| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Pedro Manuel Torres | ||
| Date of birth | March 18, 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Huambo, Angola | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | 1º Agosto | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Progresso | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1999–2001 | Alverca | 31 | (9) |
| 2001–2011 | Benfica | 101 | (29) |
| 2011– | 1º Agosto | ||
| National team | |||
| 2001–2010 | Angola | 29 | (4) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 June 2011. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Pedro Manuel Torres (born 18 March 1982), aka Mantorras, is an Angolan footballer who plays for C.D. Primeiro de Agosto as a striker.
His nickname derives from the fact that, as a child, he suffered slight accidental burns, being then known as "Mantorras", from the Angolan expression "Mano Torras," which means "Toasted brother." His professional career, mainly spent with Benfica, was blighted by constant injury problems.[1][2]
Mantorras played for Angola in the 2000's, representing the nation at its very first World Cup.
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Born in Huambo, Mantorras started his career at Progresso Associação do Sambizanga. He quickly caught the eye of Portuguese scouts, and transferred to F.C. Alverca shortly thereafter, as that club acted also as Sport Lisboa e Benfica's farm team. Most notably, he scored once in a surprising 3–1 home win over Sporting Clube de Portugal on 17 February 2001, and finished that season with nine league goals as the team managed to retain its top division status, finishing in 12th position.
At only 19, Mantorras signed with Benfica, making a particularly good impression during his first season at the club. He was then sought out by FC Barcelona and also refused an offer from F.C. Internazionale Milano in Italy. During the player's quick rise to stardom, he was frequently described as the best player to come out of Portuguese Africa since Eusébio left Mozambique for Benfica in the early 1960s. Eusébio himself said of the youngster that, "He has special qualities and is set for a great future."
In 2002, Mantorras suffered a serious knee injury that almost put an end to his short career.[3][4] He spent approximately two-and-a-half years recovering, during which he was subject to four surgical procedures.[1] He returned to the pitch during the 2004–05 season, and managed to contribute sufficiently as the Águias ended an 11-year drought and won the national championship, with five goals in only 15 matches (four of those in the final two months).[5][6]
Even though he was subsequently deemed to be fully recovered, Mantorras failed to re-establish himself as a first-team player, playing only in a few games throughout the next seasons combined. However, he remained a favorite with the club's supporters, additionally stating he would like to see out his career at Benfica, and that he would remain in the club even if he was not paid a salary.[7]
Benfica won the league again in 2009–10, as well as the domestic league cup, also reaching the last eight in the UEFA Europa League, but Mantorras' output consisted of 10 minutes during the pre-season, in a 1–2 loss against Atlético Madrid; in mid-February 2011, one month shy of his 29th birthday, he announced his retirement from professional football.
An Angolan international since the age of 19, Mantorras was part of the national team which became the first ever African Portuguese-speaking country to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, in 2006. There, he played twice from the bench, including in the 0–1 group stage loss against Portugal.[8]
Even though he was only fifth or sixth-choice at Benfica at the time, Mantorras was also summoned for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, played on home soil. As Angola reached the last-eight, he only appeared once, again as a substitute, in a 2–0 win against Malawi.
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Alverca | 1999–00 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 2000–01 | 26 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 9 | |
| Benfica | 2001–02 | 30 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 13 |
| 2002–03 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 | |
| 2003–04 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2004–05 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 5 | |
| 2005–06 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 24 | 3 | |
| 2006–07 | 17 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 25 | 3 | |
| 2007–08 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 2 | |
| 2008–09 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2009–10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2010–11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total (Portugal) | 132 | 38 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 161 | 40 | |
| Career Total | 132 | 38 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 161 | 40 | |
| Angola national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2001 | 2 | 0 |
| 2002 | 2 | 0 |
| 2003 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | 3 | 1 |
| 2006 | 8 | 1 |
| 2007 | 2 | 1 |
| 2008 | 3 | 1 |
| 2009 | 7 | 0 |
| 2010 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 29 | 4 |
Mantorras did not forget his humble roots: soon after joining Benfica, he turned his thoughts to the less fortunate in his homeland, promising to donate a hefty percentage of his wages to set up a home for street kids in Luanda.
"I feel so sorry for children in Angola," he stated. "I know what it's like to go hungry and to sleep on the street. My father died when I was three months old and my mother when I was 16. I had a brother to look after and became the head of the family [when I was] very young. I had a lot of difficulties early in my life. Now that my fortunes have improved, I'm going to do what I can to help the underprivileged."
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