Paulo Figueiredo

Paulo José Lopes de Figueiredo (Portuguese pronunciation: [fiɣɐjˈɾeðu]; born 28 November 1972) is an Angolan retired footballer who played as a central midfielder.

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Lopes and the second or paternal family name is Figueiredo.
Paulo Figueiredo
Personal information
Full name Paulo José Lopes de Figueiredo[1]
Date of birth (1972-11-28) 28 November 1972[1]
Place of birth Malanje, Angola
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
1982–1984 Domingos Sávio
1985–1986 Benfica
1986–1989 Domingos Sávio
1989–1991 Belenenses
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1991–1992 Belenenses 1 (0)
1992–1993 União Tomar 29 (1)
1993–1994 Aves 0 (0)
1994–1995 O Elvas 31 (2)
1995–1996 Camacha 32 (1)
1996–2004 Santa Clara 256 (27)
2004 Dragões Sandinenses 17 (4)
2005 Lusitânia 9 (0)
2005–2006 Varzim 26 (3)
2006–2007 Öster 31 (1)
2007 Ceahlăul 0 (0)
2008 Olivais Moscavide 8 (0)
2009 Libolo 10 (0)
Total 450 (39)
International career
2003–2008 Angola 38 (5)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He spent the bulk of his 18-year professional career with Santa Clara, amassing Primeira Liga totals of 97 matches and eight goals over three seasons (eight in total with the club).[2]

An Angola international for five years, Figueiredo earned 38 caps and represented the nation at the 2006 World Cup and two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.

Club career

Figueiredo was born in Malanje, Portuguese Angola to Portuguese settlers, moving to the land of his parents at the age of three. From 1991 to 1996 he played for five clubs, including one spell at C.F. Os Belenenses for which he featured only once in the Segunda Liga in the 1991–92 season.[3]

In summer 1996, Figueiredo signed for second-division C.D. Santa Clara, scoring five goals in 33 matches in his third year as they promoted to the Primeira Liga for the first time ever.[4] He made his debut in the competition on 22 August 1999 in a 2–2 home draw against Sporting CP, and made 31 league appearances during the 1999–2000 campaign, but the Azores side were immediately relegated.

After four more seasons with Santa Clara (two in the top flight) and nearly 300 official games, Figueiredo moved to the Portuguese lower leagues, splitting 2004–05 with S.C. Dragões Sandinenses and S.C. Lusitânia. He then joined Sweden's Östers IF, being relegated in his only season in the Allsvenskan.[5][6][3]

Figueiredo spent 2007–08 with FC Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț in Romania and C.D. Olivais e Moscavide in Portugal, without any competitive appearances for the former team. Subsequently, he closed out his career in his homeland after one year with C.R.D. Libolo.[7]

International career

In 2003, aged almost 31, Figueiredo was invited to play for Angola, and returned for the first time in almost 30 years to the country of his birth. After featuring heavily during the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign – ten games, scoring against Nigeria in a 1–1 away draw on 18 June 2005[8]– he was selected to the finals in Germany, playing all three group-stage matches as the Palancas Negras managed two draws in their first participation ever.[9][10][11]

Figueiredo also took part in two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, exiting at the group phase in 2006[12] and reaching the quarter-finals two years later.[13][14]

International goals
Scores and results list Angola's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Figueiredo goal.
NoDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.21 June 2003Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, Nigeria Nigeria1–02–22004 Africa Cup of Nations qualification[15]
2.18 June 2005Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano, Nigeria Nigeria1–11–12006 FIFA World Cup qualification[8]
3.25 March 2007Estádio da Cidadela, Luanda, Angola Eritrea6–16–12008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification[16]
4.17 June 2007Estádio da Cidadela, Luanda, Angola Swaziland1–03–02008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification[17]
5.13 January 2008Complexo Desportivo, Alverca do Ribatejo, Portugal Egypt1–13–3Friendly

References
  1. "2006 FIFA World Cup Germany: List of Players: Angola" (PDF). FIFA. 21 March 2014. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  2. Marco é o recordista de presenças na I Liga (Marco holds record for appearances in I League); Açoriano Oriental, 18 May 2022 (in Portuguese)
  3. Figueiredo: o 10 que distribui vinhos portugueses em Angola (Figueiredo: the 10 that distributes Portuguese wines in Angola); Mais Futebol, 17 February 2022 (in Portuguese)
  4. Santa Clara – História e conquistas do clube em Portugal (Santa Clara – Club's history and conquests in Portugal); Vivaposta, 27 October 2023 (in Portuguese)
  5. Lägeskoll med Lasse: inför dramat på söndag (Situation checkup with Lasse: before Sunday drama); Svenska Fans, 1 November 2006 (in Swedish)
  6. Öster kvar i bottenträsket (Öster remain in lower part); Sveriges Radio, 16 August 2007 (in Swedish)
  7. Internacional angolano anuncia fim de carreira (Angolan international announces end of career); Ango Notícias, 18 June 2009 (in Portuguese)
  8. Angola `trava´ Nigéria e está a um passo do Mundial de 2006 (Angola 'stop' Nigeria and are all but qualified to 2006 World Cup); Ango Notícias, 18 June 2005 (in Portuguese)
  9. Angola 0–1 Portugal; BBC Sport, 11 June 2006
  10. Mexico 0–0 Angola; BBC Sport, 16 June 2006
  11. Iran 1–1 Angola; BBC Sport, 21 June 2006
  12. African Nations Cup 2006; at RSSSF
  13. Grupo D (Group D); BBC, 8 January 2008 (in Portuguese)
  14. Manucho ainda alimentou aventura angolana que terminou aos pés do Egipto (Manucho still gave life to Angolan adventure that ended at the hands of Egypt); Público, 5 February 2008 (in Portuguese)
  15. CAN 2004: Nigéria apurada à custa de Angola (CAN 2004: Nigeria qualified at Angola's expense); Mais Futebol, 21 June 2003 (in Portuguese)
  16. Can2008: Angola goleia Eritreia por 6–1, Mantorras marca de penalti (Can2008: Angola thrash Eritrea by 6–1, Mantorras scores from penalty); Futebol 365, 25 March 2007 (in Portuguese)
  17. Futebol CAN2008 Angola apurada com vitoria sobre a Suazilandia (Football CAN2008 Angola qualified with win over Swaziland); Jornal de Notícias, 17 June 2007 (in Portuguese)
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