Zainadine Júnior

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Chavango and the second or paternal family name is Júnior.
Zainadine Júnior
Personal information
Full name Zainadine Abdula Chavango Júnior
Date of birth (1988-06-24) 24 June 1988 (age 36)
Place of birth Maputo, Mozambique
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Centre back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2011 Desportivo Maputo 73 (5)
2011–2013 Liga Muçulmana
2013–2015 Nacional 72 (2)
2016–2017 Tianjin Teda 26 (1)
2017 → Marítimo (loan) 15 (1)
2017–2024 Marítimo 182 (5)
International career‡
2008– Mozambique 64 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 2 July 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 24 March 2023

Zainadine Abdula Chavango Júnior (born 24 June 1988) is a Mozambican professional footballer who plays as a centre back.

He spent most of his career in Portugal with rivals Nacional and Marítimo, making over 250 Primeira Liga appearances.

A full international with over 60 caps for Mozambique since 2008, he represented the country at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.

Club career

Born in Maputo, Zainadine Júnior began his career with local Desportivo Maputo and Liga Muçulmana de Maputo. In late 2009, he and compatriot Mexer trialled at Sporting CP, but only the latter ended up signing.[1]

In August 2013, Zainadine Júnior finally got his move to Portugal's Primeira Liga, joining C.D. Nacional.[2] He made his debut on 22 September in a 1–0 home win over Académica de Coimbra, in which he assisted the goal by Mario Rondón.[3] In 20 appearances as the team from Funchal secured fifth place and UEFA Europa League qualification, he scored once on 8 December to secure a 2–2 draw in the Madeira derby away to C.S. Marítimo.[4]

After playing the 2016 Chinese Super League with Tianjin Teda FC, Zainadine Júnior returned to Portugal's top flight on loan to Marítimo.[5] The team ended the season in sixth and qualified for Europe, with him scoring the equaliser in a 3–1 home win over F.C. Arouca on 19 March; the goal was voted the league's best of the month.[6]

In July 2017, Zainadine Júnior rescinded his contract with Tianjin to sign for Marítimo.[7] Two years later, he signed a new deal to keep him with the Rubro-Verdes until 2022.[8] In April 2022, he signed a new two-year deal.[9]

International career

Zainadine Júnior was called up to represent Mozambique at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, where he was unused in a group stage elimination in Angola.[10]

He scored his one international goal on 8 September 2018 in a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at home to Guinea-Bissau, opening a 2–2 draw.[11]

International goals

Scores and results list Mozambique's goal tally first.[12]
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 8 September 2018 Estádio do Zimpeto, Maputo, Mozambique  Guinea-Bissau 1–0 2–2 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

References

  1. ^ "Mexer e Zainadine podem chegar esta semana" [Mexer and Zainadine can arrive this week]. Record (in Portuguese). 30 November 2009. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Zainadine Júnior às ordens de Manuel Machado" [Zainadine Júnior at the orders of Manuel Machado]. Record (in Portuguese). 28 August 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Nacional-Académica: Foi preciso sofrer face a reação Briosa" [Nacional-Académica: It was necessary to suffer in the face of the Briosa reaction]. Record (in Portuguese). 23 September 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Marítimo-Nacional, 2–2: Um dérbi intenso com final à altura" [Marítimo-Nacional, 2–2: An intense derby with a high-class ending]. Record (in Portuguese). 8 December 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Zainadine regressa a Portugal para jogar no Marítimo" [Zainadine returns to Portugal to play for Marítimo] (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. 11 January 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  6. ^ "Liga: golo de Zainadine eleito o melhor do mês de março" [Liga: Zainadine's goal voted the best of the month of March] (in Portuguese). TVI 24. 5 April 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  7. ^ "Zainadine feliz por continuar no Marítimo" [Zainadine happy to continue at Marítimo]. Diário de Notícias (Madeira) (in Portuguese). 6 July 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  8. ^ Pereira Lopes, Pedro (29 August 2019). "Zainadine Júnior renova com Marítimo até 2022" [Zainadine Júnior renews with Marítimo until 2022]. O País (in Portuguese). Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  9. ^ "É Oficial: Zainadine renova até 2024 pelo Marítimo" [It's Official: Zainadine renews until 2024 with Marítimo]. Folha de Maputo (in Portuguese). 21 April 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  10. ^ "CAN'2010: Mexer entre os eleitos moçambicanos" [ACN'2010: Mexer among the selected Mozambicans]. Record (in Portuguese). 2 January 2010. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  11. ^ Pereira, David (8 September 2018). "Moçambique e Guiné Bissau empatam na qualificação para o CAN 2019" [Mozambique and Guinea-Bissau draw in qualification for 2019 ACN]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  12. ^ "Zainadine Júnior". National Football Teams. Retrieved 13 September 2018.