Elisha Sam
{{short description|Belgian footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Elisha Sam
| image =
| full_name = Elisha Bruce Sam
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|3|31|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Antwerp, Belgium
| height = 1.95 m
| position = Forward
| currentclub = Enosis Neon Paralimni
| clubnumber = 19
| youthyears1 = 2003–2007
| youthclubs1 = Vlug Vooruit
| youthyears2 = 2007–2014
| youthclubs2 = Lierse
| youthyears3 = 2014–2019
| youthclubs3 = Standard Liège
| years1 = 2017–2018
| clubs1 = Hapoel Acre
| caps1 = 7
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2018
| clubs2 = → Hapoel Nazareth Illit (loan)
| caps2 = 15
| goals2 = 1
| years3 = 2018–2019
| clubs3 = FC Eindhoven
| caps3 = 33
| goals3 = 8
| years4 = 2019–2020
| clubs4 = Arda Kardzhali
| caps4 = 16
| goals4 = 3
| years5 = 2020–2022
| clubs5 = Notts County
| caps5 = 49
| goals5 = 9
| years6 = 2022–2024
| clubs6 = Patro Eisden
| caps6 = 47
| goals6 = 17
| years7 = 2024–
| clubs7 = Enosis Neon Paralimni
| caps7 = 11
| goals7 = 2
| club-update = 16 March 2025
}}
Elisha Bruce Sam (born 31 March 1997) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Cypriot club Enosis Neon Paralimni.{{Soccerway| alicia-baruch-sam/494528}}
Career
Elisha made his Israeli Premier League debut for Hapoel Acre on 20 August 2017 in a game against Bnei Sakhnin as a 71st-minute substitute for Fejsal Mulić.{{cite web|publisher=Soccerway|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2017/08/20/israel/ligat-haal/hapoel-acre-fc/ihoud-bnei-sakhnin-fc/2477126/|title=Game Report by Soccerway|date=20 August 2017}}
On 31 August 2018, he moved to the Netherlands, signing a one-year contract with FC Eindhoven, with the club holding a one-year extension option.{{cite web|publisher=FC Eindhoven|url=http://fc-eindhoven.nl/nieuws/spits-elisha-sam-naar-fc-eindhoven-1083|title=Spits Elisha Sam naar FC Eindhoven|trans-title=Striker Elisha Sam to FC Eindhoven|date=31 August 2018|language=Dutch|access-date=14 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190115132407/http://fc-eindhoven.nl/nieuws/spits-elisha-sam-naar-fc-eindhoven-1083|archive-date=15 January 2019|url-status=dead}}
On 26 June 2019, he signed a contract with the newly promoted to the Bulgarian First League team Arda Kardzhali.[https://fcarda.bg/2019/06/26/%d1%82%d1%80%d0%b8%d0%bc%d0%b0-%d1%84%d1%83%d1%82%d0%b1%d0%be%d0%bb%d0%b8%d1%81%d1%82%d0%b8-%d0%bc%d0%b8%d0%bd%d0%b0%d1%85%d0%b0-%d0%bf%d1%80%d0%b5%d0%b3%d0%bb%d0%b5%d0%b4%d0%b8-%d0%b2-%d0%b0%d1%80/ Трима футболисти минаха прегледи в АРДА] On 27 July, he scored two goals in a 3–1 home victory over Beroe, contributing to the historic first win for the team from Kardzhali in the top division of Bulgarian football.{{cite web|title=Arda Kardzhali vs. Beroe Stara Zagora 3:1|url=https://www.flashscore.com/match/jutbeH92/#lineups;1|website=flashscore.com|publisher=|access-date=3 August 2019|language=English|date=27 July 2019}}
On 31 August 2020, he signed for English National League side Notts County.{{cite web| publisher=Notts County FC official club website|url=https://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/news/2020/august/sam-signs-310820/|title= Sam signs| language=English|date=31 August 2020|access-date=31 August 2020}} Sam scored his first goal for the club in a 1–1 draw at Halifax Town on 17 November 2020, before scoring again against Wealdstone in a 3–0 win 10 days later. On 27 February 2021, Sam scored a stunning back-heel volley in the club's FA Trophy quarter-final win over Oxford City, with many pundits already calling it the Puskás Award winner for the year.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/video/2021/mar/01/puskas-contender-elisha-sam-scores-stunning-back-heel-volley-for-notts-county-video|title=Puskas contender Elisha Sam scores stunning backheel volley for Notts County|website=The Guardian|date=27 February 2021|access-date=2 March 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://talksport.com/football/841546/notts-county-elisha-sam-puskas-contender-back-heel-volley/|title=Notts County's Elisha Sam scores Puskas contender with incredible back-heel volley in win against Oxford City|website=Talk Sport|date=27 February 2021|access-date=2 March 2021}} Sam was awarded the National League Player of the Month award for February 2022, scoring four goals across the month.{{cite web|url=https://www.thenationalleague.org.uk/national-leagues-february-monthly-award-winners-an-69682|title=National League's February Monthly Award Winners Announced!|website=www.thenationalleague.org.uk|date=7 March 2022}} On 1 June 2022, Sam had his contract terminated by mutual consent.{{cite web|url=https://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/news/2022/june/elisha-sam-departs-010622/|title=Elisha Sam departs|website=www.nottscountyfc.co.uk|date=1 June 2022|accessdate=5 June 2022}}
On 23 June, Elisha signed a contract with the Belgian team Patro Eisden Maasmechelen, which plays in the Belgian National Division 1.{{cite web|url=https://www.patroeisden.be/nl/nieuws/660/welkom-elisha-sam/|title=Welkom Elisha Sam|website=www.patroeisden.be|date=23 June 2022|accessdate=23 June 2022}}
Personal life
His two-year younger brother Ephraim Sam played in the youth of K.A.A. Gent, Merksemse Vlug Vooruit and Lierse S.K., as well as senior by Olympic Pirates Deurne Borgerhout and KVC Oostmalle Sport.{{cite web|publisher=HLN.be|url=https://www.hln.be/sport-in-de-buurt/merksemnaar-en-liers-jeugdproduct-elisha-sam-23-strijdt-voor-promotie-naar-league-two-met-engelse-traditieclub-notts-county-we-gaan-voor-de-titel~af66f8ba/|title=naam Elisha Sam alleen mijn broer Ephraim had gescout", zegt de Merksemnaar.}} Their father hails from Ghana, while their mother is from Belgium.{{cite web|publisher=HBVL.be|url=https://www.hbvl.be/cnt/dmf20220909_94876793|title=Iedereen noemt me Eli." "Mijn vader komt uit Ghana, moeder is Belgische.}}
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 12 December 2022}}
| 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{{efn|Includes appearances in Bulgarian Cup, FA Cup}} !colspan=2|League Cup{{efn|Includes appearances in Toto Cup}} !colspan=2|Other !colspan=2|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Hapoel Acre
|2017–18{{cite web |title=E. Sam: Summary |url=https://uk.soccerway.com/players/alicia-baruch-sam/494528/ |website=Soccerway |publisher=Perform Group |access-date=22 May 2022}} |7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | colspan=2|— | 12 | 1 | ||
| Hapoel Nof HaGalil (loan)
|15 | 1 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 15 | 1 | ||||
| FC Eindhoven
|33 | 8 | 0 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 33 | 8 | |||
| Arda Kardzhali
|18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 19 | 3 | |||
| rowspan=3|Notts County
|26 | 3 | 0 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 6{{efn|Five appearances in 2020–21 FA Trophy, one appearance in 2019–20 FA Trophy}} | 4 | 32 | 7 | ||
| 2021–22
|National League |23 | 6 | 2 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 2{{efn|name=FAT|Appearances in FA Trophy}} | 2 | 27 | 8 | ||
| colspan=2|Total
!49||9||2||0||colspan=2|—||8||6||59||15 | ||||||||||
| Patro Eisden Maasmechelen
|16 | 9 | 2 | 2 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 18 | 11 | |||
| colspan=3|Career total
!138||30||5||2||5||1||8||6||156||39 |
{{notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Enosis Neon Paralimni squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sam, Elisha}}
Category:Belgian people of Israeli descent
Category:Footballers from Antwerp
Category:Belgian men's footballers
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:Hapoel Acre F.C. players
Category:Hapoel Nof HaGalil F.C. players
Category:FC Arda Kardzhali players
Category:Notts County F.C. players
Category:K. Patro Eisden Maasmechelen players
Category:Enosis Neon Paralimni FC players
Category:Israeli Premier League players
Category:Belgian people of Ghanaian descent
Category:Eerste Divisie players
Category:First Professional Football League (Bulgaria) players
Category:National League (English football) players
Category:Belgian National Division 1 players
Category:Cypriot First Division players
Category:Belgian expatriate men's footballers
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Israel
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Bulgaria
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Cyprus
Category:Belgian expatriate sportspeople in Israel
Category:Belgian expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands
Category:Belgian expatriate sportspeople in Bulgaria
Category:Belgian expatriate sportspeople in England
Category:Belgian expatriate sportspeople in Cyprus
Category:21st-century Belgian sportsmen
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