Arben Minga

Arben Minga (16 March 1959 – 31 January 2007) was an Albanian professional footballer, who played as a striker and later in his final years as a centre-back.

He was known as Beni i modh (Big Ben).

Club career Born in Tirana, Albania, Minga began his career with KF Tirana, then known as 17 Nëntori, at the age of 15. He also received offers from Dinamo and Partizani to join them, and also friends and colleagues tried to convince him. One of his more notable games was the opening championship match against rivals of Partizani Tirana on 22 September where he scored a hat-trick to give Tirana a 7–3 win, the largest ever win against them.

In the early 1990s, Minga moved abroad to play in Romania in the 1992–1994. With Brăila he played in (and lost) the 1993 Romanian Cup Final. He came back to Tirana at the start of 1994–95 season, aged 35, also playing as a defender.

International career Minga had a successful youth international career, winning Balkan Youth Championship twice in 1978 and 1981.

Minga has been capped 28 times by Albania senior squad, earning his first cap on 3 September 1980 in the 2–0 home win versus Finland valid for the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign. He played 20 games in European competitions and 12 FIFA World Cup qualification matches He played and scored in the famous December 1984 home win over Belgium and his final international was a March 1989 European Championship qualification match against England.

Personal life After returning to Albania in 1994, and despite still a professional footballer, Minga begun working as a representative of Gillette in Albania. The business eventually collapsed due to the 1997 Albanian civil unrest. It was there that he was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Minga died on 31 January 2007 in Windsor, Ontario

Shyqyri Rreli, his coach at KF Tirana called Minga: "The best captain and leader I ever had." Minga has also won several accolades and awards, such as "Merited Master of Sport", Honor of the city of Tirana" and "Honor of Albanian Sport".

Career statistics Goals in Albanian Championship

International goals Scores and results list Albania's goal tally first. Albanian Cup: 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1995–96 Albanian Supercup: 1994;

Dacia Unirea Brăila Romanian Cup: runner-up 1992–93

International Albania U21 Balkan Youth Championship: 1978, 1981

Individual Albanian Superliga top goalscorer: 1984–85 season (shared with Faslli Fakja)

Orders Naim Frasheri Order: Second class KF Tirana Player of the Century