entella (loan)
|rowspan="2"|2014–15 |rowspan="2"|Serie B |13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 15 | 0 | |||
| Trapani (loan)
|15 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 15 | 0 | ||||
| Atlético CP (loan)
|rowspan="6"|LigaPro |40 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 42 | 9 | ||
| Leixões (loan)
|rowspan="2"|2016–17 |11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 13 | 0 | |||
| Varzim (loan)
|21 | 5 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 21 | 5 | ||||
| Varzim
|29 | 2 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 30 | 2 | |||
| Arouca
|29 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | 32 | 11 | ||
| Oliveirense
|14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 10 | 0 | |||
| Argeș Pitești
|30 | 18 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 31 | 18 | |||
| Al-Tai
|26 | 4 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 27 | 4 | |||
| CFR Cluj (loan)
|Liga I |18 | 4 | 2 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | 8 | 0 | 28 | 5 | ||
| rowspan="2"|Shanghai Shenhua
|2023 |29 | 11 | 3 | 4 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 32 | 15 | |||
| 2024
|16 | 11 | 1 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 17 | 12 | |||
| colspan="3" |Career total
!297 | 76 | 15 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 323 | 84 |
Honours
Palermo
Shanghai Shenhua
Individual
- Liga I Team of the Season: 2020–21{{cite web|url=https://www.digisport.ro/fotbal/liga-1/a-fost-aleasa-echipa-ideala-a-sezonului-din-liga-1-care-echipa-a-oferit-cei-mai-multi-jucatori-1129647|title=LPF a ales "echipa ideală" a sezonului din Liga 1! Care echipă a oferit cei mai mulți jucători|trans-title=LPF has chosen the "ideal team" of the Liga 1 season! Which team offers the most players|publisher=Digi Sport|language=ro|date=4 June 2021|access-date=4 June 2021}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Soccerway|cephas-malele/280245}}
{{Dalian Yingbo F.C. squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Malele, Cephas}}
Category:Naturalised citizens of Switzerland
Category:Swiss people of Angolan descent
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:Swiss men's footballers
Category:Liga Portugal 2 players
Category:Saudi Pro League players
Category:Chinese Super League players
Category:Virtus Entella players
Category:FC Trapani 1905 players
Category:Atlético Clube de Portugal players
Category:U.D. Oliveirense players
Category:FC Argeș Pitești players
Category:Shanghai Shenhua F.C. players
Category:Dalian Yingbo F.C. players
Category:Switzerland men's youth international footballers
Category:Swiss expatriate men's footballers
Category:Swiss expatriate sportspeople in Italy
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Italy
Category:Swiss expatriate sportspeople in Portugal
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Portugal
Category:Swiss expatriate sportspeople in Romania
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Romania
Category:Swiss expatriate sportspeople in Saudi Arabia
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Saudi Arabia
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in China