Eliseu Cassamá

Eliseu Mendja Nadjack Soares Cassamá (born 6 February 1994) is a Bissau-Guinean professional footballer who plays for Swiss club Grasshopper Club Zürich as a right back.

This name uses Portuguese naming customs: the first or maternal family name is Soares and the second or paternal family name is Cassamá.

Eliseu Cassamá
Personal information
Full name Eliseu Mendja Nadjack Soares Cassamá[1]
Date of birth (1994-02-06) 6 February 1994[1]
Place of birth Bissau, Guinea-Bissau[1]
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Right back
Club information
Current team
 Grasshopper
Number 22
Youth career
2010–2011 Ribeirão
2011–2013 Benfica
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2014 Joane 25 (2)
2014–2016 Reus 50 (0)
2016–2020 Rio Ave 41 (0)
2020– Grasshopper 3 (0)
National team‡
2014 Portugal U20 1 (0)
2018– Guinea-Bissau 7 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 3 October 2020
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 25 June 2019

Club career

Born in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, Cassamá started playing organised football in Portugal, his first youth team being G.D. Ribeirão. His senior debut was made in the third division, with G.D. Joane.

In summer 2014, Cassamá signed with Spanish club CF Reus Deportiu, quickly becoming first choice as well as a fan favourite.[2] He contributed with 17 games in his second season – play-offs included – helping the side reach Segunda División for the first time in their 107-year history.

Cassamá returned to Portugal for the 2016–17 campaign, joining Rio Ave F.C. of the Primeira Liga on a five-year contract.[3] He made his debut as a professional on 28 July 2016, playing the full 90 minutes in a 0–0 away draw against SK Slavia Prague in the last qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.[4] He also started in the second leg, being sent off for two yellow cards late into the first half as the match ended 1–1.[5]

Cassamá missed the entire 2019–20, after suffering an injury to his right knee in training.[6][7] On 29 August 2020, he agreed to a one-year deal at Swiss Challenge League's Grasshopper Club Zürich.[8]

International career

Cassamá earned one cap for the Portugal under-20 team, during a 2–0 friendly win over the Slovakia under-21s in February 2014.[9] He made his debut for his native Guinea-Bissau on 22 March 2018, starting in a 0–2 defeat to Burkina Faso in another exhibition game.[10][11]

Manager Baciro Candé named Cassamá in the 23-man squad for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.[12] He played the opening 2–0 loss against Cameroon on 25 June,[13] and was replaced by Nanu for the rest of the group-stage elimination.

References
  1. "Eliseu Nadjack" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  2. "CF Reus: 'Eliseu Cassamá, una aparición impactante'" [CF Reus: 'Eliseu Cassamá, stunning revelation']. Diari de Tarragona (in Spanish). 2 September 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  3. "Nadjack assina por 5 anos" [Nadjack signs for 5 years] (in Portuguese). Rio Ave F.C. 19 July 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  4. "Vilacondenses saem vivos da República Checa" [Vilacondenses leave the Czech Republic alive] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 28 July 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  5. "Rio Ave diz adeus ao sonho europeu" [Rio Ave bid farewell to European dream]. Jornal de Notícias (in Portuguese). 4 August 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  6. "Rio Ave: Nadjack operado ao joelho direito" [Rio Ave: Right knee surgery for Nadjack] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 1 August 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  7. "Nadjack acelera para o regresso" [Nadjack speeding towards return]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 17 February 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  8. "GC verpflichtet Nadjack" [GC acquire Nadjack] (in German). Grasshopper Club. 29 August 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  9. Carvalho, Eduardo (5 February 2014). "Portugal derrota Eslováquia por 2–0" [Portugal defeat Slovakia 2–0]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  10. Martins, Marco (22 March 2018). "Burkina Faso, vitória moralizadora frente aos Djurtus" [Burkina Faso, moralising win against the Djurtus] (in Portuguese). Radio France Internationale. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  11. Martins, Marco (26 March 2018). "Guiné-Bissau: Um estágio e duas derrotas em Paris" [Guinea-Bissau: One training camp and two losses in Paris]. Luso Jornal (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 5 December 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  12. "2019 Africa Cup of Nations: Guinea Bissau name final 23-man squad for AFCON". Ghana Soccer Net. 12 June 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  13. "Cameroon 2–0 Guinea-Bissau". BBC Sport. 25 June 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
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