# Jhon Cifuente

Jhon Jairo Cifuente Vergara (born 23 July 1992) is an Ecuadorian professional footballer who last played for El Nacional as a forward.

## Club career
### Early career

Cifuente was born in Esmeraldas, and represented Olmedo and Deportivo Quito as a youth. In 2011 he joined Segunda Categoría side CD Juventud Minera, where he appeared and scored regularly.

### Macará

On 18 February 2015, Cifuente signed for Macará in Serie B. He scored his first goal as a professional on 22 March in a 3–3 home draw against Técnico Universitario, and finished the season with 11 goals in 34 appearances.

### Universidad Católica

On 19 July 2016, Cifuente was transferred to Serie A side Universidad Católica, with his former side retaining half of his federative rights. He made his debut in the category on 6 August, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 1–0 home win over Emelec.
Cifuente scored his first goals in the main category of Ecuadorian football on 15 October 2016, netting four times in a 6–1 home routing of Mushuc Runa. The following 30 May, he scored a hat-trick in a 3–0 Copa Sudamericana home defeat of Petrolero.
Cifuente ended the 2018 campaign as the topscorer with 37 goals, eight ahead of Brayan Angulo.

### Pyramids

On 20 December 2018, Cifuente moved abroad for the first time in his career after agreeing to a contract with Egyptian Premier League side Pyramids FC.

## International career

Cifuente made his full international debut for Ecuador on 8 June 2017, replacing Enner Valencia late into a 1–1 friendly draw against Venezuela at the FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida. He scored his first international goal five days later, netting the opener in a 3–0 home success over El Salvador.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of 10 May 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | Cup | Cup | Continental | Continental | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Juventud Minera | 2011 | Segunda Categoría | 16 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | 10 |
| Juventud Minera | 2012 | Segunda Categoría | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 7 | 10 | 9 |
| Juventud Minera | 2013 | Segunda Categoría | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
| Juventud Minera | 2014 | Segunda Categoría | 17 | 28 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 20 | 23 | 48 |
| Juventud Minera | Total | Total | 43 | 42 | — | — | — | — | 14 | 35 | 57 | 77 |
| Macará | 2015 | Ecuadorian Serie B | 34 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 34 | 11 |
| Macará | 2016 | Ecuadorian Serie B | 20 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | 14 |
| Macará | Total | Total | 54 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 54 | 25 |
| Universidad Católica | 2016 | Ecuadorian Serie A | 15 | 8 | — | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 8 |
| Universidad Católica | 2017 | Ecuadorian Serie A | 36 | 15 | — | — | 4 | 5 | — | — | 40 | 20 |
| Universidad Católica | 2018 | Ecuadorian Serie A | 43 | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 43 | 37 |
| Universidad Católica | Total | Total | 94 | 60 | — | — | 5 | 5 | — | — | 99 | 65 |
| Pyramids | 2018–19 | Egyptian Premier League | 14 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | 3 |
| Delfín | 2020 | Ecuadorian Serie A | 26 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 8 |
| Delfín | 2021 | Ecuadorian Serie A | 28 | 17 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 29 | 17 |
| Delfín | 2022 | Ecuadorian Serie A | 12 | 4 | — | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 4 |
| Delfín | Total | Total | 66 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | — | 77 | 29 |
| Barcelona S.C. | 2022 | Ecuadorian Serie A | 16 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | 7 |
| Aucas | 2023 | Ecuadorian Serie A | 28 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 11 |
| Universidad Católica | 2024 | Ecuadorian Serie A | 10 | 2 | — | — | 5 | 2 | — | — | 15 | 4 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 228 | 137 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 7 | 14 | 35 | 212 | 168 |
* 1 2 3 Appearance(s) in Campeonato Provincial de Segunda Categoría de Bolívar
* 1 2 3 4 Appearance(s) in Copa Sudamericana
* 1 2 Appearance(s) in Copa Libertadores de América

### International

    As of 20 November 2018
Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Ecuador | 2017 | 2 | 1 |
| Ecuador | 2018 | 2 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 4 | 2 |
    Scores and results list Ecuador's goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1. | 14 June 2017 | Red Bull Arena, Harrison, United States | El Salvador | 1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 2. | 20 November 2018 | Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama | Panama | 1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |

## Honours

Individual
* Ecuadorian Segunda Categoría top goalscorer: 2014 (28 goals)
* Copa Sudamericana top goalscorer: 2017 (5 goals)