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Nando Rafael
Nando Rafael.JPG
Rafael in 2007
Personal information
Date of birth (1984-01-10) 10 January 1984 (age 41)
Place of birth Luanda, Angola
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
1994–2001 Ajax
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001–2002 Ajax II 18 (2)
2001–2002 Ajax 0 (0)
2002–2006 Hertha BSC II 26 (18)
2002–2006 Hertha BSC 70 (16)
2006–2008 Borussia Mönchengladbach 45 (9)
2006–2008 Borussia Mönchengladbach II 3 (0)
2008–2009 AGF 33 (10)
2010 FC Augsburg (loan) 10 (4)
2010–2012 FC Augsburg 33 (16)
2012–2013 Fortuna Düsseldorf 11 (2)
2013–2014 Henan Jianye 35 (10)
2015–2016 VfL Bochum 8 (1)
Total 292 (88)
International career
2005–2006 Germany U21 13 (5)
2012 Angola 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Nando Rafael, born on January 10, 1984, is a former professional footballer from Angola. He played as a forward, which means he was usually trying to score goals. Nando Rafael played for the Angola national team three times, even though he also played for Germany's youth teams.

Early Life and Challenges

Nando Rafael was born in Luanda, Angola. When he was young, he had to leave his home country because of a difficult situation. He moved to the Netherlands, hoping to play football professionally. However, it was hard for him to get the right papers to work there, which meant he couldn't play football as a job. This led him to move to another country to continue his dream.

Playing for Clubs

Starting in Germany

In 2002, Nando Rafael moved to Germany and joined Hertha BSC, a well-known football club. He played there for several years, showing off his skills as a forward.

Moving to New Teams

Later, in 2006, he signed with Borussia Mönchengladbach. After that, he moved to AGF in Denmark. His first season at AGF was a bit tough because of injuries, which made it harder for him to play as much as he wanted.

Loan and Permanent Moves

On January 10, 2010, Nando Rafael joined FC Augsburg in Germany on a loan. A loan means he played for them for a short time while still belonging to his original club. He did well there, and on July 19, 2010, he signed a two-year contract to join FC Augsburg permanently.

Playing in China

On June 27, 2013, Nando Rafael decided to try playing football in a different country. He joined Henan Jianye, a club in China. He played there for a couple of years before returning to Germany.

Final Club Years

In 2015, he joined VfL Bochum in Germany, where he played for one season before ending his professional career.

International Football

Nando Rafael's journey in international football is quite interesting. He was born in Angola and grew up in the Netherlands. When he was a teenager, he moved to Germany to play football. He eventually received a German passport and played for the German Under-21 team.

However, in 2012, he decided to play for the Angola national team. He even played for them in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, which is a big tournament for African countries. Before that, he played in a friendly match for Angola in November 2011.

Career Achievements

Nando Rafael had a successful career, winning titles with two different clubs.

Club Trophies

  • Borussia Mönchengladbach

* He helped them win the 2. Bundesliga in the 2007–08 season. This meant his team was promoted to the top German league.

  • Henan Jianye

* He also won the China League One with Henan Jianye in 2013. This is the second-highest football league in China.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Nando Rafael para niños

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