Armando Sá

Armando Sá
Personal information
Full nameArmando Miguel Correia Sá
Date of birth16 September 1975
Place of birthMaputo, Mozambique
Height1.76 m (5 ft 9 12 in)
Playing positionRight back
Youth career
1991–1994Belenenses
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1994–1996Vilafranquense
1996–1997Bragança
1997–1998Vila Real
1998–2001Rio Ave82(4)
2001Braga16(0)
2002–2004Benfica48(1)
2004–2005Villarreal20(0)
2005–2007Espanyol20(1)
2007→ Leeds United (loan)11(0)
2007–2008Foolad16(0)
2008–2010Sepahan35(1)
Total248(7)
National team
2002–2007Mozambique23(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Armando Miguel Correia de Sá (born 16 September 1975) is a Mozambican retired footballer who played usually a right defender.

He also holds a Portuguese passport, and played professionally in four different countries in a 16-year professional career: Portugal (six teams, namely enjoying a two 1/2-year spell with Benfica), Spain, England (five months with Leeds United) and Iran.

Club career

Sá was born in Maputo. After playing for most of his early career with very modest Portuguese clubs he joined Rio Ave F.C. for the 1998–99 season, and his performances there attracted attention from S.C. Braga.

In December 2001, after having played with the Minho side for only four months he, alongside teammates Ricardo Rocha and Tiago, left for first division powerhouse S.L. Benfica.

Though not an undisputed starter at Benfica, Sá still managed to appear in a good number of games, subsequently moving to La Liga with Villarreal CF in the 2004–05 campaign and helping it finish third, and then to fellow top-divisioner RCD Espanyol,[1] appearing in 40 league games combined although he finished 2006–07 on loan with Football League Championship's Leeds United,[2] which ranked last. He made his debut for the Yorkshire team as a substitute in a 1–3 away loss against West Bromwich Albion for the season's FA Cup,[3] and ended up playing in several positions: right back, left back, and also in midfield.

In July 2007 Sá signed for Foolad FC, who competed in Iran's second level and were led by Portuguese coach Augusto Inácio, his father-in-law. After achieving promotion in his first season he switched to another club in the country, Sepahan FC.

International career

Sá was capped 23 times for the Mozambique national football team.[4]

Honours

Benfica
Villarreal
Espanyol
Sepahan

References

  1. Espanyol sign Mozambique's Sa; BBC Sport, 19 August 2005
  2. Wise signs former team-mate Flo; BBC Sport, 3 January 2007
  3. West Brom 3–1 Leeds; BBC Sport, 6 January 2007
  4. Mambas prepare for Cosafa Cup; BBC Sport, 25 May 2004

External links