Quick Facts
SagittariusBiography
Alfred Effiong (born 29 November 1984) is a Nigeria-born Maltese footballer who plays as a forward for Maltese club Balzan.
Club career
On 28 June 2011, Effiong scored on his European debut for Valletta, netting the second in a 3–0 away win over Sammarinese club Tre Fiori in the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round first leg.
International career
Born in Nigeria, Effiong moved to Malta in 2005 and married a local in 2010. In 2014, his club president, Redeno Apap, asked if he would apply for a Maltese passport, which was granted in March 2015.
Later that month, national coach Pietro Ghedin was searching for a new striker after the suspension of Michael Mifsud. Effiong made his senior international debut for Malta on 25 March, replacing Jean Paul Farrugia in the 60th minute of a 0–2 friendly defeat against Georgia at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi. On 8 June, he came on for Andrew Cohen in the 60th minute of a home friendly against Lithuania, and 20 minutes later scored his first international goal to seal a 2–0 victory. He scored his second national goal in a 1–1 draw against Estonia in August 2016. His third goal came from a header against Scotland in Malta's 5–1 home defeat in a World Cup qualifier on 4 September 2016.
International goals
- Scores and results list Malta's goal tally first.
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 8 June 2015 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Attard, Malta |  Lithuania | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 2. | 6 September 2015 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Attard, Malta |  Azerbaijan | 2–1 | 2–2 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualification |
| 3. | 31 August 2016 | Pärnu Rannastaadion, Pärnu, Estonia |  Estonia | 1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 4. | 4 September 2016 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Attard, Malta |  Scotland | 1–1 | 1–5 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours
- Valletta
- Maltese Premier League: 2011–12
- Maltese Super Cup: 2011
