He fled from the Angolan Civil War at the age of eight after both of his parents had been killed, and resided at first illegally in the Netherlands.

His first season at AGF was partly spoiled by injuries, making his impact on the team less significant than expected.

His physically strong appearance makes him a solid target player, but he also has good technical skills and is a competent goal scorer.

[4] Rafael was born in Angola, raised in the Netherlands, and moved to Germany as a teenager to further his footballing career.

He already played for Palancas Negras in a rated-B friendly match against Portuguese side Sporting CP on 10 November 2011.