Martinho Martins Mukana (born 5 July 1982), known as Paíto, is a Mozambican former professional footballer who played as a left-back.

Paíto
Personal information
Full name Martinho Martins Mukana[1]
Date of birth (1982-07-05) 5 July 1982 (age 42)[1]
Place of birth Maputo, Mozambique[1]
Height 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)[1]
Position(s) Left-back
Youth career
Maxaquene
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2003 Sporting CP B 52 (2)
2003–2006 Sporting CP 24 (0)
2006Vitória Guimarães (loan) 16 (1)
2006–2007 Mallorca 0 (0)
2006–2007Braga (loan) 4 (0)
2007–2010 Sion 77 (3)
2010–2012 Neuchâtel Xamax 41 (1)
2012 Vaslui 13 (1)
2013–2014 Skoda Xanthi 32 (0)
Total 259 (8)
International career
2002–2012 Mozambique 39 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

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Born in Maputo, Paíto began his senior career at Sporting CP. He became a regular in the 2004–05 season after being granted Portuguese citizenship[2] and, on 26 January 2005, scored his only goal for the Lions in a 3–3 draw against S.L. Benfica in the sixth round of the Taça de Portugal (penalty shootout loss), in a solo effort.[3]

After the arrival in January 2006, on loan from Valencia CF, of Portuguese international Marco Caneira, Paíto was deemed surplus to requirements and left, also loaned, to Vitória de Guimarães.[4][5] He was an undisputed starter during his short tenure, as the Minho team eventually dropped down a level.[6]

Purchased by La Liga club RCD Mallorca, Paíto immediately returned to Portugal, being loaned to S.C. Braga for the duration of the campaign.[7] Released by the Balearic Islands side without making any official appearances, he joined FC Sion on a three-year contract.[8]

After three solid seasons in the Swiss Super League, Paíto stayed in Switzerland, signing with fellow league team Neuchâtel Xamax FCS.[9] After the latter went bankrupt, in January 2012 he joined FC Vaslui from Romania, reuniting with former Sporting coach Augusto Inácio.[10]

Paíto spent the first half of the following campaign without a club, signing in early January 2013 with Skoda Xanthi FC. He made his Super League Greece debut on the 27th, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 away win over PAOK FC.[11]

International career

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Paíto started representing Mozambique at age 20. He was recalled in April for the 2002 COSAFA Cup, nearly two years after his last international.[12] Additionally, he took part in the 2003 COSAFA Cup,[13] the 2006 FIFA World Cup 2006 World Cup qualification, the 2004 COSAFA Cup,[14] 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification and the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

Personal life

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Paíto's son, Edson, was also a professional footballer.[15]

Honours

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Sporting CP

Sion

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Paíto at WorldFootball.net
  2. ^ "Paíto: "Dava a titularidade por Rui Jorge"" [Paíto: "I would trade not starting for Rui Jorge"]. Record (in Portuguese). 7 May 2004. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  3. ^ "Paíto: "Foi um golo à leão"" [Paíto: "It was a lion of a goal"]. Record (in Portuguese). 28 January 2005. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  4. ^ Freitas, Carlos Manuel (30 December 2005). "Paíto: "Se olhasse para a classificação não viria para o V. Guimarães"" [Paíto: "If I looked at the table I would not come to V. Guimarães"] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  5. ^ "Paíto: "Vou ser um leão mas pelo Vitória"" [Paíto: "I will be a lion but for Vitória"]. Record (in Portuguese). 30 March 2006. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  6. ^ "Vitória de Guimarães tem como "objectivo imediato" a subida de divisão" [Vitória de Guimarães' "immediate goal" is to promote]. Público (in Portuguese). 11 May 2006. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  7. ^ "Paíto in pact with Braga". UEFA. 3 July 2006. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  8. ^ Palma, Irene (19 July 2007). "Suíça: Paíto assina contrato de três anos com o Sion" [Switzerland: Paíto signs three-year contract with Sion] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  9. ^ "Paito von Sion nach Neuenburg –– Deana von Vaduz zu Sion" [Paito from Sion to Neuenburg –– Deana from Vaduz to Sion]. Basellandschaftliche Zeitung (in German). 20 May 2010. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  10. ^ "Verteidiger Paito wechselt zu Vaslui" [Defender Paito moves to Vaslui]. 20 Minuten (in German). 7 February 2012. Retrieved 8 February 2012.
  11. ^ "PAOK – Skoda Xanthi 0–1". Skoda Xanthi. 27 January 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  12. ^ "Mozambique shaken up". BBC Sport. 4 April 2002. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
  13. ^ "Mozambique take no chances". BBC Sport. 18 March 2003. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
  14. ^ Gleeson, Mark (13 June 2004). "Mozambique triumph over Malawi". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
  15. ^ Antão, Vasco (21 July 2021). "Edson Mucuana em avaliação" [Edson Mucuana under review]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  16. ^ "Vila Real-Sporting, 0–4: Tudo fácil pelo profissionalismo" [Vila Real-Sporting, 0–4: Everything made easier through professionalism]. Record (in Portuguese). 17 January 2002. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  17. ^ Garin, Erik. "Switzerland Cup Details". RSSSF. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
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  • Paíto at ForaDeJogo (archived)  
  • Paíto at National-Football-Teams.com
  • PaítoFIFA competition record (archived)
  • Paíto at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)
  • Paíto at Soccerway