{{Short description|Maltese footballer}} <!-- {{Use Maltese English}} --> {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}} {{Infobox football biography |name = Alfred Effiong |image = File:Effiong, Alfred.jpg |image_size = 275px |caption = |fullname = <!-- if different from name --> |birth_name = <!-- if different from fullname --> |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|11|29|df=y}} |birth_place = Lagos, Nigeria |height = 1.82 m |position = Forward |currentclub = Marsaxlokk |clubnumber = 11 |youthyears1 = |youthclubs1 = |years1 = 2004 |clubs1 = Negeri Sembilan |caps1 = |goals1 = |years2 = 2006–2007 |clubs2 = St. George's |caps2 = 10 |goals2 = 7 |years3 = 2007–2008 |clubs3 = Ħamrun Spartans |caps3 = 26 |goals3 = 10 |years4 = 2008–2010 |clubs4 = Qormi |caps4 = 42 |goals4 = 24 |years5 = 2010–2011 |clubs5 = Marsaxlokk |caps5 = 27 |goals5 = 18 |years6 = 2011–2012 |clubs6 = Valletta |caps6 = 26 |goals6 = 9 |years7 = 2012–2014 |clubs7 = Qormi |caps7 = 75 |goals7 = 35 |years8 = 2015–2021 |clubs8 = Balzan |caps8 = 153 |goals8 = 43 |years9 = 2021–2022 |clubs9 = Sirens |caps9 = 23 |goals9 = 3 |years10 = 2022- |clubs10 = Marsaxlokk |caps10 = 8 |goals10 = 0 |nationalyears1 = 2015– |nationalteam1 = Malta |nationalcaps1 = 37 |nationalgoals1 = 4 |medaltemplates = |club-update = 14 April 2023 |nationalteam-update = 14 April 2023 }} '''Alfred Effiong''' (born 29 November 1984) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Maltese club Marsaxlokk. Born in Nigeria, he plays for the Malta national team.
==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.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hindley|first1=Martyn|title=Valletta in pole position after three-goal victory|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/025a-0ea667c65e96-bedce3960a47-1000--valletta-in-pole-position-after-three-goal-victory/|access-date=27 March 2015|publisher=UEFA|date=28 June 2011}}</ref>
==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.<ref name=times>{{cite news|last1=Camilleri|first1=Valhmor|title=Effiong feels he needs to prove himself to national team coach|url=http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150303/football/Effiong-feels-he-needs-to-prove-himself-to-national-team-coach.558322|accessdate=27 March 2015|work=The Times of Malta|date=3 March 2015}}</ref>
Later that month, national coach Pietro Ghedin was searching for a new striker after the suspension of Michael Mifsud.<ref name=times/> 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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Georgia 2–0 Malta|url=http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=1735|publisher=European Football|accessdate=27 March 2015}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fenech, Effiong score two great goals as Malta beat Lithuania|url=http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150608/sport/fenech-effiong-score-two-great-goals-as-malta-beat-lithuania.571707|accessdate=8 June 2015|work=The Times of Malta|date=8 June 2015}}</ref> 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.''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/alfred-effiong/56528/|title=A. Effiong|publisher=Soccerway|accessdate=21 November 2016}}</ref> {|class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" |- !Goal!!Date!!Venue!!Opponent!!Score!!Result!!Competition |- || 1. || 8 June 2015 || Ta' Qali National Stadium, Attard, Malta || {{fb|LIT}} || align=center | '''2'''–0 || align=center | 2–0 || Friendly |- || 2. || 6 September 2015 || Ta' Qali National Stadium, Attard, Malta || {{fb|AZE}} || align=center | '''2'''–1 || align=center | 2–2 || UEFA Euro 2016 qualification |- || 3. || 31 August 2016 || Pärnu Rannastaadion, Pärnu, Estonia || {{fb|EST}} || align=center | '''1'''–1 || align=center | 1–1 || Friendly |- || 4. || 4 September 2016 || Ta' Qali National Stadium, Attard, Malta || {{fb|SCO}} || align=center | '''1'''–1 || align=center | 1–5 || 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |}
==Honours== ;Valletta *Maltese Premier League: 2011–12<ref name=sway>{{cite web|title=Alfred Effiong|url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/alfred-effiong/56528/|publisher=Soccerway|accessdate=27 March 2015}}</ref> *Maltese Super Cup: 2011<ref name=sway/> ;Balzan * FA Trophy winner in May 2019
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{Nfteams}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Effiong, Alfred}} Category:1984 births Category:Living people Category:Men's association football forwards Category:Naturalised citizens of Malta<!-- Category:Naturalized citizens of Malta --> Category:Maltese men's footballers Category:Malta men's international footballers Category:Nigerian men's footballers Category:Nigerian emigrants to Malta Category:Negeri Sembilan FC players Category:Balzan F.C. players Category:Qormi F.C. players Category:Marsaxlokk F.C. players Category:Valletta F.C. players Category:Maltese Premier League players Category:Nigerian expatriate men's footballers Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Malta Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Malta Category:21st-century Nigerian sportsmen