Ariza Makukula

Early career

The son of Kuyangana Makukula, a Congolese footballer who spent seven years in Portugal with four clubs, mainly Vitória de Setúbal, his mother being Portuguese, Makukula was born in Kinshasa, then in Zaire. He moved to Portugal at age five to live in Matosinhos as his father played for Leixões S.C. and then to Setúbal after the transfer to Vitória, where he began in the youth ranks. After a spell at G.D. Chaves, Makukula concluded his development at Vitória de Guimarães, where he and César Peixoto were also loaned to nearby Brito SC. Through agent Jorge Mendes and his Gestifute company, he began his professional career in Spain with UD Salamanca and CD Leganés, scoring 20 goals for the former in the 2001–02 season – spent in the Segunda División – second-best in the competition.

Nantes

While Mendes tried to get Makukula a transfer to teams including Juventus FC, he moved in the summer of 2002 to play with FC Nantes in France on his father's recommendation, having been educated at the Lycée français Charles Lepierre in Lisbon. He split the campaign between the main squad and the reserves and scoring one Ligue 1 goal to equalise in a 2–1 away loss against AS Monaco FC on 11 September 2002. He was subsequently loaned to Real Valladolid, netting eight times but suffering relegation from La Liga; he opened his account in the Spanish top flight with two goals on 27 September 2003 at RC Celta de Vigo, who recovered to win 3–2. His season ended the…

Makukula chose to represent Portugal internationally. He started playing for the under-21s, appearing in the 2002 UEFA European Championship. As a senior, Makukula tried to switch to DR Congo, but a FIFA amended rule regarding international careers came out in 2005, stating that change in nationality representation should occur before a player's 21st birthday and if they have not yet gained their first full cap, so he was denied in his intentions (he was 23 at time of rule, which was abolished in 2009). In October 2007, after solid performances with Marítimo, he was called up to the Portugal squad for a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier against Kazakhstan on the 17th, after Nuno Gomes suffered an injury: in the 84th minute of the game, he scored the first goal in an eventual 2–1 away win. Although not part of 24-men Portuguese 2010 FIFA World Cup provisional squad, Makukula was named in a backup list of six players. Ultimately, he did not make the final cut.

Club

International

Scores and results list Portugal's goal tally first, score column indicates score after Makukula goal.

Makukula met his wife while playing for Nantes, and they had four children before their divorce. He named his first son Aziz Del Nido after Sevilla president José María del Nido, out of gratitude for signing him while long-term injured. While buying a house in Lisbon after signing for Benfica, Makukula allowed agent Ricardo Rodrigues to withdraw €200,000 from his bank account. The agent took the cash, while lying that he had been robbed by "four black men" in the problem neighbourhood of Vale da Amoreira. The money was recovered in court. Makukula, a Catholic, attended mass every Sunday.