Ricardo Nunes

Ricardo Nuno dos Santos Nunes (born 18 June 1986) is a South African professional footballer who plays for Polish club Pogoń Szczecin as a left back.

For the Portuguese goalkeeper, see Ricardo Nunes (footballer, born 1982).

This name uses Portuguese naming customs: the first or maternal family name is dos Santos and the second or paternal family name is Nunes.
Ricardo Nunes
Nunes playing for Žilina in 2012
Personal information
Full name Ricardo Nuno dos Santos Nunes
Date of birth (1986-06-18) 18 June 1986
Place of birth Johannesburg, South Africa
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 1⁄2 in)
Playing position(s) Left back
Club information
Current team
 Pogoń Szczecin
Number 77
Youth career
1998–2002 Estoril Praia
2002–2005 Benfica
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2006 Benfica B 23 (1)
2006–2007 Lamia 30 (0)
2007–2008 AEP Paphos 25 (2)
2008–2010 Aris Limassol 32 (7)
2010 Olympiakos Nicosia 12 (1)
2010–2011 Trofense 7 (0)
2011–2012 Portimonense 17 (0)
2012–2013 Žilina 51 (2)
2014 Levski Sofia 9 (0)
2014– Pogoń Szczecin 137 (5)
National team‡
2003 Portugal U17 4 (0)
2012– South Africa 5 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21 February 2020
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 00:00, 9 June 2013 (UTC)

Club career

The son of Portuguese parents, Nunes was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and returned to the country of his ancestors where he started playing football. He first represented Estoril Praia, joining the club at the age of 12.

After unsuccessfully emerging through Benfica's youth system – he only represented its reserves, spending the 2005–06 campaign in the third division – Nunes continued playing as a senior in the lower leagues of Greece and Cyprus. It was in the latter country where he had his first taste of top flight football, appearing in the Cypriot First Division for AEP Paphos and Olympiakos Nicosia.

On 31 January 2012, after playing one-and-a-half seasons in the Portuguese second level, Nunes signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Žilina.[1] In February 2014 he moved clubs and countries again, joining Bulgaria's Levski Sofia until June 2015.[2]

International career

Although Nunes was born in South Africa, he represented Portugal at under-17 level. This meant that he required permission from FIFA before he could switch allegiances to South Africa, after he had spoken with Gordon Igesund: "Coach Gordon Igesund phoned me [last month] and asked me if I would be interested to play for South Africa. My answer immediately was yes", he said.[3]

In early October 2012, Nunes was named in the South Africa squad for friendlies against Poland and Kenya.[4] During this announcement, Igesund said that "Nunes is a very exciting player" and that he is "a specialist free-kick taker";[5] he made his debut on the 12th against the former opponent, a 0–1 loss in Warsaw.[6]

References
  1. Ricardo Nunez hráčom MŠK Žilina (Ricardo Nunez [sic] a MŠK Žilina player); MŠK Žilina, 31 January 2011 (in Slovak)
  2. "Пореден скандал на "Герена", Сухия и Йовов не искали Нунеш" (in Bulgarian). Top Sport. 21 February 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  3. "Nunes is itching to turn out in his Bafana colours". Sport Live. 28 September 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  4. "Igesund's travelling Bafana squad". Soccer Laduma. 2 October 2012. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
  5. "Igesund: Nunes is an exciting player". Kickoff. 2 October 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
  6. "Nunes happy with debut". Super Sport. 13 October 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
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