Cuthbert Malajila

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Cuthbert Malajila

| image =

| caption =

| fullname = Cuthbert Lifasi Malajila

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1985|10|03}}

| birth_place = Rimuka, Kadoma, Zimbabwe

| death_date =

| height = {{height|m=1.79}}

| position = Forward

| currentclub = Black Leopards

| clubnumber = 28

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Western Pirates

| youthyears2 =

| youthclubs2 = Young Swallows

| youthyears3 = 2004

| youthclubs3 = David Whitehead

| years1 = 2005–2007

| years2 = 2007–2008

| years3 = 2008–2010

| years4 = 2010–2011

| years5 = 2011

| years6 = 2011

| years7 = 2012–2013

| years8 = 2013–2019

| years9 = 2016–2017

| years10 = 2019–

| clubs1 = Chapungu United

| clubs2 = Highlanders

| clubs3 = Dynamos

| clubs4 = Club Africain

| clubs5 = → Al Akhdar (loan)

| clubs6 = Dynamos

| clubs7 = Maritzburg United

| clubs8 = Mamelodi Sundowns

| clubs9 = → Bidvest Wits (loan)

| clubs10 = Black Leopards

| caps1 = 29

| caps2 = 42

| caps3 = 20

| caps4 = 4

| caps5 =

| caps6 =

| caps7 = 41

| caps8 = 64

| caps9 = 25

| caps10 = 4

| goals1 = 25

| goals2 = 16

| goals3 = 27

| goals4 = 0

| goals5 = 1

| goals6 = 4

| goals7 = 15

| goals8 = 18

| goals9 = 4

| goals10 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2008–

| nationalteam1 = Zimbabwe

| nationalcaps1 = 31

| nationalgoals1 = 9

| club-update = 23:22, 19 November 2019 (UTC)

| nationalteam-update = 6 March 2017

}}

Cuthbert Malajila (3 October 1985 in Rimuka Kadoma, Mashonaland West) is a Zimbabwean footballer who plays as a forward for Premier Soccer League side Black Leopards in South Africa. He also plays for the Zimbabwe national football team.

Career

=Club=

He started at Chapungu United{{Cite web |url=http://www.highlandersfc.co.za/TheTeam/Players/CuthbertMalajila/tabid/95/Default.aspx |title=Cuthbert Malajila |publisher=Higherlanders FC Official Site |accessdate=2009-11-19 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080810043532/http://www.highlandersfc.co.za/TheTeam/Players/CuthbertMalajila/tabid/95/Default.aspx |archivedate=10 August 2008 }} before moving in 2006 to Highlanders and then to Dynamos Harare. While playing for Highlanders, he scored a hat-trick in a match against Masvingo United, with Highlanders winning the match 4–0.{{Cite web |url=http://www.newzimbabwe.com/pages/cbz170.18234.html |title=Malajila hat-trick buries Masvingo |publisher=New Zimbabwe News |accessdate=2009-11-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090607091451/http://newzimbabwe.com/pages/cbz170.18234.html |archive-date=7 June 2009 |url-status=dead }} He won the Golden Boot in the top division of Zimbabwean football in 2007.{{Cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200903240017.html |title=Malajila's Delight |publisher=Allafrica.com |accessdate=2009-11-19}}

Malajila had a trial at Belgian club Cercle Brugge, but it ended with the club declining to offer him a contract.{{Cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200907200068.html?FORM=ZZNR |title=Malajila for Belgium Trials |publisher=Allafrica.com |accessdate=2009-11-19}} He returned to Zimbabwe and to Dynamos afterward, and stated that his focus would be on winning the Golden Boot and in helping his club.{{Cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200908260070.html |title=Malajila's Big Dream |publisher=Allafrica.com |accessdate=2009-11-19}} He stated that his long-term dream was still on earning a transfer abroad. The striker left his native Zimbabwe in summer 2010 and signed a professional contract of 3 years with the Tunisian side Club Africain in August 2010.{{Cite web |url=http://www.clubafricain.com/fr/articles.asp?artid=2470 |title=Foot: Malajila signe pour 3ans |publisher=Club Africain Official website |accessdate=2010-08-17 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100819163357/http://www.clubafricain.com/fr/articles.asp?artid=2470 |archivedate=19 August 2010 }}

Malajila became the first Zimbabwean to play professional football in Libya after signing for First Division side Al Akhdar on a six-month loan.{{cite web |url=http://www.newzimbabwe.com/sports-4149-Malajila%20signs%20for%20Libyan%20club/sports.aspx#news |title=Malajila signs for Libyan club |website=newzimbabwe.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101053301/http://www.newzimbabwe.com/sports-4149-Malajila%20signs%20for%20Libyan%20club/sports.aspx |archive-date=2011-01-01}} On 22 January 2012, he completed a move to South African Premier Soccer League side Maritzburg United after the two parties agreed on a transfer fee for the player.{{cite web |url=http://www.newzimbabwe.com/sports-6986-Malajila+signs+for+Maritzburg+United/sports.aspx |title=Malajila signs for Maritzburg United |website=newzimbabwe.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000628/http://www.newzimbabwe.com/sports-6986-Malajila+signs+for+Maritzburg+United/sports.aspx |archive-date=2016-03-04}} In July 2013, Malajila agreed to join Mamelodi Sundowns. He made his Sundowns debut in the following August against Bloemfontein Celtic and scored his first goal for the club in the same match.

=International=

As of June 2016, Malajila has made 17 appearances for the Zimbabwe national team. His debut came in 2008 in a 2010 FIFA World Cup/2010 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Guinea. He scored his first goal for Zimbabwe on his second cap against Namibia, also a 2010 qualifier.

Career statistics

=Club=

{{updated|18 June 2016}}.

rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Season !colspan="3"\|League !colspan="2"\|National CupIncludes the Nedbank Cup !colspan="2"\|League CupIncludes the Telkom Knockout !colspan="2"\|ContinentalIncludes the CAF Champions League !colspan="2"\|OtherIncludes the MTN 8 !colspan="2"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Statistics
Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
rowspan="4"\|Mamelodi Sundowns \|2013–14 \|Premier Soccer League \|22	6	1	0	2	0	colspan="2"\|—	0	0	25	6
2014–15 \|Premier Soccer League \|26	10	5	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	34	10
2015–16 \|Premier Soccer League \|13	2	2	1	1	0	0	0	1One appearance in 2015 MTN 8	0	17	3
colspan="2"\|Total !61	18	8	1	6	0	0	0	1	0	76	19
colspan="3"\|Career total !61	18	8	1	6	0	0	0	1	0	76	19

=International=

{{updated|18 June 2016}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.national-football-teams.com/player/27534/Cuthbert_Malajila.html|title=Malajila, Cuthbert|publisher=National Football Teams|accessdate=6 March 2017}}

National team	Year	Apps
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
rowspan="10"\|Zimbabwe \|2008	6	2
2009	5	4
2010	2	0
2011	2	0
2012	1	0
2013	3	1
2014	2	0
2015	2	1
2016	4	1
2017	3	0
colspan=2\|Total	31	9

=International goals=

{{updated|18 June 2016}}. Scores and results list Zimbabwe's goal tally first.{{cite news|title=Cuthbert Malajila profile|url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/cuthbert-malajila/124927/|accessdate=18 June 2016|work=Soccerway|date=18 June 2016}}

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
1	26 March 2008	Botswana National Stadium, Gaborone, Botswana	{{fb\|NAM}}	align=center \| 2–4	align=center \| 2–4	Friendly
2	12 October 2008	Sam Nujoma Stadium, Windhoek, Namibia	{{fb\|NAM}}	align=center \| 2–4	align=center \| 2–4	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
3	rowspan="2" \| 17 October 2009	rowspan="2" \| Rufaro Stadium, Harare, Zimbabwe	rowspan="2" \| {{fb\|MRI}}	align=center \| 1–0	rowspan="2" align=center \| 3–0	rowspan="2" \| 2009 COSAFA Cup
4	align=center \| 2–0
5	19 October 2009	Rufaro Stadium, Harare, Zimbabwe	{{fb\|LES}}	align=center \| 1–0	align=center \| 2–2	2009 COSAFA Cup
6	1 November 2009	Rufaro Stadium, Harare, Zimbabwe	{{fb\|ZAM}}	align=center \| 3–1	align=center \| 3–1	2009 COSAFA Cup
7	10 September 2013	Orlando Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa	{{fb\|RSA}}	align=center \| 2–0	align=center \| 2–1	Friendly
8	13 June 2015	Kamuzu Stadium, Blantyre, Malawi	{{fb\|MWI}}	align=center \| 1–0	align=center \| 2–1	2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
9	5 June 2016	National Sports Stadium, Harare, Zimbabwe	{{fb\|MWI}}	align=center \| 3–0	align=center \| 3–0	2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification