Angola's Mantorras considers quitting
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Nigeria Guardian - Found Jan. 27, 2010 Mantorass told the state-owned Angola TPA Television after the Palancas Negras exited from the 2010 Nations Cup at the quarter-finals following a 0-1 ... |
Angola 2 Malawi 0: African Nations Cup result
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World Soccer - Found Jan. 15, 2010 16-Flavio (9-Mantorras 63), 23-Manucho Malawi: 1-Swadick Sanudi; 3-Moses Chavula, 5-James Sangala, 7-Peter Mponda, 12-Elvis Kafoteka; |
Manuel Jose ready for African Cup of Nations: It costs nothing to ...
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Portugoal.net - Found Jan. 5, 2010 I want like to see Pedro Mantorras play as well, I don't expect him to start but I would like to see a Benfiquista in this tournament. |
Angola hope home advantage will be key in opener
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Reuters Africa - Found Jan. 9, 2010 ... in front of a lot of people and having 50,000 fans cheering us on is a huge motivation," Angola's striker Mantorras told Angolan state media. Soccer Roundup: Togo Drops Out After Fatal Attack - International Herald Tribune Togo withdraw from African Nations Cup - Times Online Angola official: African Cup of Nations soccer tournament on despite ... - ESPN Togo?s Soccer Team Attacked on Its Way to Tournament in Angola - New York Times Explore All |
Angola hold their nerve
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Irish Times - Found Jan. 14, 2010 ... meltdown against Mali but on this occasion Angola played out time with the minimum of fuss and Pedro Mantorras almost added to their tally... Manucho helps Angola claim first victory - CNN Flavio, Manucho help Angola down Malawi - AFP via Yahoo! All to play for in Group A after Algeria and Angola win (Roundup) - Monsters and Critics Hosts Angola down Malawi - Sydney Morning Herald Explore All |
Angola captain Makanga to miss Nations Cup
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Yahoo! India - Found Dec. 30, 2009 Flavio (Al Shabab, Saudi Arabia), Johnson Makaba (Recreativo Libolo), Love (Primeiro Agosto), Mantorras (Benfica, Portugal), Manucho (Real... Angola captain Makanga to miss Nations Cup - Reuters Africa Angola name African Nations Cup squad - Yahoo! India Explore All |
Angola blow four-goal lead in 11 minutes
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The Scotsman - Found Jan. 10, 2010 Subs not used: Lama, Jamuana, Caires, Magalhaes, Job, Johnson, Mantorras, Alegre, Ze Kalanga. Mali stun Angola in eight-goal thriller - Business Day Explore All |
Angola hopes Nations' Cup more economic miracle than mirage
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Irish Times - Found Jan. 8, 2010 Back then, the presence of Benfica forward Pedro Mantorras symbolised the Angolan miracle. Mantorras lost both his parents to the war and... |
Cup runneth over
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Irish Times - Found Jan. 13, 2010 Subs not used: Lama, Jamuana, Caires, Magalhaes, Job, Johnson, Mantorras, Alegre, Ze Kalanga. Booked: Stelvio Cruz, Xara. |
Angola hope home advantage key to opener
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East African Standard - Found Jan. 12, 2010 ... in front of a lot of people and having 50,000 fans cheering us on is a huge motivation,' Angola?s striker Mantorras told Angolan state media. |
Mantorras Biography
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Mantorras
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| Mantorras | ||
| 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 | Benfica | |
| Number | 9 | |
| Senior career1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 1999–2001 2001– |
Alverca Benfica |
31 (10) 100 (28) |
| National team2 | ||
| 2001– | Angola | 30 (4) |
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
||
Pedro Manuel Torres (presumably born 18 March 1982 in Huambo), commonly known as Mantorras, is an Angolan footballer who currently plays for Sport Lisboa e Benfica in the Portuguese first division, as a striker.
His nickname derives from the fact that, as a child, he suffered slight accidental burns, being then known as "Man torras", from the Angolan expression "Mano Torras," which means "Toasted brother." His professional career has been blighted by constant injury problems.1
Contents |
Club career
Mantorras started his career as a professional footballer in Angola, at Progresso 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 feeder club. Most notably, Mantorras scored a hat-trick in a surprising 4–1 home win over Sporting Clube de Portugal.
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 Inter Milan 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.23 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).45
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.6
International career
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.
Even though he was only fifth or sixth-choice at Benfica at the time, Mantorras was also summoned for the 2010 African 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.
Honours
Team
- Portuguese League: 2004–05
- Portuguese Cup: 2003–04
- Portuguese Super Cup: 2005
- Portuguese League Cup: 2008–09
- African U-20 Championship: 2001
Individual
- CAF Young Player: 2001
Personal
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."
Club statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps + Minutes Played | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Alverca | 1999-00 | 5 . 122 mins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 2000–01 | 26 . 1814 mins | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 9 | |
| Benfica | 2001–02 | 30 . 2580 mins | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 13 |
| 2002–03 | 8 . 550 mins | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | |
| 2003–04 | 0 . 0 mins | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | |
| 2004–05 | 15 . 379 mins | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 5 | |
| 2005–06 | 17 . 302 mins | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 2 | |
| 2006–07 | 17 . 295 mins | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 3 | |
| 2007–08 | 9 . 145 mins | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 2 | |
| 2008–09 | 5 . 62 mins | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | |
| Total (Portugal) | 132 . 6249 mins | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 132 | 6 | |
| Career Total | 132 . 6249 mins | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 132 | 26 | |
References
- ^ a b Benfica show belief in Mantorras; UEFA.com, 4 July 2005
- ^ Benfica hit by Mantorras injury; UEFA.com, 26 February 2002
- ^ Benfica to miss Mantorras; UEFA.com, 16 December 2002
- ^ Benfica stay six points clear; UEFA.com, 4 April 2005
- ^ Benfica speed away from Sporting; UEFA.com, 24 April 2005
- ^ Mantorras: «Luisinho, ainda vai chegar a hora do papá» (Mantorras: "Luisinho, daddy's time will still come"); Record, 10 January 2006 (Portuguese)
External links
- Stats and profile at Zerozero
- Stats at ForaDeJogo (Portuguese)
- PortuGOAL profile
- Girabola profile (Portuguese)
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