Nizar Khalfan (born 21 June 1988) is a Tanzanian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Pamba.

Nizar Khalfan
Khalfan with Vancouver Whitecaps in 2009
Personal information
Full name Nizar Hassan Khalfan Khalfani
Date of birth (1988-06-21) 21 June 1988 (age 36)
Place of birth Mtwara, Tanzania
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Pamba S.C.
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2007 Mtibwa Sugar 57 (16)
2007 Al Tadamon 18 (1)
2008 Tadamon Sour 25 (2)
2008–2009 Moro United 21 (7)
2009–2010 Vancouver Whitecaps 26 (2)
2011 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 22 (1)
2012–2015 Young Africans SC
2015–2016 Mwadui United
2016–2019 Singida United
2019– Pamba
International career
2004–2012 Tanzania 45 (5)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14 April 2021
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14 April 2021

Career

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Early career

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Khalfan started playing football in his hometown of Mtwara with a youth team called Score FC. As a student Khalfan attended Ligula Primary School and Ocean Secondary School in Mtwara.[2]

Club

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Khalfan began his career with Mtibwa Sugar FC. He then joined the Kuwaiti Premier League club Al Tadamon for the 2007–08 season.[3] In January 2008 he left Al Tadamon for Lebanese club Tadamon Sour,[4] but soon returned to the Tanzanian Premier League with Moro United. He joined Canadian side Vancouver Whitecaps FC on 22 August 2009.[5] He played nine games for the Caps in their successful 2009 season and signed a contract extension to play with the team in 2010.[6] He scored his first goal for the Whitecaps on 12 June 2010 in a game against the Austin Aztex.[7] On 9 February 2011 signed a new one-year contract for the 2011 Major League Soccer season.[8] Khalfan was waived by Vancouver on 23 November 2011, and was selected in the MLS Waiver Draft by Philadelphia Union.[9] The Union released him three months later prior to the 2012 season.[10]

International

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Khalfan was formerly a member of the Tanzania national football team. He played in five of Tanzania's qualifying matches for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, scoring in the 4–1 victory over Mauritius on 6 September 2008.[11] He also scored the game-winning goal in a 2–1 victory over Burkina Faso at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium in Dar-es-Salaam on 14 June 2007.[12]

International goals

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The following information is valid up to 11 November 2011.[13]

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 2 September 2006 Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania   Burkina Faso 2–1 2–1 2008 African Cup of Nations Qualifiers
2 9 December 2006 Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania   DR Congo 1–0 2–0 Friendly
3 2 June 2007 CCM Kirumba Stadium, Mwanza, Tanzania   Senegal 1–0 1–1 2008 African Cup of Nations Qualifiers
4 9 June 2008 Stade George V, Curepipe, Mauritius   Mauritius 1–2 1–4 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
5 13 January 2009 Mandela National Stadium, Kampala, Uganda   Burundi 2–2 3–2 2009 CECAFA Cup

References

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  1. ^ Nizar Khalfan (21 June 1988). "Nizar Khalfan | Philadelphia Union". philadelphiaunion.com. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
  2. ^ "Nazir Khalfan Vancouver Whitecaps". Whitecapsfc.com. 2 January 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  3. ^ "Residency Beefs Up Roster, Signing Three; Cut Two". Soccersceneusa.blogspot.com. 29 February 2004. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
  4. ^ "Player profile". National-Football-Teams.com. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
  5. ^ "Canada awaits Nizar, Nadir – This Day". Whitecapsfc.com. 1 July 2009. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
  6. ^ "Hirano, Moose, and Khalfan re-sign". Whitecapsfc.com. 3 November 2009. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
  7. ^ "USSF Division-2 Pro League". Ussf.demosphere.com. 12 June 2010. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
  8. ^ "Whitecaps FC sign Khalfan and Koffie". Whitecapsfc.com. 9 February 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
  9. ^ "2011". Philadelphia Union. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  10. ^ "Union waive midfielder Khalfan". Philadelphia Union. 23 November 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  11. ^ "FIFA Game Report: Mauritius vs Tanzania". Fifa.com. Archived from the original on 14 September 2008. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
  12. ^ "Tanzanian XI leave for Bukina Faso for Cup qualifier". English.peopledaily.com.cn. 14 June 2007. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
  13. ^ "Live sports scores, news and more". goalzz.com. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
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