Xhevahir Sukaj

Xhevahir Sukaj was born on the 5^th October 1987 in Shkoder. He is a football player from Albania. He plays the role of a striker for Sepahan in the Iran Pro League. The striker played for 6 different clubs in his entire career so far in four different countries. He has played for the Under-21 national team of the country and has represented his country in the senior international level.

source of picture: www.panorama-sport.com

Career

Sukaj started his career in Vllaznia academy and in the year 2004 he got promoted to the first team of the club at the age of 16. The 2005/06 season was the first season of professional football of his career and he played 15 games for the club and scored a goal for them together with the way helping the club to finish in the 4^th position in the league table. In the Albanian cup of that season, he scored 2 goals for the club; his club got to the semifinal of the cup that season but was eliminated by KF Tirana after 3-2 aggregate score. He was loaned to KF Elbasani for the 2005/06 season so as to acquire some experience of being in the first team, but the striker found it hard to compete with more experienced strikers that were in the club and only played 4 league games for the club without a single goal to his name, though he won the Albanian superliga with the club. His club got to the semifinals again but he never scored any goal for the team during the loan.

In the year 2006, he went back to Vllaznia and instantly established himself in the first team of the club and was instrumental in helping Vllaznia to finish in the 3^rd position. He played the total of 31 games for the club and scored the total of 8 league goals for them. He scored 3 goals in the cup. He scored the total of 11 goals for the club in the 2006/07 season.

In the 2007/08 season, his club participated in the Intertoto Cup, where he played his first European game for the club in the return leg match that was played against NK Zagreb, but after that wasting the chances to score that was given to him by his teammates, the coach of the club Mirel Josa replaced him in the 69^th minute of the game with Vioresin Sinani. In the next round of the competition, the club ewas drawn against Trabzonspor and the game finished 10-0 on aggregate as Vllaznia was eliminated. The club had a weak season as they finished 7^th in the league table at the end of the season, though Sukaj scored 10 goals for the club in the 28 matches that he played for them.  His side won the Albanian cup of the country and his 3 goals helped them to lift the title. He scored the total of 13 goals for the club in that season as he lifted his first trophy with the club in the 2007/08 season.

In the Europa league qualification of the 2008/09 season, Sukaj bagged 2 goals away in that match that was played against Slovenian club, NK Koper. He scored the goals in the first half of the game and the game finished 2-1. It was the goals that put the club to the second round as the 2^nd round of the competition finished in goalless draw and Vllaznia was drawn against Napoli, the Italian Giants. The game was played and Vllaznia was outclassed by the Italian club as the match finished 3-0.

Sukaj’s exit from Vllaznia was announced on the 4^th August 2008. He was signed by Gençlerbirliği S.K., and they were the parent club of Hacettepe. He was loaned to Hcettepe, and he stayed there till the end of the season after being unable to break into the first team of the club, he was again loaned back to his country. He only started 2 matches and playd other games from the bench. On his first match to Vlaaznia back, he bagged three goals in the match that was played against KS Besa as the match finished 4-1. He played 14 other matches for the club and scored 7 goals for them. After the an unsuccessful spell in Turkey, he was signed by Orduspor and he still had a bad spell and was loaned to Al Ismaily in Egypt.

Sukaj signed three year deal with NK Zagreb on the 15^th February 2010, after it was believed that the player can join Vllaznia again. He played just 5 matches for the club and scored a goal for the club before his contract with the club was terminated in January.

He went back to his former club, Vllaznia and signed a two-year deal with the club, which will keep him with the club till the summer of the year 2013. He scored three goals for the club in the first match he played with the club. The goals came in the 73^rd, 80^th and the 92^nd minute of the game.

Sukaj joined the champions of Iran, Sepahan in the year 2012. In the first season he played with the club, he scored just 2 goals for the club. He scored the first goal for the club on the 25^th July of that year and he scored on the 29^th August.  He won his 3^rd trophy with the club. At the starting matrch of the year 2013, he scored twice in opening game.

International Career

Sukaj was part of the Under-21 national team of the country, though he recently has been called up to join the senior team of the country. He was part of the 20 man list that played the friendly match against Azerbaijan in Baku 1. He is now among the 23 man squad of the national team of the country and he is hoping to make a name for himself.

Honours

KF Elbasani

• Albanian Superliga (1): 2005–06

Vllaznia Shkodër

• Albanian Cup (1): 2007–08

Sepahan

• Iran Pro League (1): 2011–12
• Hazfi Cup (1): 2012–13