List of foreign Kategoria Superiore players

This is a list of foreign players in the Kategoria Superiore, which commenced play in 1930. The following players must meet both of the following two criteria:

  1. Have played at least one Kategoria Superiore game. Players who were signed by Kategoria Superiore clubs, but only played in lower league, cup and/or European games, or did not play in any competitive games at all, are not included.
  2. Are considered foreign, i.e., outside Kategoria Superiore determined by the following:
A player is considered foreign if his allegiance is not to play for the national team of Albania.

More specifically,

  • If a player has been capped on international level, the national team is used; if he has been capped by more than one country, the highest level (or the most recent) team is used. These include Albanian players with dual citizenship.
  • If a player has not been capped on international level, his country of birth is used, except those who were born abroad from Albanian parents or moved to Albania at a young age, and those who clearly indicated to have switched his nationality to another nation.

Clubs listed are those for which the player has played at least one Kategoria Superiore game — and seasons are those in which the player has played at least one Premier League game. Note that seasons, not calendar years, are used. For example, "1992–95" indicates that the player has played in every season from 1992–93 to 1994–95, but not necessarily every calendar year from 1992 to 1995. Therefore, a player should always have a listing under at least two years — for instance, a player making his debut in 2011, during the 2011–12 season, will have '2011–12' after his name. This follows general practice in expressing sporting seasons in Albania.

In bold: players who have played at least one Kategoria Superiore game in the current season (2023–24), and are still at a club for which they have played. This does not include current players of a Kategoria Superiore club who have not played a Kategoria Superiore game in the current season.

Details correct as of 22 January 2024

Andorra Andorra

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Angola Angola

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Argentina Argentina

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1978 FIFA World Cup winner Mario Kempes joined Lushnja in 1996 as a player-manager

Australia Australia

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Austria Austria

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Ronald Gërçaliu was born in Tirana, Albania but represented Austria national football team at Euro 2008

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan

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Bahamas The Bahamas

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Bahrain Bahrain

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Belgium Belgium

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Benin Benin

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Bolivia Bolivia

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Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Ivan Jolić (pictured) and Vlado Marković became the first players from Bosnia and Herzegovina to win the Kategoria Superiore when they won the 2010–11 Kategoria Superiore title with Skënderbeu

Botswana Botswana

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Brazil Brazil

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Elton Calé won the 2016–17 Kategoria Superiore with Kukësi, the club's first and only title

Bulgaria Bulgaria

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Ventsislav Hristov played 4 games and scored once during the 2015–16 season with Skënderbeu

Burkina Faso Burkina Faso

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Burundi Burundi

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Cameroon Cameroon

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Guy Madjo played for Bylis during the 2015–16 season, featuring in 15 games and scoring twice

Canada Canada

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Cape Verde Cape Verde

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Chile Chile

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Colombia Colombia

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Congo Republic of the Congo

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Costa Rica Costa Rica

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Croatia Croatia

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Pero Pejić is the highest-scoring foreign player in the league's history with 141 goals in 208 appearances

Cuba Cuba

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All 4 of Joel Apezteguía's goals in the Kategoria Superiore came in a single 6–2 win against Lushnja

Czech Republic Czech Republic

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DR Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo

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Egypt Egypt

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El Salvador El Salvador

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England England

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Former Liverpool forward Michael Ngoo joined Tirana in 2017

Ethiopia Ethiopia

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Finland Finland

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France France

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Gabon Gabon

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Gambia The Gambia

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Ali Sowe won the golden boot and the league title in his only season in Albania with Skënderbeu

Georgia Georgia (country)

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Germany Germany

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Ghana Ghana

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Seth Ablade became the first Ghanaian to play in Albania with Elbasani in 2003

Greece Greece

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Born in Greece to Albanian parents, Vasil Shkurtaj has played for Luftëtari and Kukësi in the Kategoria Superiore

Guinea Guinea

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Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau

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Hong Kong Hong Kong

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Hungary Hungary

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Krisztián Adorján played 9 games for Partizani during the 2017–18 Kategoria Superiore season

Iran Iran

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Iraq Iraq

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Israel Israel

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Italy Italy

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Ivory Coast Ivory Coast

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Jamaica Jamaica

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Japan Japan

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Masato Fukui became the first Japanese player in Albania in 2015, having since played for Tirana, Skënderbeu, Kukësi and Kamza

Jordan Jordan

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Kenya Kenya

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Kosovo Kosovo

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Riza Lushta scored 39 goals in 69 games and won 3 league titles with Tirana between 1934 and 1939

Latvia Latvia

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Lebanon Lebanon

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Liberia Liberia

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Lithuania Lithuania

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Mali Mali

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Bakary Nimaga played 97 times and scored 5 goals in the league with Skënderbeu between 2013 and 2018

Martinique Martinique

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Mauritania Mauritania

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Mexico Mexico

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Moldova Moldova

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Dmitri Stajila was the first Moldovan to play for an Albanian club

Montenegro Montenegro

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Morocco Morocco

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Mozambique Mozambique

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Netherlands Netherlands

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Nigeria Nigeria

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Peter Olayinka won the 2014–15 Kategoria Superiore title with Skënderbeu

North Korea North Korea

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North Macedonia North Macedonia

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Artim Položani has played for Apolonia, Dinamo Tirana, Partizani, Flamurtari and Skënderbeu in the Kategoria Superiore

Norway Norway

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Palestine State of Palestine

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Paraguay Paraguay

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Peru Peru

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Poland Poland

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Portugal Portugal

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Romania Romania

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Russia Russia

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Rwanda Rwanda

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Senegal Senegal

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Malick Mané played 13 games for Laçi 2018–19 season

Serbia Serbia

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Mladen Brkić scored 41 goals in 122 games for 5 different sides in the Kategoria Superiore between 2008 and 2014

Slovakia Slovakia

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Slovenia Slovenia

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Patrik Bordon played for both Partizani and Bylis during the 2013–14 season

Spain Spain

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Sweden Sweden

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Sudan Sudan

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Switzerland Switzerland

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Togo Togo

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Turkey Turkey

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Uganda Uganda

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Ukraine Ukraine

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United States United States

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Dilly Duka scored 1 goal in 13 games for Partizani during the 2018–19 season

Uruguay Uruguay

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Venezuela Venezuela

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Zambia Zambia

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Zimbabwe Zimbabwe

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Noel Kaseke scored 4 goals in 22 games for Erzeni during the 2002–03 season

References

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  1. ^ Gjergj Kola (20 December 2011). "Mbërrin Sergi Moreno, lojtari i kombëtares së Andorës". Shkodra Sport (in Albanian). Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  2. ^ Olsi Karagjozi (20 January 2017). "Luftëtari zyrtarizon sulmuesin afrikan, Bengui" (in Albanian). SuperSport Albania. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  3. ^ Sotir Kora (28 July 2016). "Luftëtari vijon përgatitjet, afrohet Silas Daniel". SuperSport Albania (in Albanian). Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  4. ^ "U aktivizua 13 ndeshje me Bylisin, sulmuesi 27-vjeçar firmos në… Kili". Panorama Sport (in Albanian). 12 January 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  5. ^ "Carrusca Alejandro". En Una Baldosa (in Spanish). 10 October 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  6. ^ Neil Billingham (29 December 2014). "Where have all the player-managers gone?". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  7. ^ Soccer : A Dangerous Game for the Boys of Brazil
  8. ^ Mario Kempes now in Albania...
  9. ^ Albanian 'financiers' fail to play the game
  10. ^ Superkupa/ Elbasani, dilemat e formacionit anti–Tirana at Info Arkiva, 19–8–2006, retrieved 2–8–2015

Notes

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  1. ^
    Born in Albania
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    Born in Austria
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    Born in Belgium
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    Born in Bosnia and Herzegovina (then part of SFR Yugoslavia)
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    Born in Switzerland
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    Born in Brazil
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    Born in Cameroon
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    Born in Croatia
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    Born in Croatia (then part of SFR Yugoslavia)
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    Born in France
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    Born in Kosovo (then part of SFR Yugoslavia)
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    Born in Kosovo (then part of FR Yugoslavia)
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    Born in Montenegro (then part of SFR Yugoslavia)
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    Born in the Netherlands
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    Born in Nigeria
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    Born in North Macedonia (then called FYR Macedonia)
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    Born in North Macedonia (then part of SFR Yugoslavia)
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    Born in Norway
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    Born in Portugal
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    Born in Serbia (then part of SFR Yugoslavia)
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    Born in Serbia (then part of FR Yugoslavia)
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    Born in Sierra Leone
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    Born in Slovenia
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    Born in Uganda
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