Nando Maria Neves

Fernando "Nando" Maria Neves (born June 9, 1978) is a retired Cape Verdean football defender who played for the Cape Verde national football team.

Nando
Personal information
Full name Fernando Maria Neves
Date of birth (1978-06-09) 9 June 1978
Place of birth Praia, Cape Verde
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing position(s) Center back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–1999 Amarante FC
1999–2000 Portimonense SC
2001–2003 Grasshoppers
2004–2006 US Monastir
2007–2009 Al-Siliya
2009–2011 FC Baník Ostrava 54 (7)
2011–2013 LB Châteauroux 62 (1)
2013–2014 SK Slavia Prague 18 (0)
2014–2015 1. FK Příbram 16 (1)
National team‡
2002–2013 Cape Verde 42 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 30 June 2015
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 12 February 2013

Biography

He played with Batuque of Mindelo in its youth team. He appeared in the Portuguese team of Amarante FC for a season in 1998, after he played with Portimonense also for a season. For three seasons, he played with Grasshoppers Zurich. He was elected the best central defender and the best foreign player of the season 2006-2007 in Tunisia, one of the first Cape Verdeans to be honoured, and he has recently signed a contract with a Qatar team, Al Sailiya, for the season 2007/2008. In July 2009 he moved to FC Baník Ostrava, he made 54 appearances and scored seven goals. In 2011, he played with LB Châteauroux for two seasons, he appeared 62 time and just scored a goal. He went back to the Czech Republic and played with Slavia Prague for a season, making 18 appearances and scoring no goals. A year later, he played with FK Příbram also for a season and had 16 appearances and scored a goal, this was his last club appearance.

International career

He was a member of the Cape Verde national team in 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification. After Cape Verde were eliminated, he received a call-up in August 2009 for a friendly against Malta and Angola[1] and in May 2010 played in the 0-0 draw with Portugal.[2] Nando was the Cape Verdean team captain in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, which marked the first participation for his country in this tournament. His performances throughout the tournament were rewarded by selection into the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament. His last international match was on February 2, 2013, against Ghana at the ACN quarter-finals, in which his team were beaten 2-0. After this defeat he announced his immediate retirement from the national team.[3]

Honours

Club
Grasshoppers

Individual
  • Championnat de Tunisie Best Central Defender: 2006-07
  • Championnat de Tunisie Best Foreign Player: 2006-07
  • 2013 Africa Cup of Nations: Team of the Tournament

References
  1. "SELECÇÃO NACIONAL DE FUTEBOL: divulgada lista para amistosos com Malta e Angola". Expresso das Ilhas (in Portuguese). 29 August 2009. Archived from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  2. "Portugal held to 0-0 draw by Cape Verde". Published by USA Today. Associated Press. 24 May 2010. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  3. "Archived copy" (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2013-10-05. Retrieved 2013-02-08.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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