Bissau-Guinean footballer (born 1996)
João Pedro Sousa Silva (born 13 November 1996), known as João Pedro, is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for V.League 1 club Hanoi.
Born in Portugal, he plays for the Guinea-Bissau national team.
Club career
Born in Ponta Delgada in the Azores, João Pedro was a junior at hometown club C.D. Santa Clara when he made his professional debut in Segunda Liga on 23 November 2013, as a half-time substitute for Tiago Leonço in a 1–0 home loss against S.C. Braga B.[2] The following 25 January, he scored his only goal for the team in a 3–1 away defeat to S.C. Farense.[3]
After two seasons with Gil Vicente F.C. in the second division and as many with C.D. Trofense in the third, João Pedro signed a one-year contract with Primeira Liga side Vitória S.C. on 5 July 2019, with the option of two more.[4] He made his debut on 1 August in a 4–0 home win (5–0 aggregate) over AS Jeunesse Esch of Luxembourg in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League, playing the last seven minutes in place of Alexandre Guedes.[5] Thirteen days later, again from the bench and at the Estádio D. Afonso Henriques, he scored his first goal in a 6–0 demolition of Latvia's FK Ventspils.[6]
João Pedro scored twice from ten league appearances in his first season in Guimarães, starting with the only goal of a home win against former club Santa Clara on 18 January 2020, again as a substitute.[7] On 1 July, he agreed to a new deal of two years with the option of as many more.[8]
However, on 20 August 2020, João Pedro joined F.C. Paços de Ferreira on a three-year contract; Vitória retained a percentage of his economic rights, and a buyback option.[9] In February 2022, he severed his ties and moved to Bursaspor in the Turkish TFF First League.[10]
João Pedro continued to play abroad subsequently, with Panetolikos FC (Super League Greece)[11] and Hanoi FC (Vietnamese V.League 1).[12]
International career
João Pedro represented Portugal at under-20 level, appearing in the 2016 Toulon Tournament.[13][14][15] He switched his allegiance to Guinea-Bissau in 2023,[16][17] earning his first cap on 13 October that year in a 1–0 friendly loss to Guinea in Setúbal.[18]
References
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