Allen Obando

Allen Aldair Obando Ayoví (born 13 June 2006) is an Ecuadorian footballer who plays as a forward for Ecuadorian Serie A club Barcelona de Guayaquil and the Ecuador national team.

Early life
Obando was born in Quito to parents Carlos and Monserrat, who were living in the city at the time.

Early career
While living in the La Victoria neighbourhood, close to Esmeraldas, Obando began playing football with Tolita Sport at the age of five. Having scored against Barcelona de Esmeraldas, an affiliated of professional side Barcelona de Guayaquil, he began training with the side, and was eventually offered an ultimately unsuccessful trial with Independiente del Valle at the age of nine.

Barcelona de Guayaquil
The following year, he was invited to represent Barcelona de Guayaquil at a youth tournament in the Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas Province, before helping the youth team win a tournament in Guayaquil, scoring in the final. Due to these performances, Obando was invited by then-vice-president Carlos Alfaro Moreno to move to Guayaquil and join the club permanently, which he did at the age of ten. He progressed well through the club's academy, establishing himself as a prolific goal-scorer, with then-manager Jorge Célico later stating that he was a player with "an impressive, promising future".

Obando made his professional debut on 8 August 2022; with the score at 4–1 in an Ecuadorian Serie A match against Mushuc Runa, he was brought on as a substitute for Emmanuel Martínez with ten minutes remaining. Just seven minutes after entering the field, he stepped up to take a penalty kick awarded to Barcelona, but his shot was saved by goalkeeper Adonnis Pabón.

The following year, it was reported that he was being scouted by the City Football Group, owners of English Premier League side Manchester City, among others. Later in the same year, journalist César Luis Merlo claimed that the group had launched a formal bid for Obando. Despite the interest, he remained with Barcelona, and made his next appearance for the club in a 1–1 draw with Independiente del Valle on 19 August, with Obando stating after the match that, despite "all the talk about [his] value, [he was] taking it easy and continuing to work because [he is] in Barcelona."

In late September 2023, Carlos Alfaro Moreno, now president of Barcelona, stated that proposals had been exchanged between the club and an unnamed contact in European football. It was reported that the City Football Group were still interested in Obando, while German Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund were now also being touted as suitors. On 25 September, he scored his first goal for the club, the equaliser in a 2–1 comeback win against Cuenca. The following month, he was named by English newspaper The Guardian as one of the best players born in 2006 worldwide.

International career
Obando has represented Ecuador at under-17 level.

Obando made his debut for the senior Ecuador national team on 22 March 2024 in a friendly against Guatemala.

Club

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