 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Skënder Hyka | ||
| Date of birth | (1944-09-06)6 September 1944 | ||
| Place of birth | Tirana,Albania | ||
| Date of death | 5 July 2018(2018-07-05) (aged 73) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1957–1963 | 17 Nëntori Tirana | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1963–1974 | 17 Nëntori Tirana | (60) | |
| Total | (60) | ||
| International career | |||
| 1967 | Albania | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Skender Hyka (6 September 1944 – 5 July 2018) was anAlbanian who spent his entire career at his hometown club17 Nëntori Tirana (present dayKF Tirana) as aforward. He also represented theAlbania national team, although he only earned one senior cap at international level. He worked forAlbanian Football Association as an executive committee member and he was head of the Competition Commission since 2009.
Hyka was born and raised inTirana, where he went attended high school as well as university. He studied at the Institute of Physical Culture and Sport and graduated in 1968, whilst still playing professional football. He joined the17 Nëntori Tirana youth setup at the age of 13 in 1957, where he played for the different age groups before being promoted to the first team in the early 1960s.
Once turning professional Hyka quickly established himself as a key member of the 17 Nëntori Tirana team, helping them win theKategoria Superiore four times during his career. He scored 60 league goals with 17 Nëntori which at the time of his retirement in 1974 made him the club's all-time top goalscorer (5th as of 2012). He played in around 400 games.[1]
Despite a successful club career with 17 Nëntori, Hyka never managed to break through into theAlbania national team. This was due to the high competition for a place in the attacking positions, especially with the likes ofMedin Zhega andPanajot Pano playing in the same time period as Hyka, limiting his chances of being able to play international football. His only senior appearance came on 8 April 1967 againstWest Germany inDortmund, a game which Albania lost 6-0 thanks to four goals byGerd Müller and a double byHannes Löhr. Hyka would not represent Albania again after this game as this was his only international cap.[2]
In the years 1992 - 1995, has been Secretary of the Athletic Club Zanzibar. In 1997 has been Secretary General of the Albanian FA. From 1992 onwards, a member of the executive committee of the Albanian FA.[3]
Hyka's son Endi also won two league titles playing for Tirana in the 1990s and his cousin Renisi did the same in 1989.[1] Skënder Hyka died in July 2018.[4]