Alfa Semedo
Bissau-Guinean footballer (born 1997) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alfa Semedo Esteves (born 30 August 1997) is a Bissau-Guinean professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for the Saudi Arabian club Neom and the Guinea-Bissau national team.[2][3]
.jpg) Semedo in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alfa Semedo Esteves[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 30 August 1997 | ||
| Place of birth | Bissau, Guinea-Bissau | ||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Neom | ||
| Number | 30 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2014 | Fidjus di Bideras | ||
| 2014–2016 | Benfica | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016–2017 | → Vilafranquense (loan) | 29 | (4) |
| 2017–2018 | Moreirense | 28 | (2) |
| 2018–2021 | Benfica | 5 | (1) |
| 2019 | → Espanyol (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | → Nottingham Forest (loan) | 24 | (2) |
| 2020–2021 | → Reading (loan) | 35 | (2) |
| 2021–2022 | Vitória Guimarães | 27 | (0) |
| 2022–2024 | Al-Tai | 60 | (3) |
| 2024– | Neom | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2021– | Guinea-Bissau | 12 | (2) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19:53, 27 October 2023 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 9 June 2022 | |||
Club career
Summarize
Perspective
Born in Bissau, Semedo started playing football at the local club Fidjus di Bideras. In 2014, aged 16, he moved to Portugal and joined the Benfica youth system. After playing two years for their juniors team, he was loaned out to Vilafranquense in Campeonato de Portugal for one season.[4] On 8 July 2017, he signed a four-year contract with Moreirense in Primeira Liga, with whom he would make his professional debut in a Taça da Liga match against Desportivo das Aves on 30 July that year.[5]
Following his return to Benfica in July 2018 for €2.5 million,[6][7] Semedo debuted for the first team in a 3–2 home win over Vitória de Guimarães in Primeira Liga on 10 August. Later, on 2 October, he made his UEFA Champions League debut, scoring his first and winning goal for Benfica in a 3–2 away victory over AEK Athens in the UEFA Champions League group stage, thus ending the former's eight-match losing streak in the competition's group stage.[8][9]
On 31 January 2019, Semedo was loaned out to La Liga side RCD Espanyol until June.[10] On 8 July, he joined English club Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan, along with Benfica teammate Yuri Ribeiro (the latter on a permanent transfer).[11] He scored his first goal for the club in a 1–0 away win over Swansea City on 14 September 2019.[12]
Semedo joined Reading on a season-long loan for the 2020–21 season. He made his debut in a 1–0 victory over Wycombe Wanderers on 20 October 2020. He scored his first goal for Reading in a 2–1 win over Luton Town on 26 December 2020.[13]
On 10 August 2022, Semedo joined Saudi Pro League club Al-Tai on a three-year deal.[14]
On 19 July 2024, Semedo joined Saudi First Division League club Neom.[15]
International career
He made his debut for Guinea-Bissau national football team on 26 March 2021 in an 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Eswatini and scored the team's second goal in a 3–1 win.[16]
In December 2023, he was selected from the list of 25 Guinea-Bissau players selected by Baciro Candé to compete in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 5 April 2021[17]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Benfica | 2016–17 | Primeira Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vilafranquense (loan) | 2016–17 | Campeonato de Portugal | 29 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 34 | 4 | |
| Moreirense | 2017–18 | Primeira Liga | 28 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | 34 | 3 | |
| Benfica | 2018–19 | Primeira Liga | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 15 | 1 |
| 2019–20 | Primeira Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 16 | 1 | ||
| Espanyol (loan) | 2018–19 | La Liga | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Nottingham Forest (loan) | 2019–20 | EFL Championship | 24 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 2 |
| Reading (loan) | 2020–21 | EFL Championship | 35 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 2 |
| Career total | 124 | 10 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 149 | 12 | ||
International
- As of match played 9 June 2022[18]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guinea-Bissau | 2021 | 8 | 1 |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 12 | 2 | |
International goals
- Scores and results list Guinea-Bissau's goal tally first. Score column indicates score after each Semedo goal.[18]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 26 March 2021 | Mavuso Sports Centre, Manzini, Eswatini |  Eswatini | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 2. | 9 June 2022 | Stade Adrar, Agadir, Morocco |  São Tomé and Príncipe | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
Honours
Benfica
References
External links
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