Paíto

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
Date of birth (1982-07-05) 5 July 1982
Place of birth Maputo, Mozambique
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Left back
Youth career
2000–2001 Sporting CP
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001–2003 Sporting B 52 (2)
2003–2006 Sporting CP 24 (0)
2006 → Vitória Guimarães (loan) 16 (1)
2006–2007 Mallorca 0 (0)
2006–2007 → Braga (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)
National team
2002–2012 Mozambique 39 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Born in Maputo, Paíto began his professional career at Sporting CP, in the 2002–03 season. He became a regular in his third year and, on 26 January 2005, scored his only goal for the Lions in a 3–3 draw against S.L. Benfica for the sixth round of the Taça de Portugal (penalty shootout loss), in a solo effort.[1]

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. He was an undisputed starter during his short tenure, as the Minho team eventually dropped down a level.

Purchased by La Liga club RCD Mallorca, Paíto immediately returned to Portugal, being loaned to S.C. Braga for the duration of the campaign.[2] Released by the Balearic Islands side without making any official appearances, he joined FC Sion on a three-year contract.[3]

After three solid seasons in the Swiss Super League, Paíto stayed in Switzerland, signing with fellow league team Neuchâtel Xamax.[4] After the latter went bankrupt, in January 2012 he joined FC Vaslui from Romania, reuniting with former Sporting coach Augusto Inácio.[5]

Paíto spent the first half of the following campaign without a club, signing in early January 2013 with Skoda Xanthi FC. He made his Superleague Greece debut on the 27th, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 away win over PAOK FC.[6]

International career

Paíto started representing Mozambique at age 20. He was recalled in April for the 2002 COSAFA Cup, nearly two years after his last international.[7] Additionally, he took part in the 2003 COSAFA Cup,[8] the 2006 FIFA World Cup 2006 World Cup qualification, the 2004 COSAFA Cup,[9] 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification and the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

Honours

Sporting

Sion

References
  1. "Paíto: «Foi um golo à leão»" [Paíto: «It was a lion of a goal»] (in Portuguese). Record. 28 January 2005. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  2. Paíto in pact with Braga; UEFA, 3 July 2006
  3. 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.
  4. "Paito von Sion nach Neuenburg –– Deana von Vaduz zu Sion" [Paito from Sion to Neuenburg –– Deana from Vaduz to Sion] (in German). BZ Basel. 20 May 2010. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  5. Verteidiger Paito wechselt zu Vaslui (Defender Paito moves to Vaslui); 20 Minuten, 7 February 2012 (in German)
  6. PAOK – Skoda Xanthi 0–1; Skoda Xanthi, 27 January 2013 (in Greek)
  7. "Mozambique shaken up". BBC Sport. 4 April 2002. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
  8. "Mozambique take no chances". BBC Sport. 18 March 2003. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
  9. "Mozambique triumph over Malawi". BBC Sport. 13 June 2004. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
  10. "Vila Real-Sporting, 0–4: Tudo fácil pelo profissionalismo" [Vila Real-Sporting, 0–4: Everything made easier through professionalism] (in Portuguese). Record. 17 January 2002. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  11. Garin, Erik. "Switzerland Cup Details". RSSSF. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
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