Kuca (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jaílton Alves Miranda | ||
| Date of birth | 2 August 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Praia, Cape Verde | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2009 | Bairro | ||
| 2009–2010 | Boavista (CPV) | ||
| 2010–2012 | Mirandela | 41 | (11) |
| 2012–2014 | Chaves | 79 | (33) |
| 2014–2015 | Estoril | 15 | (5) |
| 2015–2016 | Karabükspor | 2 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | → Belenenses (loan) | 14 | (1) |
| 2016 | → Rio Ave (loan) | 12 | (2) |
| 2016–2017 | Arouca | 25 | (6) |
| 2017–2018 | Boavista | 27 | (3) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2009– | Cape Verde | 15 | (1) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13 May 2018 ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 3 June 2018 | |||
Jaílton Alves Miranda (born 2 August 1989), known as Kuca, is a Cape Verdean professional footballer who plays as a forward.
Club career
Born in Praia, Kuca played for AD Bairro and Boavista FC in his country. He moved to Portugal in 2010, signing with lowly SC Mirandela[1][2] and scoring four goals in 27 games in his first season to help the club promote to the third division.
Early into the 2012 January transfer window, Kuca joined G.D. Chaves. He achieved promotion to the Segunda Liga at the end of 2012–13,[3] making his debut as a professional on 11 August 2013 and scoring the only goal of the away match against C.D. Santa Clara.[4] He added a further 11 until the end of the campaign, as his team comfortably avoided relegation with an eighth-place finish; alongside compatriot Rambé, he was chosen by readers of daily newspaper O Jogo for the team of players competing in that category for the past 12 months.[5]
On 26 June 2014, Kuca moved to Primeira Liga side G.D. Estoril Praia.[6] His maiden appearance in the competition took place on 18 August, and he netted in a 1–1 draw at F.C. Arouca.[7]
On 12 January 2015, Kuca signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Kardemir Karabükspor in the Turkish Süper Lig.[8] In the summer, however, he returned to Portugal, being loaned to C.F. Os Belenenses.[9]
International career
Kuca earned his first cap for Cape Verde on 28 March 2009, in a 5–0 friendly win over Equatorial Guinea. He scored his first goal on 15 November 2014, contributing to a 3–1 home win over Niger for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Kuca was summoned by manager Rui Águas for the finals in Equatorial Guinea,[10] featuring in all three group stage contests as the Blue Sharks were eliminated at that stage with three draws.
International goals
- Scores and results list Cape Verde's goal tally first.
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 15 November 2014 | Estádio Nacional, Praia, Cape Verde |  | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
References
- ↑ "Beira-Mar com dificuldades para afastar Mirandela" [Beira-Mar struggled to oust Mirandela]. Record (in Portuguese). 17 October 2010. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ↑ "Já lhe chamam o Licá de Cabo Verde" [They already call him the Licá of Cape Verde]. Record (in Portuguese). 4 August 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ↑ "Um craque que não sabe falhar penáltis" [A star who cannot miss a penalty]. Record (in Portuguese). 2 May 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ↑ "Santa Clara-Chaves, 0–1: Kuca fez a diferença" [Santa Clara-Chaves, 0–1: Kuca made the difference]. Record (in Portuguese). 11 August 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ↑ "Kuca and Rambé among the best in the Portuguese second division". A Semana. 8 January 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ↑ "Kuca é reforço do Estoril-Praia" [Kuca is a Estoril-Praia addition] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 26 June 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ↑ "Arouca-Estoril, 1–1: Solo de Pintassilgo em pauta de canário" [Arouca-Estoril, 1–1: Goldfinch ("Pintassilgo" in English) solo in canary notebook]. Record (in Portuguese). 19 August 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ↑ "Kuca Alves Miranda Karabükspor'da" [Kuca Alves Miranda to Karabükspor] (in Turkish). Goal. 12 January 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ↑ "Kuca: "Ansioso por jogar na Liga Europa"" [Kuca: "Looking forward to playing in the Europa League"]. Record (in Portuguese). 5 September 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ↑ "Nada é impossível" [Nothing is impossible]. Record (in Portuguese). 16 January 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
