Mantorras

Mantorras
Personal information
Full name Pedro Manuel Torres
Date of birth (1982-03-18) 18 March 1982
Place of birth Huambo, Angola
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position Striker
Youth career
Progresso
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2001 Alverca 31 (9)
2001–2011 Benfica 101 (29)
2011–2012 1º Agosto 0 (0)
Total 132 (38)
National team
2001 Angola U20 4 (1)
2001–2010 Angola 33 (5)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Pedro Manuel Torres (born 18 March 1982), known as Mantorras, is a retired Angolan footballer who played 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".[1] His professional career, mainly spent with Benfica, was blighted by constant injury problems.[2][3]

Mantorras played for Angola in the 2000s, representing the nation at the 2006 World Cup and two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.

Club career

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 S.L. Benfica's farm team. Most notably, he scored once in a 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 their Primeira Liga status, finishing in 12th position.[4]

At 19, Mantorras signed with Benfica, making a particularly good impression during his first season and being subsequently sought out by FC Barcelona and Inter Milan. During his 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; the latter himself said of the former: "He has special qualities and is set for a great future".[4][5]

In 2002, Mantorras suffered a serious knee injury that almost put an end to his short career.[6][7] He spent approximately two-and-a-half years recovering, during which he was subject to four surgical procedures.[2] He returned to the pitch during the 2004–05 campaign, and managed to contribute sufficiently as Benfica 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).[8][9]

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 fan favourite, additionally stating he would like to see out his career at the club and that he would remain there even if he was not paid a salary.[10]

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 ten 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, making a short and unsuccessful comeback with C.D. Primeiro de Agosto later on.

In June 2012, Mantorras returned to Benfica as club ambassador.[11] The following month, on the 18th, he received a testimonial match at the Estádio da Luz, facing an All-Star team which included Luís Figo, Edgar Davids, Luís Boa Morte, Teddy Sheringham, Dwight Yorke, Paulo Futre, Ronaldo, Francesco Toldo, Fabio Cannavaro, Fernando Couto, Míchel Salgado, Serginho, Pauleta, Juliano Belletti and Mateja Kežman, and netting the fourth goal in a 5–1 win;[12] [13] after the match he praised the club fans in an interview, and dedicated his goal to them for all the support he received during his spell.[14] His former manager Jorge Jesus praised his efforts as well as the money raised in the game by both teams.[15]

International career

Mantorras represented Angola at the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship, in Argentina. He scored in a 1–1 group stage draw against Australia, helping his country eventually reach the round-of-16.

A full 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.[16]

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 over Malawi.[17]

Personal life

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".[18][19]

Career statistics

Club

[20]

Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Alverca 1999–00 5010––60
2000–01 26920––289
Total 31930––349
Benfica 2001–02 301330––3313
2002–03 8310–0093
2003–04 –
2004–05 15510–20185
2005–06 17320–50243
2006–07 17231–50253
2007–08 91201021142
2008–09 5200000052
2009–10 0010000010
2010–11 0000000000
Total 101291311014112931
Career total 132381611014116340

International

Angola
YearAppsGoals
200120
200220
200300
200400
200542
200691
200731
200831
200980
201020
Total335

International goals

Scores and results list Angola's goal tally first.[21]
No Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 17 August 2005 Estádio José Gomes, Amadora, Portugal  Cape Verde 1–1 2–1 Friendly
2. 4 September 2005 Estádio da Cidadela, Luanda, Angola  Gabon 2–0 3–0 2006 World Cup qualification
3. 17 January 2006 Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, Morocco  Morocco 2–2 2–2 Friendly
4. 25 March 2007 Estádio da Cidadela, Luanda, Angola  Eritrea 2–0 6–1 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
5. 14 June 2008 Mandela National Stadium, Kampala, Uganda  Uganda 1–3 1–3 2010 World Cup qualification

Honours

Club

International

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Mantorras joga Paintball" [Mantorras plays Paintball] (in Portuguese). Histórias Tolas. 28 October 2007. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  2. 1 2 Benfica show belief in Mantorras; UEFA.com, 4 July 2005
  3. ↑ Mantorras out for three months; BBC Sport, 27 August 2007
  4. 1 2 "Pedro Mantorras: a alegria da Luz" [Pedro Mantorras: the joy of the Light] (in Portuguese). Zerozero. 17 January 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  5. ↑ "Mantorras: "Nunca ninguém se vai comparar a Eusébio"" [Mantorras: "No one will ever compare to Eusébio"] (in Portuguese). Diário de Notícias. 6 January 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  6. ↑ Benfica hit by Mantorras injury; UEFA.com, 26 February 2002
  7. ↑ Benfica to miss Mantorras; UEFA.com, 16 December 2002
  8. ↑ Benfica stay six points clear; UEFA.com, 4 April 2005
  9. ↑ Benfica speed away from Sporting; UEFA.com, 24 April 2005
  10. ↑ Mantorras: «Luisinho, ainda vai chegar a hora do papá» (Mantorras: "Luisinho, daddy's time will still come"); Record, 10 January 2006 (in Portuguese)
  11. ↑ "Mantorras vai ser embaixador do Benfica" [Mantorras to be an ambassador for Benfica] (in Portuguese). O Jogo. 5 June 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  12. ↑ "Benfica bid Mantorras farewell". PortuGOAL. 19 July 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
  13. ↑ "Mantorras despede-se da Luz com um golo" [Mantorras says goodbye to Luz with a goal] (in Portuguese). A Bola. 18 July 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  14. ↑ ""Golo foi para dar alegria aos adeptos do Benfica" – Mantorras" ["I scored to make fans of Benfica happy" – Mantorras] (in Portuguese). A Bola. 18 July 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  15. ↑ ""Foi uma festa à Benfica" – Jorge Jesus" ["It was a Benfica-like party" – Jorge Jesus] (in Portuguese). A Bola. 18 July 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  16. ↑ "Angola 0–1 Portugal". BBC Sport. 11 June 2006. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  17. ↑ "Angola 2–0 Malawi". BBC Sport. 14 January 2010. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  18. ↑ "Pedro Mantorras: O perfume do futebol" [Pedro Mantorras: Football's perfume] (in Portuguese). Ango Notícias. 5 April 2004. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  19. ↑ "Mantorras: o bamboleio de um angolano glorioso" [Mantorras: the waddle of a glorious Angolan] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 20 May 2009. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  20. ↑ "Mantorras". Soccerway. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  21. ↑ "Mantorras". National Football Teams. Retrieved 19 April 2017.

Further reading

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