Kiki Afonso

Kiki Afonso

Personal information
Full name	Christian Neiva Afonso [1]
Date of birth	(1994-12-10) 10 December 1994 (age 29) [1]
Place of birth	Vila Chã, Portugal [1]
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) [1]
Position(s)	Left-back
Youth career
2005–2008	Marinhas
2008–2011	Porto
2009–2010	→ Padroense (loan)
2011–2013	Rio Ave
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2013	Rio Ave	1	(0)
2013	Dagenham & Redbridge	0	(0)
2014–2015	Atlético	46	(1)
2015–2016	Gil Vicente	15	(0)
2016–2017	Olhanense	28	(0)
2017–2019	Feirense	2	(0)
2018–2019	→ Felgueiras 1932 (loan)	14	(1)
2019	B-SAD	4	(0)
2019–2023	Vizela	90	(3)
2023–2024	Ural Yekaterinburg	13	(0)
International career
2014	Portugal U20	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21 April 2024

Christian "Kiki" Neiva Afonso (born 10 December 1994) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a left-back.

Club career

Early career

Born in the Vila Chã municipality of Esposende, Afonso finished his development at Rio Ave FC. He made his senior debut on 11 May 2013, coming on as a last-minute substitute in a 2–1 home win against Gil Vicente F.C. in the Primeira Liga. ^[2]

Journeyman

Afonso went back to Portugal following a brief spell in England with Dagenham & Redbridge, going on spend four seasons in the Segunda Liga with Atlético Clube de Portugal, Gil Vicente and S.C. Olhanense. ^{[3] [4]} He scored his first goal as a professional on 18 January 2015, helping the first of those teams to defeat the last 3–2. ^[5]

Afonso returned to the top division in the summer of 2017, but totalled just six league appearances over two seasons for C.D. Feirense ^[6] and B-SAD. ^[7] The former club also loaned him to third-tier side F.C. Felgueiras 1932. ^[8]

Vizela

On 14 August 2019, Afonso signed with F.C. Vizela. ^[9] He was part of the squads that earned two promotions in as many years to return to the top tier, contributing 32 matches (33 in all competitions) and two goals in the 2020–21 campaign. ^{[10] [4]}

Afonso scored his first goal in the Portuguese top flight on 17 February 2023, closing the 1–1 draw at Gil Vicente. ^[11]

Ural Yekaterinburg

On 21 June 2023, Afonso joined Russian Premier League club FC Ural Yekaterinburg as a free agent. ^{[12] [13]}

International career

Afonso was part of the Portugal under-20 squad at the 2014 Toulon Tournament, playing the entire 4–1 victory over China in the group stage ^[14] in an eventual third-place finish. ^[15]

Career statistics

As of match played 1 June 2024

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition ^{[16] [17]}

Club	Season	League			National cup [lower-alpha 1]		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Rio Ave	2012–13	Primeira Liga	1	0	0	0	0	0	—		1	0
Atlético	2013–14	Liga Portugal 2	8	0	0	0	0	0	—		8	0
	2014–15	Liga Portugal 2	38	1	2	0	5	0	—		45	1
	Total		46	1	2	0	5	0	0	0	53	1
Gil Vicente	2015–16	Liga Portugal 2	15	0	4	0	—		—		19	0
Olhanense	2016–17	Liga Portugal 2	28	0	1	0	—		—		29	0
Feirense	2017–18	Primeira Liga	2	0	1	0	0	0	—		3	0
Felgueiras 1932 (loan)	2018–19	Campeonato de Portugal	14	1	0	0	—		—		14	1
B-SAD	2018–19	Primeira Liga	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
Vizela	2019–20	Campeonato de Portugal	5	0	1	0	0	0	—		6	0
	2020–21	Liga Portugal 2	32	2	1	0	0	0	—		33	2
	2021–22	Primeira Liga	25	0	3	0	1	0	—		29	0
	2022–23	Primeira Liga	28	1	2	0	2	0	—		32	1
	Total		90	3	7	0	3	0	0	0	100	3
Ural	2023–24	Russian Premier League	13	0	7	0	—		0	0	20	0
Career total			213	5	22	0	8	0	0	0	243	5

1. Includes Taça de Portugal, Russian Cup

References

1. "Kiki Afonso" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
2. Almeida, Germano (11 May 2013). "Rio Ave-Gil Vicente, 2–1 (crónica)" [Rio Ave-Gil Vicente, 2–1 (report)] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
3. Tovar, Rui Miguel (31 August 2016). "Rafa na Luz, Markovic em Alvalade. E Adrien ficou – como aconteceu" [Rafa to the Luz, Markovic to Alvalade. And Adrien stayed – how it happened]. Observador (in Portuguese). Retrieved 10 January 2022.
4. "Kiki Afonso também segue com o Vizela para a I Liga" [Kiki Afonso also goes with Vizela to the I League] (in Portuguese). Rádio Renascença. 11 June 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
5. "Atlético-Olhanense, 3–2: Lisboetas com vitória nos descontos" [Atlético-Olhanense, 3–2: Men from Lisbon with win in injury time]. Record (in Portuguese). 18 January 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
6. "Internacional Kiki reforça CD Feirense" [International Kiki strengthens CD Feirense] (in Portuguese). C.D. Feirense. 15 June 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
7. Cunha, Pedro Jorge; Pereira, Sérgio (31 January 2019). "Belenenses garante Kiki Afonso e Dieguinho" [Belenenses confirm Kiki Afonso and Dieguinho] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
8. "OFICIAL: Feirense empresta Kiki ao Felgueiras" [OFFICIAL: Feirense loan Kiki to Felgueiras] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 12 September 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
9. "Kiki reforça lado esquerdo da defesa" [Kiki bolsters left flank of defence] (in Portuguese). F.C. Vizela. 14 August 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
10. ""Vizela é Vizela": a grande festa na cidade pelo regresso à Liga" ["Vizela is Vizela": city parties hard upon return to League] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 23 May 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
11. "FC Vizela empatou a um golo na deslocação ao Gil Vicente" [FC Vizela drew one-all at Gil Vicente] (in Portuguese). Rádio Vizela. 17 February 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
12. "Добро пожаловать, Кики!" [Welcome, Kiki!] (in Russian). FC Ural Yekaterinburg. 21 June 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
13. "Oficial: Kiki Afonso vai jogar no campeonato da Rússia" [Official: Kiki Afonso will play in Russian championship]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 21 June 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
14. "Portugal a um pequeno passo da final em Toulon" [Portugal have all but reached the final in Toulon] (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. 27 May 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
15. "Portugal conquista terceiro lugar do Torneio de Toulon ao bater Inglaterra" [Portugal finish third in Toulon Tournament after beating England] (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. 1 June 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
16. Kiki Afonso at Soccerway
17. Kiki Afonso at WorldFootball.net

External links

• Kiki Afonso at ForaDeJogo (archived)
• Portuguese League profile (in Portuguese)
• Kiki Afonso national team profile at the Portuguese Football Federation (in Portuguese)