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Aitor Embela
Personal information
Full name	Aitor Mbela Gil
Birth name	Aitor Embela Gil
Date of birth	17 April 1996 (age 28)
Place of birth	Figueres, Spain
Height	1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	Soneja
Youth career
2002–2004	Altura
2004–2012	Villarreal
2012–2015	Málaga
Senior career*
Years	Team
2015–2016	Reus
2016–2017	Valladolid B
2017	Sabadell B
2017–2018	Jumilla
2018–2019	Logroñés Promesas
2019–2020	Figueres
2020–2021	Atlético Saguntino
2021	Lorca
2021–2023	Somozas
2023–	Soneja
International career‡
2011	Equatorial Guinea U16
2015–	Equatorial Guinea
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 8 October 2023; ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 27 September 2022

Aitor Mbela Gil (born 17 April 1996), known in Spain as Aitor Embela Gil, is a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Tercera Federación club Soneja. Born in Spain, he plays for the Equatorial Guinea national team.

Club career

Born in Figueres, Girona, Catalonia and raised in Altura and Segorbe, Province of Castellón, Valencian Community, Embela joined Villarreal CF's youth setup in 2004, aged eight, after starting it out at locals CD Altura. In the 2012 summer he joined Málaga CF, being assigned to the Juvenil squad.^[2]^[3]

On 14 July 2015 Embela signed a two-year deal with CF Reus Deportiu, in Segunda División B.^[4] He terminated his contract with Reus on 29 August of the following year,^[5] and two days later he signed a one-year deal with Real Valladolid B.^[6]

International career

On 3 January 2015 Embela was included in Esteban Becker's Equatorial Guinea 23-men list for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.^[7] Four days later he made his international debut, starting in a 1–1 non-FIFA friendly draw against Cape Verde.^[8]

Embela served as a backup to Felipe Ovono during the tournament, as his side finished fourth. He made his full international debut on 26 March, starting in a 0–2 friendly loss against Egypt.^[9]

Personal life

Embela's father, José Manuel, was also a footballer. A forward, he appeared mainly in Segunda División B before becoming a coach.^[10] His paternal grandfather, Gustavo Chomé Mbela Bueneque, was born in Dibolo, Wele-Nzas, making him eligible to both Equatorial Guinea and Spain.

Career statistics

International

As of 27 September 2022^[11]

Equatorial Guinea
Year	Apps	Goals
2015	3	0
2019	2	0
2021	1	0
2022	3	0
Total	9	0

Notes

^ In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Embela and the second or maternal family name is Gil.

References

^ "EQ. GUINEA" (PDF). Confederation of African Football.
^ "¿Dónde está el fútbol base nacional?" [Where it is the national team's youth football?] (in Spanish). Nzalang Mundial. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 5 June 2016.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ "El Málaga sí tendrá representante en la Copa África, el portero juvenil Embela" [Málaga will have a representative in Africa Cup, the juvenil goalkeeper Embela] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 3 January 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
^ "Aitor Embela, nou porter del CF Reus" [Aitor Embela, new goalkeeper of CF Reus] (in Catalan). Reus' official website. 14 July 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ "Aitor Embela deixa de pertànyer a la disciplina del CF Reus" [Aitor Embela leaves CF Reus] (in Catalan). CF Reus Deportiu. 29 August 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2016.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ "El Promesas ficha a Embela y cede a Sergio al Tordesillas" [Promesas sign Embela and loan Sergio to Tordesillas] (in Spanish). Real Valladolid. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
^ "La Academia present in Africa Cup". Málaga's official website. 3 January 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
^ "Hopeful tie of the Nzalang against Cape Verde". Equatorial Guinea. 8 January 2015. Archived from the original on 11 January 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
^ Nzalang Nacional pierde ante Egipto (Nzalang Nacional loses against Egypt) Archived 25 January 2021 at the Wayback Machine; Guinea Ecuatorial Press, 27 March 2015 (in Spanish)
^ "Guinea recluta al malaguista Embela" [Guinea recruits malaguista Embela] (in Spanish). Málaga Hoy. 26 December 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
^ "Aitor Embela". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 14 January 2024.