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A matchday poster with Stefano Jantje Lilipaly on the cover

10 Facts about Stefano Lilipaly

Stefano Jantje Lilipaly was born on 10 January 1990. He is a professional footballer who plays as a winger and forward for Liga 1 club Borneo and the Indonesia national team. 

Stefano was born in the Netherlands, and he represented his country of birth at the youth level. Lilipaly made his debut for the Indonesia national team in 2013. His father is Indonesian of Moluccan descent, while his mother is Dutch.

Here are 10 facts about Stefano Lilipaly.

1. Lilipaly played for Dutch amateur side RKSV DCG for three years

This was before joining Eredivisie club AZ’s academy in 2000. He moved to Utrecht the following year and progressed through their youth system. Lilipaly made his first team debut for Utrecht in a league game at VVV-Venlo in August 2011.

His first appearance in the starting eleven came in January 2012, when he scored the opening goal against PSV. He played five times for Utrecht before joining Eerste Divisie club Almere City on a free transfer in the summer of 2012.

2. In 2014, Lilipaly signed for the Japanese J2 League club, Consadole Sapporo

Lilipaly during a match

Consadole Sapporo is a Japanese professional football club, which plays in the J1 League. The team is based in Sapporo, on the island of Hokkaido. The club name of “Consadole” is made from consado, a reverse of the Japanese word Dosanko, meaning “people of Hokkaido” and the Spanish expression Ole.

But with his new club, Lilipaly didn’t make a single appearance, then he went back to the Netherlands.

3. Lilipaly represented the Netherlands at the youth level 

This was from the under-15s to the under-18s. He was eligible to represent the Netherlands or Indonesia at a full international level through his parents; his mother was Dutch and his father was Indonesian.

Lilipaly took the Indonesian citizenship oath in October 2011, to make him officially available for selection. He made his full international debut in August 2013 in a win 2–0 against the Philippines, when he made an assist for Greg Nwokolo.

4. Lilipaly joined the Indonesian Liga 1 club Bali United to play in the 2017 Liga 1

Lilipaly with his teammates

The 2017 Liga 1, also known as Go-Jek Traveloka Liga 1 for sponsorship reasons, was the inaugural season of Liga 1 under its current name and the eighth season of the top-flight Indonesian professional league for association football clubs since its establishment in 2008.

On 13 August 2017, Lilipaly made his league debut for the club in a match against Madura United, coming on as a substitute for I Made Andhika Wijaya in the 78th minute. On 8 October 2017, Lilipaly made his first goal for the club with scored a brace in Liga 1, earning them a 6–1 win over Arema. He finished his first season in 2017 with 4 goals in 15 games.

5. Lilipaly scored his first international goal for Indonesia in a match against Singapore

This was during the 2016 AFF Championship, which was a late and decisive goal that qualified Indonesia for the semi-finals alongside Thailand. Lilipaly also scored against Vietnam in the second leg semi-finals which sent Indonesia to the finals. He was also called up for the 2018 AFF Championship.

6. Lilipaly’s goal was named the best goal of the 2018 AFC Cup

Stefano Lilipaly receiving an award

On 27 February 2018, he made his Asian debut for the club, coming on as a starter in a 2018 AFC Cup match against Philippines club Global in a 1–1 away draw.  On 7 March 2018, Lilipaly scored his first AFC Cup goal for Bali United in the 74th minute of a 3–1 win against V.League 1 club Thanh Hóa. 

The goal he made was named the best goal in the third week of the 2018 AFC Cup, in a vote conducted by the Asian Football Confederation, Lilipaly’s goal received the support of 31.446 voters which represented  83% of the vote.

7. In 2019, Lilipaly had a good season with 30 appearances and 5 goals

In 2019, Lilipaly had a good season in this season with 30 appearances and 5 goals, while helping Bali United win the championship Liga 1 this season. On 2 December 2019, Bali United won the championship for the first time in their history.

They became the seventh club to win Liga 1 after second-placed Borneo draw with PSM, followed by a win in Semen Padang, giving Bali United a 17-point lead with only four games left.

8. Lilipaly finished the 2020 season with only one goal in 2 games

Stefan Lilipaly during a match

On 14 January 2020, Lilipaly scored his first goal of the 2020 season for Bali United in a 2020 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs against five-time Singapore Premier League champions, Tampines Rovers, Lilipaly and the other new signing Sidik Saimima ensured a 5–3 win and Bali United through to preliminary round 2.

On 6 March, Lilipaly scored his first league goal of the 2020 season, the opening goal against PS Barito Putera in a 1–2 away win in Liga 1. Lilipaly finished the season with only one goal in 2 games because the league was officially discontinued due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

9. Lilipaly was signed for Borneo to play in Liga 1 in the 2022–23 season

Lilipaly made his Borneo debut in a pre-season 2022 Indonesia President’s Cup against PS Barito Putera on 22 June 2022, coming as a substitute for Arya Gerryan in the 83rd minute. Three days later, Lilipaly scored his first goal in the 2022 President’s Cup for the team in a 1–2 victory over Persija Jakarta at Segiri Stadium. 

Three days later, Lilipaly scored a brace for the club in a 3–0 win over RANS Nusantara and scored in a 4–0 win over PSS Sleman on 11 July 2022. He has scored a total of 4 goals in this tournament, and also managed to bring the team to the final round, although in the final match lost to Arema.

10. LIlipaly was selected as the best player in the 2022–23 Liga 1

On 24 July 2022, Lilipaly made his league debut in a 3–0 win over Arema at Segiri Stadium. He scored his first goal for the club on 7 August 2022 in a 4–1 winning match against Persib Bandung at Segiri Stadium.

LIlipaly was selected as the best player in the third week of the 2022–23 Liga 1