Cephas Malele

Cephas Malele

Malele with CFR Cluj in 2023
Personal information
Full name	Cephas Malele
Date of birth	(1994-01-08) 8 January 1994 (age 31)[1]
Place of birth	Buco-Zau, Angola[2]
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Dalian Yingbo
Number	11
Youth career
2004–2005	Industrie Zürich
2005–2011	Zürich
2011–2013	Palermo
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2010–2011	Zürich II	7	(0)
2013–2017	Palermo	6	(0)
2014	→ Virtus Entella (loan)	13	(0)
2015	→ Trapani (loan)	15	(0)
2015–2016	→ Atlético CP (loan)	40	(9)
2016–2017	→ Leixões (loan)	11	(0)
2017	→ Varzim (loan)	21	(5)
2017–2018	Varzim	29	(2)
2018–2019	Arouca	29	(9)
2019–2020	Oliveirense	14	(3)
2020–2021	Argeș Pitești	30	(18)
2021–2023	Al-Tai	26	(4)
2022–2023	→ CFR Cluj (loan)	18	(4)
2023–2024	Shanghai Shenhua	55	(27)
2025–	Dalian Yingbo	0	(0)
International career^‡
2009	Switzerland U15	2	(0)
2009–2010	Switzerland U16	5	(5)
2011	Switzerland U17	4	(0)
2011–2012	Switzerland U18	6	(2)
2013	Switzerland U19	2	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23 July 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 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.[3]

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.[4]

On 13 August 2021, Malele joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Tai.[5] On 4 August 2022, Malele joined Romanian club CFR Cluj on a season-long loan.[6]

On 30 March 2023, Malele joined Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua.[7]

On 31 December 2024, Shanghai Shenhua announced that Malele is released as a free agent.[8]

International career

Malele has appeared for Switzerland from the under-15 level to the under-19 level.

Career statistics

As of match played on 6 July 2024[9]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Palermo	2012–13	Serie A	3	0	0	0	—		—		3	0
	2013–14	Serie B	3	0	0	0	—		—		3	0
	Total		6	0	0	0	—		—		6	0
Virtus Entella (loan)	2014–15	Serie B	13	0	2	0	—		—		15	0
Trapani (loan)			15	0	—		—		—		15	0
Atlético CP (loan)	2015–16	LigaPro	40	9	0	0	2	0	—		42	9
Leixões (loan)	2016–17		11	0	2	0	—		—		13	0
Varzim (loan)			21	5	—		—		—		21	5
Varzim	2017–18		29	2	1	0	—		—		30	2
Arouca	2018–19		29	9	2	1	1	1	—		32	11
Oliveirense	2019–20		14	3	0	0	—		—		10	0
Argeș Pitești	2020–21	Liga I	30	18	1	0	—		—		31	18
Al-Tai	2021–22	Saudi Professional League	26	4	1	0	—		—		27	4
CFR Cluj (loan)	2022–23	Liga I	18	4	2	1	—		8	0	28	5
Shanghai Shenhua	2023	Chinese Super League	29	11	3	4	—		—		32	15
	2024	Chinese Super League	16	11	1	1	—		—		17	12
Career total			297	76	15	7	3	1	8	0	323	84

Honours

Palermo

• Serie B: 2013–14

Shanghai Shenhua

• Chinese FA Cup: 2023
• Chinese FA Super Cup: 2024

Individual

• Liga I Team of the Season: 2020–21[10]

References

1. "Cephas Malele" (in Italian). US Città di Palermo. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
2. "Cephas Malele". NBC Sports. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
3. "Scheda anagrafica di Cephas Malele" (in Italian). AIC Football. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
4. "MOVIMENTI DI MERCATO" (in Italian). US Città di Palermo. 28 July 2014. Archived from the original on 28 July 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
5. "رسميًا: الطائي يعلن التعاقد مع سيفاس ماليلي".
6. "BUN VENIT, CEPHAS MALELE!".
7. "官宣：前锋马莱莱正式加盟上海申花" (in Chinese). Sina Sports. 30 March 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
8. "申花官方：曹赟定马莱莱金洋洋徐友刚不再续约". sina.com (in Chinese). 31 December 2024. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
9. Cephas Malele at Soccerway
10. "LPF a ales "echipa ideală" a sezonului din Liga 1! Care echipă a oferit cei mai mulți jucători" [LPF has chosen the "ideal team" of the Liga 1 season! Which team offers the most players] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 4 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.

External links

• Cephas Malele at Soccerway