Mikel Canka

Mikel Canka (born 18 February 1987) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Lushnja in the Kategoria e Parë.[1]

Mikel Canka
Personal information
Full name Mikel Canka
Date of birth (1987-02-18) 18 February 1987
Place of birth Lushnjë, Albania
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
 Lushnja
Number 18
Youth career
Lushnja
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2014 Lushnja 115 (56)
2014–2015 Apolonia 15 (1)
2015 Lushnja 14 (15)
2015–2016 Luftëtari 26 (15)
2016–2018 Lushnja 51 (18)
2018–2019 Egnatia 23 (5)
2019–2020 Lushnja 22 (16)
2020–2021 Tomori 21 (16)
2021–2022 Besa Kavajë 14 (4)
2022– Lushnja 29 (14)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20 May 2023

Club career

Canka left his hometown club Lushnja following their relegation from the Kategoria Superiore and signed a three-year contract with newly promoted side Apolonia on 10 June 2014.[2]

In 2015, during the winter transfer window, Canka left Apolonia after only half season to rejoin Lushnja until the end of 2014–15 season.[3]

In July 2015, Canka left Lushnja and signed a one-year contract with fellow Kategoria e Parë side Luftëtari.[4][5] During the 2015–16 season, Canka played 25 league matches, scoring 15 goals, as Luftëtari won the Group B and achieved the promotion to Kategoria Superiore.[6]

In August 2016, Canka returned to Lushnja for a third time,[7] and made his first appearance of the 2016–17 season on 26 September in the opening day against Tomori.[8] On 18 October he scored a hat-trick, including first goals of the season in Lushnja's 1–4 win at Elbasani.[9] This was followed by a brace in the 2–0 home win against Shkumbini four days later, scoring in the last minutes of the match, taking his tally up to 5 league goals.[10] On 25 February of the following year, Canka scored a cruel goal against Apolonia in an eventual 2–0 away win in the matchday 17, helping Lushnja to win in Fier for the first time in 44 years.[11] After helping the club to return to top flight after three years, Canka confirmed that he would remain in Lushnja for the next season.[12] On 24 July, he extended his contract for another season.[13]

Canka scored his first top flight goal in three years on 26 November 2017 in the 2–1 away defeat to Kamza valid for week 12.[14] Later on 16 December in the league match versus Skënderbeu, after the dismissal of goalkeeper Mikel Spaho and after all three of the club's substitutions were exhausted, Canka was put into goal for the final 7 minutes of the match, conceding a goal when he dropped a free-kick from Marko Radaš.[15]

Career Statistics
As of 16 December 2017[1]
Club statistics
Club Season League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Lushnja 2007–08 Kategoria e Parë ?400—?4
2008–09 Kategoria Superiore 8000—80
2009–10 Kategoria e Parë 23200—232
2010–11 0000—00
2011–12 2821001[lower-alpha 1]02921
2012–13 282134—3125
2013–14 Kategoria Superiore 28844—3212
Total 11556781012364
Apolonia 2014–15 Kategoria Superiore 15131—182
Lushnja 2014–15 Kategoria e Parë 141500—1415
Luftëtari 2015–16 Kategoria e Parë 251500—2515
Lushnja 2016–17 Kategoria e Parë 261100—2611
2017–18 Kategoria Superiore 14110—151
Total 401210—4112
Career total 2099911810221107
  1. Appearance in Kategoria Superiore play-offs

Honours

Club
Lushnja[1]
Luftëtari[1]

Individual

Notes

    References
    1. "Albania - M. Canka - Profile with news, career statistics and history". Soccerway. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
    2. "Apolonia prezanton lushnjarin, Canka" [Apolonia presents Canka] (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
    3. "Mikel Canka rikthehet te Lushnja" [Mikel Canka returns to Lushnja] (in Albanian). Sport Ekspres. 7 January 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
    4. "Canka firmos për Luftëtarin" [Canka sign for Lufëtari] (in Albanian). Sportal.al. 22 July 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
    5. "Mikel Canka firmos tek Luftëtari" [Mikel Canka sign for Luftëtari] (in Albanian). Minuta90.com. 22 July 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
    6. Ergis Tafalla (14 May 2016). "Korabi dhe Luftëtari në Superligë, bien Ada dhe Butrinti" [Korabi and Lufëtari in Superleague, Ada and Butrinti gets relegated] (in Albanian). Telesport.al. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
    7. "Lajmi i fundit/ Mikel Canka bën gati rikthimin në shtëpi" [Last news/ Mikel Canka set to return home] (in Albanian). Newsport.al. 11 August 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
    8. "Lushnja vs. Tomori Berat 1 – 0". Soccerway. 26 September 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
    9. "Super Canka mund Elbasanin" [Super Canka defeats Elbasani] (in Albanian). Sportal.al. 18 October 2016. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
    10. "Kategoria e Parë / Kamza dhe Lushnja përsëri nuk njohin rivalë" [First Division / Kamza and Lushnja again without rivals] (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 22 October 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
    11. "Kategoria e Parë, Lushnja thyen mallkimin 44-vjeçar në Fier" [First Division, Lushnja breaks the 44-year curse in Fier] (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 25 February 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
    12. Arjan Likja (19 May 2017). "Canka: Ia dolëm edhe kundër formulës qesharake, tani dua edhe titullin!" [We made it even against the hilarious formule, now i want the title!] (in Albanian). Sport Ekspres. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
    13. Arjan Likja (24 July 2017). "Firmosen kontratat, Canka dhe Meto zyrtarisht pjesë e Lushnjës së Superiores" [The contracts are signed, Canka and Meto officially part of Lushnja in Superliga] (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
    14. "Fitore me përmbysje, Kamza "blindon" vendin e katërt (Video)" [An overturn win, Kamza “armoured” the fourth place] (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 26 November 2017. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
    15. "Skënderbe autoritar, rikthehet fitorja në Lushnjë" [An authoritarian Skënderbeu, returned to victory in Lushnja] (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 16 December 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
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