Javier Balboa

Javier Ángel Balboa Osa (born 13 May 1985) is a former professional footballer who played as a winger, most notably for Real Madrid and Benfica.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Balboa and the second or maternal family name is Osa.
Javier Balboa
Personal information
Full name Javier Ángel Balboa Osa
Date of birth (1985-05-13) 13 May 1985
Place of birth Madrid, Spain
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Winger
Youth career
1992–1996 CD Avance
1996–1999 Alcalá
1999–2004 Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004–2005 Real Madrid C 34 (1)
2005–2006 Real Madrid B 32 (1)
2006–2008 Real Madrid 7 (0)
2006–2007 → Racing Santander (loan) 30 (1)
2008–2011 Benfica 10 (0)
2010 → Cartagena (loan) 11 (0)
2011 → Albacete (loan) 7 (0)
2011–2013 Beira-Mar 46 (8)
2013–2015 Estoril 41 (5)
2015–2016 Al-Faisaly 24 (8)
2016–2017 Chabab Rif 7 (2)
2017 Trikala 15 (2)
Total 264 (28)
International career
2007–2017 Equatorial Guinea 29 (5)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

After emerging at Real Madrid's youth system, he could never establish himself in its first team. In 2008 he signed with Benfica, being loaned several times over his contract and leaving three years later.

Born and raised in Spain to Equatorial Guinean parents, Balboa capped for the Equatorial Guinea national team at the 2012 and 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

Club career

Real Madrid

Born in Madrid, Balboa arrived at Real Madrid Castilla in the summer of 2005. He eventually settled down, although he missed a part of their season due to first team duty;[1][2] he still finished his first year with 32 games and one goal, in Segunda División.[3]

After having toured with the Real Madrid first team in its Austrian tour during the 2006–07 pre-season, Balboa signed a one-year loan deal with Racing de Santander in La Liga in order to gain first team experience, after being told he was not going to be part of the former's plans by manager Fabio Capello.[4] He was an integral part of the Cantabrian side for the season's duration, scoring in a 2–1 win at RCD Mallorca in the 88th minute, on 16 December 2006.[5]

Balboa was praised by Capello's replacement, Bernd Schuster, upon his return from loan, and his contract was extended until 2011. During the 2007 pre-season he was played as a right and left winger, and did well in several games, scoring against FC Lokomotiv Moscow.[6][7]

Balboa came on in the second half of the UEFA Champions League home match against Olympiacos F.C. on 24 October 2007 and, during injury time, scored his first goal in the competition and for Real after being set up by Robinho, in a 4–2 group stage home win.[8] On 19 December, he scored his first goal in the Copa del Rey, in a 1–1 draw against Alicante CF for the fourth round.[9] The previous month, he had come to blows with teammate Pepe during a training session;[10] he was not called up for Real Madrid's next match, while the Portuguese was.[11]

Benfica

On 25 June 2008, Balboa signed a four-year deal with S.L. Benfica for €4 million, as the Portuguese club was managed by Quique Sánchez Flores.[12] He made 17 competitive appearances in his first season, being ousted from the squad in the second following a wages dispute.[13][14]

On 28 January 2010, Balboa was loaned to FC Cartagena in the second level until the end of the campaign.[15] Returning to Benfica, he found himself limited to training with the first team, and subsequently joined Albacete Balompié on a five-month loan.[16]

Beira-Mar

On 13 August 2011, Balboa terminated his contract with Benfica.[17] Two days later he signed with S.C. Beira-Mar also in Portugal's Primeira Liga,[18] leaving on 21 June 2013 after the Aveiro team's relegation.[19]

Later years

On 16 September 2015, after two seasons with G.D. Estoril Praia,[20] Balboa moved to Saudi Arabia after agreeing to a one-year deal with Al-Faisaly FC.[21] On 25 January 2017 he moved clubs and countries again, joining Trikala F.C. in the Football League (Greece).[22]

International career

Balboa made his debut with Equatorial Guinea on 2 June 2007, in a 0–2 loss to Rwanda for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying stage. Also, he appeared in B games against the Region of Murcia[23] and Extremadura in 2007,[24] against Brittany on 2 June 2011 and against French side Issy-les-Moulineaux.

On 21 January 2012, Balboa scored the inaugural goal in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, the game's only as the co-hosts defeated Libya.[25] In the 2015 edition of the tournament, also hosted by his country, he won a penalty after being fouled by Gabon's Lloyd Palun, and converted it to open a 2–0 win which put Equatorial Guinea into the quarter-finals.[26] In the last-eight encounter, against Tunisia, he converted a late penalty to tie the game at 1–1 and eventually take it to extra time, where he scored a free kick to take his country to its first ever semi-final.[27]

Balboa missed the first penalty in the shootout of the third-place playoff lost to the DR Congo,[28] but with three goals was the tournament's joint top scorer alongside four other players.

Personal life

Balboa came from a notable Equatorial Guinean family. His paternal great-grandfather, Abilio Balboa Arkins, of Cuban and Sierra Leone Creole descent,[29][30] was mayor of Santa Isabel (renamed Malabo) during the 1960s. Balboa Arkins' sons were also footballers: Norberto (Javier's paternal grandfather), Armando – both were killed after participating in a failed coup d'état against Francisco Macías Nguema – and Abilio Jr.,[31] the most prominent of the three who played with his national team. Turn, a daughter of Armando, formed a family in Spain with the son of Domènec Balmanya,[32] and they had a son, Israel Balmanya, who was a professional basketball player.[33]

Balboa had another cousin Richard Nguema, a basketball player who played with, amongst others, Real Madrid and the Equatorial Guinea national team.[34]

Career statistics

Club
As of 12 May 2016[35]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Real Madrid B 2005–06[36] Segunda División 321——321
Real Madrid 2005–06[36] La Liga 20101[lower-alpha 1]040
2007–08[36] La Liga 504[lower-alpha 2]12[lower-alpha 1]1112
Total 705131152
Racing Santander (loan) 2006–07[36] La Liga 30120—321
Benfica 2008–09[37] Primeira Liga 100403[lower-alpha 3]0170
Cartagena (loan) 2009–10[36] Segunda División 11000—110
Albacete (loan) 2010–11[36] Segunda División 7000—70
Beira-Mar 2011–12[36] Primeira Liga 25320—273
2012–13[36] Primeira Liga 21551—266
Total 46871—539
Estoril 2013–14[36] Primeira Liga 284617[lower-alpha 4]0415
2014–15[36] Primeira Liga 131101[lower-alpha 4]0151
Total 4157180566
Al-Faisaly 2015–16[36] Saudi Professional League 24800—248
Career total 2032325314124727
  1. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  2. Includes one appearance in Supercopa de España
  3. Appearances in UEFA Cup
  4. Appearances in UEFA Europa League

International
As of 31 January 2015
Scores and results list Equatorial Guinea's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Balboa goal.
List of international goals scored by Javier Balboa[38]
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
121 January 2012Estadio de Bata, Bata, Equatorial Guinea Libya1–01–02012 Africa Cup of Nations
225 January 2015Estadio de Bata, Bata, Equatorial Guinea Gabon1–02–02015 Africa Cup of Nations
331 January 2015Estadio de Bata, Bata, Equatorial Guinea Tunisia1–12–12015 Africa Cup of Nations
42–1

Honours

Real Madrid

Benfica

References
  1. Cuéllar, J. M. (5 December 2005). "Mucha presión de los delanteros, dos medios centro y rotaciones" [A lot of pressure from the forwards, two central midfielders and rotations]. ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  2. "Balboa completa la convocatoria de López Caro para el Rácing [sic]" [Balboa completes López Caro's squad for Racing]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 20 December 2005. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  3. "Triplete de Soldado" [Soldado triple]. El Norte de Castilla (in Spanish). 22 May 2006. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  4. "Pernía presenta a Balboa y Calatayud y anuncia "cava" para la delantera" [Pernía presents Balboa and Calatayud and announces "cava" for offense]. Marca (in Spanish). 21 August 2006. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
  5. Lagomarsino, Patricio (16 December 2006). "El Racing vuelve a sonreír en Mallorca" [Racing smile again in Mallorca]. El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 March 2014.
  6. Giovio, Eleonora (4 August 2007). "El Madrid golea al Lokomotiv con un Guti estelar" [Madrid rout Lokomotiv with stellar Guti]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  7. Roncero, Tomás (7 August 2007). "Aprobado con reparos" [Passed with notes]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  8. "Robinho double sends Madrid top". UEFA. 24 October 2007. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  9. "Madrid and Valencia avert cup shocks". UEFA. 19 December 2007. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  10. "Balboa y Pepe se pelean durante el entrenamiento" [Balboa and Pepe fight during training]. Marca (in Spanish). 9 November 2008. Retrieved 11 September 2008.
  11. Forjanes, Carlos (11 November 2007). "Schuster castiga a Balboa por su pelea con Pepe" [Schuster punishes Balboa for his fight with Pepe]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  12. "Lisbon giants move to strengthen". UEFA. 25 June 2008. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  13. "Balboa sob alçada disciplinar" [Balboa under disciplinary proceedings]. Record (in Portuguese). 3 September 2009. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  14. "Balboa: "Muitos fizeram-me a vida impossível"" [Balboa: "Many made my life impossible"]. Record (in Portuguese). 7 January 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  15. "El Cartagena logra la cesión del ex madridista Balboa, que llega del Benfica" [Cartagena get loan of former Madrid man Balboa, who arrives from Benfica]. La Opinión de Murcia (in Spanish). 28 January 2010. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  16. "Mercado: Es oficial, Balboa es cedido al Albacete por el Benfica" [Market: It's official, Balboa is loaned to Albacete by Benfica] (in Spanish). Goal. 24 January 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
  17. "Balboa rescindiu contrato" [Balboa terminated contract]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 13 August 2011. Archived from the original on 13 August 2011. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
  18. Cunha, Pedro Jorge (15 August 2011). "Benfica: Javier Balboa rescinde e já é do Beira-Mar" [Benfica: Javier Balboa cuts ties and already belongs to Beira-Mar] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  19. "Balboa rescindiu" [Balboa cut ties]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 21 June 2013. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  20. Ruela, João (22 June 2013). "Balboa assinou pelo Estoril por duas épocas" [Balboa signed for Estoril for two seasons]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  21. "Oficial: Javier Balboa assina pelo Al Faisaly" [Official: Javier Balboa signs for Al Faisaly] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 16 September 2015. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  22. Tsimpogiannis, Achilleas (25 January 2017). ""Βόμβα" με Μπαλμπόα τα Τρίκαλα!" [«Bomb» with Balboa to Trikala!] (in Greek). Gazzetta. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  23. "Murcia gana por la mínima a Guinea Ecuatorial" [Murcia get minimal advantage over Equatorial Guinea]. Marca (in Spanish). 26 December 2007. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
  24. "La selección extremeña inicia su andadura con una victoria" [Extremaduran autonomous team get going with win]. Marca (in Spanish). 28 December 2007. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
  25. "Javier Balboa fires Equatorial Guinea to opening win against Libya". The Guardian. 21 January 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
  26. Hughes, Ian (25 January 2015). "Gabon 0–2 Equatorial Guinea". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  27. Begley, Emlyn (31 January 2015). "Tunisia 1–2 Equatorial Guinea". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  28. "Congo DR 0–0 Equatorial Guinea". BBC Sport. 7 February 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  29. "PRESENCIA DE LA SOCIEDAD ABAKUÁ EN FERNANDO POO A FINALES DEL SIGLO XIX" (PDF). p. 7. Today, although there is no memory of their origins, many Cuban surnames are preserved among Creole families: Moreno, Castillo, Riquito, Mata, Rivas, Balboa, Valcárcel, etc.
  30. "EL LEGADO CULTURAL DE SIERRA LEONA EN BIOKO. COMPARATIVA DE DOS ESPACIOS DE CRIOLIZACIÓN AFRICANA". p. 19. It is in this decade close to the middle of the century when Sierra Leonean families arrived in a second migration to Fernando Poo and still remain in Bioko, such as the King, Jones, Dougan, Atkins and Collins families (Ndongo, 1977, 29).
  31. "Crónicas de la Guinea Ecuatorial" [Equatorial Guinea chronicles] (in Spanish). Bioko. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
  32. "Balboa, en la senda de Jones" [Balboa, in the track of Jones]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 2 January 2006. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
  33. "Balmanya Balboa, Israel" (in Spanish). Spanish Basketball Federation. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
  34. González, Ricardo (21 December 2006). "El primo de Balboa es el canterano más antiguo" [Balboa's cousin is oldest youth system member]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  35. Javier Balboa at Soccerway
  36. "Balboa: Javier Ángel Balboa Osa". BDFutbol. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  37. "Balboa". ForaDeJogo. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  38. "Javier Balboa – Matches". Soccerway. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
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