Paulo Figueiredo

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

This name uses Portuguese naming customs: 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
Date of birth (1972-11-28) 28 November 1972
Place of birth Malanje, Portuguese Angola
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
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 Östers IF 31 (1)
2007 Ceahlăul 0 (0)
2008 Olivais Moscavide 8 (0)
2008–2010 Libolo
Total 440 (39)
National team
2003–2008 Angola 38 (5)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He spent the bulk of his 17-year professional career with Santa Clara, amassing Primeira Liga totals of 97 matches and eight goals during three seasons (eight in total with the club).

An Angolan 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 second division in the 1991–92 season.

In summer 1996, Figueiredo signed for C.D. Santa Clara in the second level, scoring five goals in 33 matches in his third year as the team promoted to the Primeira Liga for the first time ever. 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 matches during the 1999–2000 campaign, but the Azores side were immediately relegated back.

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 Sport Clube Dragões Sandinenses and S.C. Lusitânia. He then signed with Sweden's Östers IF, being relegated in his first and only season in the Allsvenskan.

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 two years with C.R.D. Libolo.[1]

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, one goal against Nigeria on 18 June 2005, in a 1–1 away draw[2]– he was selected to the final stages in Germany, playing in all three group stage matches as the Palancas Negras managed two draws in their first participation ever.[3][4][5]

Figueiredo also featured at two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments — a group stage exit in 2006[6] and a quarter-final finish two years later.

International goals

(Angola score listed 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
2.18 June 2005Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano, Nigeria Nigeria1–11–12006 FIFA World Cup qualification
3.25 March 2007Estádio da Cidadela, Luanda, Angola Eritrea6–16–12008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
4.17 June 2007Estádio da Cidadela, Luanda, Angola Swaziland1–03–02008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
5.13 January 2008Complexo Desportivo, Alverca do Ribatejo, Portugal Egypt1–13–3Friendly

References
  1. Internacional angolano anuncia fim de carreira (Angolan international announces end of career); Ango Notícias, 18 June 2009 (in Portuguese)
  2. 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)
  3. Angola 0–1 Portugal; BBC Sport, 11 June 2006
  4. Mexico 0–0 Angola; BBC Sport, 16 June 2006
  5. Iran 1–1 Angola; BBC Sport, 21 June 2006
  6. African Nations Cup 2006; at RSSSF
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