1. Personal Background
1.1. Birth and Early Life
José Luís Mendes Andrade was born on 24 January 1991, in Fogo, Cape Verde. His early life was spent in his home country before he embarked on his professional football journey.
1.2. Youth Career
Zé Luís began his youth career in Cape Verde, first joining Academica Fogo in 2007. He then moved to Batuque FC in 2008. In 2009, he transitioned to Portuguese football, joining the youth ranks of Gil Vicente.
1.3. Physical Attributes
Zé Luís stands at 72 in (184 cm) and weighs 194 lb (88 kg). He is primarily left-footed.
2. Club Career
Zé Luís's club career has seen him play for several teams across Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, achieving domestic titles in both Portugal and Russia.
2.1. Gil Vicente FC
Zé Luís began his professional career at the age of 18 with his former youth club, Gil Vicente FC. During his first season in the Segunda Liga (now Liga Portugal 2), he made five appearances, debuting on 29 November 2009 in a 0-3 home loss against G.D. Chaves. Despite limited appearances, he managed to score four goals.
In the 2010-11 season, under the new manager Paulo Alves, Zé Luís was a key player, netting ten goals for the Barcelos-based side. His contributions helped Gil Vicente achieve promotion to the Primeira Liga as champions, marking their return to the top flight after a five-year absence.
2.2. S.C. Braga
On 2 June 2011, following his successful spell at Gil Vicente, Zé Luís signed a five-year contract with S.C. Braga. During his tenure at Braga, he experienced two loan spells. He spent three months with his former club Gil Vicente in 2012 and a full season with Videoton FC in Hungary during the 2013-14 season. He also regularly featured for Braga B in the second tier, where he scored 4 goals in 15 appearances during the 2012-13 season.
Despite his loan periods, Zé Luís played for Braga's main squad in the 2013 Taça da Liga final, coming on as a substitute in a 1-0 victory over FC Porto at the Estádio Cidade de Coimbra. On 7 April 2015, he achieved his first career hat-trick, contributing to a 3-0 home win against Rio Ave F.C. in the semi-finals of the Taça de Portugal, securing a 4-1 aggregate victory. Throughout the 2014-15 campaign, he competed for a starting position with Eder, ultimately finishing the season with 11 goals across all competitions.
2.3. Spartak Moscow
On 7 July 2015, Zé Luís made a significant move to Russian Premier League club FC Spartak Moscow. He quickly became an integral part of the team, scoring five goals in the 2016-17 season, which saw Spartak Moscow clinch their 22nd domestic championship title. His performance earned him the Russian Premier League Player of the Month award for October 2016 and a spot in the Russian Premier League Top 33 Players of the Season for 2016-17 (as right forward Nº2).
In July 2017, Zé Luís extended his contract with Spartak until 2021. In the same month, he helped the club win the Russian Super Cup with a 2-1 victory over city rivals FC Lokomotiv Moscow. During the 2018-19 campaign, he continued his strong form, contributing ten league goals and 14 goals across all competitions, as Spartak finished in fifth place. He was again recognized in the Russian Premier League Top 33 Players of the Season for 2018-19 (as left forward Nº3).
2.4. FC Porto
On 2 July 2019, Spartak Moscow announced an agreement for Zé Luís's transfer to FC Porto. Three days later, he officially signed a four-year contract with the Portuguese giants. He made an immediate impact, scoring three goals in only his second league appearance, a dominant 4-0 home victory against Vitória de Setúbal. This performance earned him the Primeira Liga Forward of the Month award for August 2019.
In his only season at the Estádio do Dragão, Zé Luís scored seven league goals for the eventual champions. He contributed a total of ten goals across all competitions as Porto secured a domestic double, winning both the Primeira Liga and the Taça de Portugal. His goal in December 2019 was recognized as the Primeira Liga Goal of the Month, and he later received the Primeira Liga Goal of the Season award for the 2019-20 campaign.
2.5. Later Career
On 6 October 2020, Zé Luís returned to the Russian capital, joining FC Lokomotiv Moscow on a three-year deal for a transfer fee of 5.00 M EUR. However, his time at Lokomotiv was hampered by frequent injuries, limiting him to just 16 appearances and one goal across all competitions. On 13 January 2022, his contract was terminated by mutual consent.
Following his departure from Lokomotiv, Zé Luís signed a six-month deal with Al Taawoun FC of the Saudi Professional League on 8 February 2022. He played nine games for the club, scoring once on 14 April in the AFC Champions League group stage against Sepahan S.C., a match Al Taawoun won 3-0.
On 7 September 2022, Zé Luís moved to Turkey, signing a one-season contract with Hatayspor in the Süper Lig. He scored his first Süper Lig goal on 24 October, an equalizer in a 2-1 home victory against Beşiktaş JK. However, Hatayspor, based in Antakya, withdrew from the season in February 2023 following the devastating 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake.
On 29 August 2023, Zé Luís joined S.C. Farense, a club recently promoted to the Portuguese top tier, on a one-year deal. He later moved to AVS in 2024.
3. International Career
Zé Luís made his debut for the Cape Verde national team on 24 May 2010. He played for one minute in a friendly match against Portugal in Covilhã, as Portugal prepared for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was initially selected by manager Lúcio Antunes for the squad participating in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, but he withdrew from the tournament due to personal reasons.
His first goal for the national team came on 6 September 2014, in a 3-1 away victory against Niger during the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Four days later, he scored his second international goal in a 2-1 home win over Zambia in the same competition. These contributions helped the "Blue Sharks" qualify for the finals in Equatorial Guinea. However, despite his role in qualification, he was not selected for the final tournament squad.
On 10 October 2019, Zé Luís scored the equalizer as Cape Verde came from behind to win 2-1 against Togo in an exhibition game held in Fos-sur-Mer, France. This marked his first appearance for the national team in over two years and his first goal in more than five years. He also won the Lusofonia Games with Cape Verde in 2009.
4. Career Statistics
This section provides a detailed overview of Zé Luís's professional club and international career statistics, showcasing his appearances and goals across various leagues, cup competitions, and national team matches.
4.1. Club Statistics
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Gil Vicente | 2009-10 | Liga de Honra | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 5 | 4 | ||
| 2010-11 | Liga de Honra | 22 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | - | - | 27 | 12 | |||
| Total | 27 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | - | - | 32 | 16 | ||||
| Braga B | 2012-13 | Segunda Liga | 15 | 4 | - | - | - | - | 15 | 4 | ||||
| Braga | 2012-13 | Primeira Liga | 15 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | - | 23 | 5 | |
| 2014-15 | Primeira Liga | 20 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 24 | 11 | |||
| Total | 35 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 16 | ||
| Gil Vicente (loan) | 2011-12 | Primeira Liga | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 16 | 5 | ||
| Videoton (loan) | 2013-14 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 26 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 5 | - | - | 38 | 15 | ||
| Spartak Moscow | 2015-16 | Russian Premier League | 24 | 8 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | 25 | 10 | |||
| 2016-17 | Russian Premier League | 21 | 5 | 1 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | - | 24 | 5 | |||
| 2017-18 | Russian Premier League | 16 | 2 | 2 | 2 | - | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 6 | ||
| 2018-19 | Russian Premier League | 25 | 10 | 3 | 1 | - | 8 | 3 | - | 36 | 14 | |||
| Total | 86 | 25 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 109 | 35 | ||
| Porto | 2019-20 | Primeira Liga | 19 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | - | 31 | 11 | |
| 2020-21 | Primeira Liga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 20 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 11 | ||
| Lokomotiv Moscow | 2020-21 | Russian Premier League | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | |
| 2021-22 | Russian Premier League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Total | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | |||
| Al Taawoun | 2021-22 | Saudi Pro League | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 2 | 1 | - | 8 | 1 | ||
| Hatayspor | 2022-23 | Süper Lig | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | 15 | 2 | |||
| Farense | 2023-24 | Primeira Liga | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | - | 0 | 0 | 18 | 3 | |
| AVS | 2023-24 | Primeira Liga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Career total | 267 | 80 | 19 | 12 | 24 | 9 | 35 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 346 | 109 | ||
4.2. International Statistics
| Cape Verde | ||
| Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | 6 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | 4 | 2 |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 | 1 |
| Total | 19 | 3 |
:Scores and results list Cape Verde's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Zé Luís goal.
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 6 September 2014 | Stade Général Seyni Kountché, Niamey, Niger | Niger | 3-0 | 3-1 | 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 2. | 10 September 2014 | Estádio Nacional, Praia, Cape Verde | Zambia | 1-0 | 2-1 | |
| 3. | 10 October 2019 | Stade Parsemain, Fos-sur-Mer, France | Togo | 1-1 | 2-1 | Friendly |
5. Honours
Zé Luís has accumulated several team and individual honors throughout his career, reflecting his impact on the clubs he has represented and his personal performance.
5.1. Club Honours
- Gil Vicente
- Segunda Liga: 2010-11
- Braga
- Taça da Liga: 2012-13
- Spartak Moscow
- Russian Premier League: 2016-17
- Russian Super Cup: 2017
- Porto
- Primeira Liga: 2019-20
- Taça de Portugal: 2019-20
- Cape Verde
- Lusofonia Games: 2009
5.2. Individual Honours
- Russian Premier League Player of the Month: October 2016
- Russian Premier League Top 33 Players of the Season:
- 2016-17 (right forward Nº2)
- 2018-19 (left forward Nº3)
- Primeira Liga Forward of the Month: August 2019
- Primeira Liga Goal of the Month: December 2019
- Primeira Liga Goal of the Season: 2019-20