Gali Freitas

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is da Costa and the second or paternal family name is Freitas.

Gali Freitas

Freitas with East Timor in 2024
Personal information
Full name	Paulo Domingos Gali da Costa Freitas
Date of birth	(2004-12-31) 31 December 2004 (age 20)
Place of birth	Dili, East Timor[1]
Height	1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Position(s)	Winger
Team information
Current team	PSIS Semarang
Number	7
Youth career
2010–2017	Timor-Leste Youth Training Center Dili
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2018	SLB Laulara
2019–2022	Lalenok United
2022–2023	Assalam
2023	Karketu Dili
2023–	PSIS Semarang	50	(12)
International career^‡
2017–2019	Timor-Leste U16	10	(12)
2017–2019	Timor-Leste U19	4	(2)
2021	Timor-Leste U23	6	(2)
2018–	Timor-Leste	12	(2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20 January 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 8 October 2024

Paulo Domingos Gali da Costa Freitas (born 31 December 2004) is a Timorese professional footballer who plays as a winger for Liga 1 club PSIS Semarang and the Timor-Leste national team.

Club career

On 2 June 2023, Gali joined Indonesian club PSIS Semarang, taking a foreign player slot from ASEAN. He contracted for one season.[2] On 3 July 2023, he scored a goal in his debut match against Bhayangkara at the Jatidiri Stadium, Semarang.[3]

On 12 February 2024, his contract was extended for two seasons, until 2026.[4]

International career

On 1 September 2018, Gali made his debut for the senior team in a 2018 AFF Championship qualification game against Brunei in the first-leg in a 3–1 win. On 27 January 2022, Gali scored his debut goal for the senior team in a friendly match against Indonesia.

Controversy

In 2019 Timor Leste's under 15 team for the 2019 AFF U-15 Championship were accused of fielding overage players at the tournament, with team captain Paulo Domingos Gali da Costa Freitas being one of the prominent players accused of being over age with claims that he was at least 22 years old at the time.[5] These protests lead to a formal investigation by the ASEAN Football Federation into the incident. The protests however were later dismissed with Gali being deemed to be eligible to participate in the tournament.[6][7]

Career statistics

As of 8 October 2024

Timor-Leste national team
Year	Apps	Goals
2018	3	0
2021	4	0
2022	3	1
2024	2	1
Total	12	2

Scores and results list Timor-Leste's goal tally first.[8]

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	27 January 2022	Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium, Gianyar Regency, Indonesia	Indonesia	1–0	1–4	Friendly
2.	8 October 2024	Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei	Brunei	1–0	1–0	2024 ASEAN Championship qualification

Honours

Lalenok United

• Copa FFTL: 2020[9]

Individual

• AFF U-16 Youth Championship top scorer: 2019 (7 goals)

References

1. "Gali". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
2. stafadmin (2 June 2023). "PSIS Rekrut Paulo Gali Freitas untuk Kuota Pemain Asing ASEAN". PSIS Semarang (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 18 July 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
3. "PSIS Semarang vs. Bhayangkara - 3 July 2023". Soccerway. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
4. "PSIS Perpanjang Kontrak Gali Freitas Hingga 2026". psis.co.id. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
5. "Timor Leste accused of fielding 22-year-old at AFF U-15 tournament". The New Paper. 2 August 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
6. AFF (4 August 2019). "Protest against Timor Leste player dismissed". AFF - The Official Website Of The Asean Football Federation. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
7. "AFF announce Timor-Leste U-15 player age fraud verdict". 10 August 2019. Archived from the original on 10 August 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
8. Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Paulo Gali (Player)". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
9. "East Timor 2020". RSSSF. Retrieved 26 October 2020.