Cafú (footballer, born 1977)

Arlindo Gomes Semedo (born 17 November 1977), known as Cafú, is a Cape Verdean former professional footballer who played as a forward.

Cafú
Cafú in action for Anorthosis in 2010
Personal information
Full name Arlindo Gomes Semedo[1]
Date of birth (1977-11-17) 17 November 1977[1]
Place of birth Lisbon, Portugal[1]
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
1994–1997 Almada
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–1998 Almada
1998–1999 Amora 29 (11)
1999–2002 Belenenses 60 (8)
2002–2005 Boavista 93 (9)
2006 Sportfreunde Siegen 13 (5)
2006–2007 SC Freiburg 23 (1)
2008–2009 Omonia 41 (9)
2009–2011 Anorthosis 58 (24)
2011–2012 AEL Limassol 29 (4)
2012–2013 Alki Larnaca 27 (4)
2013–2014 Académico Viseu 35 (15)
2014–2015 Feirense 42 (6)
2015–2016 Freamunde 28 (2)
2016–2017 Salgueiros 24 (6)
2017–2021 Maia Lidador 85 (30)
Total 587 (134)
International career
2003–2007 Cape Verde 15 (5)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

After playing in his country of birth for Belenenses and Boavista, amassing Primeira Liga totals of 153 games and 17 goals over seven seasons, he went on to have a brief spell in Germany with Freiburg. He moved to Cyprus already in his 30s, where he remained for five years in representation of several teams.

Internationally, Cafú played for Cape Verde.[2]

Club career

Cafú was born in Lisbon, Portugal. During his early career he played for Almada AC, Amora FC, C.F. Os Belenenses – with which he made his Primeira Liga debut in the 1999–2000 season[3][4][5] – and Boavista FC, appearing in six games in the Porto team's quarter-final run in the UEFA Cup in 2002–03 but starting rarely in his three and-a-half-year stint with the club.

In January 2006, Cafú moved to Sportfreunde Siegen in Germany's second division, his five league goals not being enough to avoid relegation (as last). He subsequently stayed in that level and joined SC Freiburg, where he would appear sparingly over one and a half years.

Again in the January transfer window, Cafú joined Cyprus' AC Omonia.[6] After one-and-a-half seasons he moved sides but stayed in the country, joining Anorthosis Famagusta F.C. on a free transfer in the summer of 2009; in the start of his second season, in the 2010–11 UEFA Europa league third qualifying round, he scored a hat-trick against Cercle Brugge KSV (3–1 home win), being essential in a 3–2 aggregate victory and play-off stage qualification.[7]

In his two-year spell with Anorthosis, Cafú scored always in double digits but his team came out empty in silverware, respectively finishing second and third in the Cypriot First Division. In June 2011, aged 33, he was released, signing shortly after with AEL Limassol.

Cafú returned to Portugal after leaving Alki Larnaca FC, going on to spend one season apiece in the Segunda Liga with Académico de Viseu FC, C.D. Feirense[8] and S.C. Freamunde[9] and scoring a career-best 15 goals (17 across all competitions) during his spell at the first club.[10]

References
  1. Cafú at WorldFootball.net
  2. "Ricardo Rocha troca Sandro e Cafu por Zico e Romy" [Ricardo Rocha changes Sandro and Cafu for Zico and Romy]. A Semana (in Portuguese). 31 January 2007. Archived from the original on 13 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  3. "Cafú: «Sinto-me realizado por ter marcado»" [Cafú: "Fulfilled to have scored"]. Record (in Portuguese). 24 December 2001. Archived from the original on 13 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  4. Magalhães, Magda (26 March 2002). "Cafú (Belenenses) sobre a estreia na I Liga: «Era o que ambicionava e senti-me realizado»" [Cafú (Belenenses) on I League debut: "It was what I had hoped for and I felt fulfilled"] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Archived from the original on 13 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  5. "Cafú acabou despedido com justa causa" [Cafú ended up being fired with just cause]. Record (in Portuguese). 15 June 2002. Archived from the original on 13 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  6. Leonidou, John (21 January 2009). "Omonia promove regresso de Konstantinou" [Omonia promote return of Konstantinou] (in Portuguese). UEFA. Archived from the original on 12 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  7. Simons, S. (5 August 2010). "Cercle Brugge Europees uitgeschakeld na 3–1 verlies" [Cercle Brugge European elimination after 3–1 loss]. Het Belang van Limburg (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 5 February 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  8. "Cafú esqueceu a 1.ª Liga em nome da família" [Cafú forgot the 1st League in the name of the family]. Record (in Portuguese). 8 June 2014. Archived from the original on 13 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  9. "Freamunde reforça ataque com cabo-verdiano Cafú" [Freamunde bolster offence with Cape Verdean Cafú] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 2 July 2015. Archived from the original on 16 September 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  10. "Pontaria de Cafú na base da ascensão" [Cafú aim the basis for the rise]. Record (in Portuguese). 14 March 2014. Archived from the original on 13 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
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