Zezinho (Bissau-Guinean footballer)

Zezinho
Personal information
Full name	José Luís Mendes Lopes
Date of birth	23 September 1992 (age 32)
Place of birth	Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Omonia Aradippou
Number	77
Youth career
	Sporting Bissau
2008–2011	Sporting CP
Senior career*
Years	Team
2008	Sporting Bissau
2011–2014	Sporting CP
2011–2012	→ Atlético (loan)
2012–2016	Sporting CP B
2013–2014	→ Veria (loan)
2014	→ AEL Limassol (loan)
2016–2017	Levadiakos
2018–2019	Senica
2019	Damac
2021	Marsaxlokk
2021–	Omonia Aradippou
International career‡
2010–	Guinea-Bissau
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:10, 1 November 2022 (UTC); ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 25 June 2019

José Luís Mendes Lopes (born 23 September 1992), known as Zezinho, is a Bissau-Guinean professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Cypriot club Omonia Aradippou and the Guinea-Bissau national team.

Club career

Born in Bissau, Zezinho finished his development with Sporting CP after joining its youth system at the age of 16.^[2] He made his debut as a senior in the 2011–12 season, being loaned to Atlético Clube de Portugal^[3] and helping them to the ninth position in the Segunda Liga.

Subsequently, returned to the Estádio José Alvalade, Zezinho appeared almost exclusively with the B team during his tenure. His maiden Primeira Liga appearance occurred on 13 January 2013, as he came on as a 75th-minute substitute for Zakaria Labyad in a 2–0 away win against S.C. Olhanense.^[4]

Zezinho served a further two loans before being released in June 2016, at Veria F.C. from the Super League Greece^[5] and Cypriot First Division club AEL Limassol.^[6]

Zezinho earned his first cap for Guinea-Bissau on 4 September 2010 – 19 days before his 18th birthday – in a 1–0 home victory over Kenya for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Selected to the 2017 edition of the tournament by manager Baciro Candé,^[7] he featured in three games^[8] in an eventual group stage exit.

Zezinho was also included in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations squad.^[9]

As of 4 June 2016 (Guinea-Bissau score listed first, score column indicates score after each Zezinho goal)^[10]

No	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	5 September 2015	24 de Setembro, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau	Congo	1–3	2–4	2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
2.	4 June 2016	24 de Setembro, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau	Zambia	1–0	3–2	2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Zezinho" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
^ Silva Pires, Tiago (21 November 2010). "Zezinho desperta o interesse de grandes clubes da Europa" [Zezinho awakes interest of European clubs]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 5 May 2021.
^ "Reforço Zezinho "fecha" plantel comandado por João de Deus" [Addition Zezinho "closes" João de Deus-led squad] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 31 August 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
^ "Sporting vence e afasta-se dos lugares "perigosos" (vídeo)" [Sporting win and steer away from "dangerous" places (video)] (in Portuguese). TSF. 13 January 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
^ "Rubio no Pandurii e Zezinho no Veria" [Rubio to Pandurii and Zezinho to Veria]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 2 September 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
^ Pereira, Sérgio (21 January 2015). "Sporting: Zezinho regressa para a equipa B" [Sporting: Zezinho returns to the B team] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
^ "Um treinador, 18 'portugueses' e alguns velhos conhecidos" [One coach, 18 'Portuguese' and some old acquaintances]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 12 January 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
^ "Gabon 1–1 Guinea-Bissau". BBC Sport. 14 January 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
^ Soliman, Seif (12 June 2019). "Ittihad's Toni Silva named in Guinea Bissau's AFCON squad". KingFut. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
^ "Zezinho – Matches". Soccerway. Retrieved 4 April 2017.