# Cephas Malele

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.
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.
On 13 August 2021, Malele joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Tai. On 4 August 2022, Malele joined Romanian club CFR Cluj on a season-long loan.
On 30 March 2023, Malele joined Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua.
On 31 December 2024, Shanghai Shenhua announced that Malele is released as a free agent.

## 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
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National Cup | National Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Continental | Continental | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Palermo | 2012–13 | Serie A | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 |
| Palermo | 2013–14 | Serie B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 |
| Palermo | Total | Total | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 0 |
| Virtus Entella (loan) | 2014–15 | Serie B | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 15 | 0 |
| Trapani (loan) | 2014–15 | Serie B | 15 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 0 |
| Atlético CP (loan) | 2015–16 | LigaPro | 40 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 42 | 9 |
| Leixões (loan) | 2016–17 | LigaPro | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 13 | 0 |
| Varzim (loan) | 2016–17 | LigaPro | 21 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 21 | 5 |
| Varzim | 2017–18 | LigaPro | 29 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 30 | 2 |
| Arouca | 2018–19 | LigaPro | 29 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 32 | 11 |
| Oliveirense | 2019–20 | LigaPro | 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 |
| Shanghai Shenhua | 2024 | Chinese Super League | 16 | 11 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 17 | 12 |
| Career total | Career total | 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