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Almami Moreira
Almami Moreira
from Wikipedia

Almami Samori da Silva Moreira (born 16 June 1978) is a Guinea-Bissauan retired footballer who played as a midfielder. He also holds Portuguese citizenship.

Key Information

After starting out at Boavista he went on to represent mainly Standard Liège and Partizan, also playing professionally in four other countries during his career.

Club career

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Boavista

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Born in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, Moreira reached Boavista's youth ranks in 1994, but started out professionally with northern neighbours Gondomar and Gil Vicente, on loan.

He returned in 1999 and went on to have relative impact in the first team, being mainly used as a substitute and being part of the squad as the club won the Primeira Liga in his last year, although he did not appear in any matches whatsoever due to a contract dispute.[1]

Belgium and Russia

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With the start of the new millennium Moreira moved to Standard Liège,[2] where he quickly became a fan favourite, going on to spend five years in Belgium, a loan to Hamburger SV in 2004–05 notwithstanding.[3]

In August 2006, he joined Russia's Dynamo Moscow, a club that was signing a large number of Portuguese and Portugal-based players at the time. Unsettled as the vast majority of those, he returned to his country of adoption in January, as lowly Aves battled to avoid relegation from the top level,[4] which eventually did not happen.

Partizan

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On 5 July 2007, Moreira signed a two-year contract with FK Partizan in Serbia, being handed the #10 shirt whilst also becoming the first Portuguese player to represent the club.[5] Very quickly he became the leading player of the team with which he managed to win two Doubles in a row, which happened for the first time in the history of the club. He made his competitive debut on 19 July in a match against HŠK Zrinjski Mostar,[6] and scored his first official goal on 2 August in a UEFA Cup fixture against the same club.[7]

On 29 September 2007, Moreira scored against city rivals Red Star in a 2–2 draw – this made him the first ever Portuguese to score in a Belgrade derby. In his first season at the club he appeared 28 times and netted seven times, as Partizan won the league title; to this he added the domestic cup.

In a UEFA Cup match at Sevilla, on 3 December 2008, Moreira collapsed early into the game, being immediately taken into observation,[8] and fully recovering. On 10 April 2009, he agreed to sign a new three-year contract, running until 2012.[9]

Following impressive and consistent performances, Moreira was named in the 2008–09 SuperLiga Team of the Year, alongside seven teammates, as the double was again conquered – he was also voted as the club's Player of the Year in 2008 by the fans.[10] On 28 February 2009, he scored the 1–1 equaliser at home against Red Star;[11] on 5 August, grieving the loss of his mother a day earlier, he decided to play in the second leg of his team's UEFA Champions League qualifier against APOEL: he scored the opener in the third minute, but the Cypriots eventually progressed 2–1 on aggregate.[12]

On 27 February 2010, Moreira made his 100th competitive match for Partizan, coming on as a 55th-minute substitute for Saša Ilić against Borac Čačak.[13] He missed several games at the beginning of the following campaign due to injury, returning to action on 15 October in a 5–3 home league victory over FK Smederevo where he provided two assists.[14] Four days later he made his Champions League debut, in a 2–0 group stage away loss to Braga;[15] late in the same month, he scored the only goal at Red Star for the domestic league.[16]

Later years

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Moreira split the following years with Dalian Aerbin in China and another team in Serbia, Vojvodina.[17] In late 2012 the 34-year-old moved clubs and countries again, joining Spain's Salamanca.[18]

Moreira retired in 2013 at the age of 35, being named Atlético Clube de Portugal's director of football. He came out of retirement in January of the following year, after being convinced by newly appointed coach Neca.[19]

International career

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Moreira played for Portugal under-21s on 12 occasions in the late 1990s, and in 2002 he was part of the national B-team that won the Vale do Tejo summer tournament.[20]

In 2010, with the increasing development and professionalization of football in Guinea-Bissau, he decided to represent the land of his ancestors at full level, earning his first cap in October of that year at the age of 32.

Personal life

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His son Diego is also a professional footballer.[21][22][23]

Career statistics

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Club

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Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[24][25]
Club Season League National cup[a] Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Boavista 1999–2000 Primeira Liga 17 1 3 0 2 1 22 2
2000–01 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 17 1 3 0 2 1 22 2
Standard Liège 2001–02 Belgian Pro League 26 6 1 1 5[b] 2 32 9
2002–03 32 6 4 0 36 6
2003–04 27 4 1 0 28 4
2004–05 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
2005–06 26 2 4 0 30 2
Total 114 18 10 1 5 2 129 21
Hamburger SV 2004–05 Bundesliga 22 3 0 0 22 3
Dynamo Moscow 2006 Russian Premier League 1 0 1 0 2 0
Aves 2006–07 Primeira Liga 8 3 0 0 8 3
Partizan 2007–08 Serbian SuperLiga 28 7 3 0 2[b] 1 33 8
2008–09 27 9 5 2 9[c] 0 41 11
2009–10 25 3 4 1 11[d] 1 40 5
2010–11| 8 4 2 1 8[e] 1 18 6
Total 88 23 14 4 30 3 132 30
Dalian Aerbin 2011 China League One 22 4 0 0 22 4
Vojvodina 2011–12 Serbian SuperLiga 9 0 2 0 0 0 11 0
2012–13 13 1 3 0 4[f] 1 20 2
Total 22 1 5 0 4 1 31 2
Salamanca 2012–13 Segunda División B 15 4 0 0 15 4
Atlético Clube de Portugal 2013–14 Liga Portugal 2 11 3 0 0 11 3
Career total 320 60 33 5 41 7 394 72
  1. ^ Includes Taça de Portugal, Belgian Cup, DFB-Pokal, Russian Cup, Serbian Cup
  2. ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Cup
  3. ^ Three appearances in UEFA Champions League, six appearances in UEFA Cup
  4. ^ Four appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League, seven appearances in UEFA Europa League
  5. ^ Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  6. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League

Honours

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Partizan

Dalian Aerbin

Individual

References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Almami Samori da Silva Moreira (born 16 June 1978) is a Guinea-Bissauan retired professional footballer who primarily played as an and also as a right winger. Holding dual citizenship with , Moreira had a 20-year club career across several European countries, , and Spain, amassing over 300 appearances and winning major domestic titles including the with Boavista in 2000 and multiple Serbian SuperLiga championships with Partizan . He represented at youth international levels before switching allegiance to his birth nation of Guinea-Bissau, earning seven senior caps in and qualifiers and friendlies. Moreira began his professional journey in Portugal, emerging from Boavista's youth academy and making his senior debut with the club in the mid-1990s. After loan spells at Gondomar and , he returned to Boavista, where he contributed to their historic 1999–2000 title win—the club's only top-flight championship. His performances earned him a move to in in 2001, where he spent three successful seasons, followed by a brief stint at in the during the 2004–05 campaign. Later in his career, Moreira ventured to with Dinamo in 2006 and briefly to Portugal's in 2007 before joining Partizan Belgrade, where he achieved his greatest success with four titles (2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11) and two wins (2008–09, 2009–10). He also twice earned the Serbian Player of the Year award during this period. Subsequent moves included a season in China's with Shide in 2011, a half-season with in in 2012, and brief engagements in Spain with in 2013 and Portugal's Atlético CP until his retirement in July 2014. On the international stage, after featuring for Portugal's U21 side 12 times in the late and the B-team in 2002, Moreira debuted for in 2010, appearing in qualifiers against and .

Early life

Childhood and family background

Almami Samori da Silva Moreira was born on 16 June 1978 in , Guinea-Bissau. He holds dual citizenship with and . Moreira's early childhood in occurred amid the socio-economic hardships of post-colonial , a nation grappling with and underdevelopment in the late and ; however, specific details about his family background, such as professions or siblings, are not publicly available. At a young age, Moreira immigrated to , settling in the area, where he began his structured involvement in football.

Youth career in Portugal

Almami Moreira began his organized football training in at the age of 13, joining the youth academy of Sacavenense in 1991, where he developed foundational skills in the sport following his family's relocation from . During his time at Sacavenense, he progressed through the under-15 and under-17 levels from 1993 to 1995, honing his abilities as a young . In 1994, Moreira transferred to the renowned Boavista youth setup in , marking a significant step in his development within one of Portugal's established club academies. At Boavista, he advanced from the under-17 team in the 1995–96 season to the under-19 squad by 1996–97, focusing on his role as an attacking midfielder known for his compact stature of 1.68 meters and agile playing style. His performances in internal youth tournaments and training sessions caught the attention of scouts, paving the way for opportunities in the senior ranks by 1997.

Club career

Boavista and early loans

Almami Moreira made his senior professional debut on loan with Gondomar SC in the Portuguese second division for the latter part of the 1997–98 campaign, where he demonstrated his scoring prowess with 25 appearances and 13 goals, helping the team in the lower tiers. His Boavista first-team appearances began in the 1999–2000 season, after a loan to side in 1998–99, in which he featured prominently with 33 appearances and 9 goals across all competitions, aiding the club to a mid-table position of 10th in the league standings. Returning to Boavista ahead of the 1999–2000 season, Moreira remained a squad player with limited first-team opportunities, accumulating 17 appearances and 1 goal in the over his time with the club from 1997 to 2001, primarily operating as an attacking midfielder or right winger. In that 1999–2000 campaign, he started 8 league matches and came off the bench in 9 others, while also contributing 2 appearances and 1 goal in qualifying rounds. Despite not featuring in any competitive fixtures during the 2000–01 season, Moreira was part of Boavista's historic title-winning squad—the club's only top-flight championship—as a peripheral versatile integrated into the team's tactical setup under manager .

Standard Liège period

In 2001, following promising performances with Boavista in the Portuguese , Almami Moreira transferred to in the for an undisclosed fee. This move marked his expansion into European football beyond , where he quickly established himself as a key attacking for the club over the subsequent five years (2001–2006). During his tenure at Standard Liège, Moreira made 114 league appearances and scored 18 goals, demonstrating reliability in midfield. He was a consistent starter, featuring in at least 26 league matches in four of the five seasons, including 31 appearances in the 2002–03 campaign where he netted 6 goals. A highlight came in the 2002–03 season, when won the ; Moreira contributed with 4 appearances in the competition, helping the team secure the title by defeating on penalties in the final. His overall involvement across all competitions totaled 128 appearances and 21 goals, with 15 assists recorded in league play, underscoring his growing influence in creating scoring opportunities. In the 2004–05 season, Moreira was loaned to in the German , providing exposure to a higher level of competition. There, he made 22 appearances and scored 3 goals, adapting to the league's intensity while registering 3 assists. Upon returning to for the 2005–06 season, he resumed his role with 26 league starts and 2 goals, further solidifying his adaptation to the physicality of Belgian football through improved passing range and positional discipline.

Moves to Russia and beyond

Following a successful stint at Standard Liège, where he made 128 appearances and scored 21 goals across multiple seasons, Almami Moreira attracted interest from abroad and joined Dynamo Moscow on a free transfer in July 2006. His time in Russia was brief and marked by limited opportunities, as he featured in only one Russian Premier League match, playing the full 90 minutes as an attacking midfielder against Luch-Energia Vladivostok on October 14, 2006, without scoring. Operating primarily as a utility midfielder, Moreira provided experience in midfield but struggled for consistent playing time amid competition in the squad. Seeking more regular minutes, Moreira returned to Portugal in January 2007, signing a short-term contract with Desportivo das Aves until the end of the 2006–07 season. At the club, he quickly became a key contributor in the second half of the campaign, appearing in 8 matches and scoring 3 goals as a versatile offering tactical flexibility and leadership. His goals helped bolster the team's efforts during a challenging relegation battle, though Aves ultimately finished 16th and dropped to the Segunda Liga. This transitional period highlighted Moreira's adaptability while prioritizing consistent involvement before his next major move.

Partizan Belgrade

Almami Moreira joined FK in on 5 July 2007, signing a two-year contract and becoming a key addition to the squad as an attacking . Over four seasons (2007–08 to 2010–11), until departing in early 2011, he made 120 appearances across all competitions, scoring 27 goals and providing 30 assists, establishing himself as a pivotal figure in the team's success. In the 2009–10 season, Moreira made 25 league appearances with 3 goals, helping Partizan win the title for the third consecutive year. In his debut 2007–08 season, Moreira contributed significantly with 28 appearances and 7 goals in the league alone, helping Partizan secure both the title and the for a domestic double. He repeated this impact the following year, registering 27 league appearances and 9 goals during the 2008–09 campaign, once again instrumental in Partizan's achievement of the league and cup double. His consistent performances earned him the Partizan Player of the Year award in 2008, as recognized by the club. Moreira's influence extended to European competitions, where he featured prominently in qualifiers, including the 2009–10 and 2010–11 seasons, and helped Partizan reach the group stage in 2010. Nicknamed "Dr Mo" for his problem-solving ability on the pitch, the diminutive star emerged as a leader among Partizan's foreign players, guiding the team through high-stakes matches with his vision and creativity. His inclusion in the 2008–09 All-Star Team, voted by league coaches, further highlighted his standout role that season.

Final clubs and retirement

In early 2011, following his successful stint at Partizan Belgrade, Moreira transferred to Aerbin in the Chinese second tier, signing a one-year deal starting February 4. During the 2011 season, he made 22 appearances and scored 4 goals, contributing to the team's triumph in the title, which earned promotion to the top flight. Midway through the following year, on January 20, 2012, Moreira returned to Europe by joining Serbian club on a contract until December 4. In the , he featured in 22 matches and netted 1 goal during the 2012 campaign. In December 2012, Moreira moved to in Spain's third division (Segunda B), signing until the end of the 2012–13 season. He appeared in 15 games and scored 4 goals before departing in summer 2013, at which point he announced his retirement from professional football at age 35. However, Moreira briefly came out of in , joining Portuguese second-division side Atlético CP until July 1. In his final playing spell, he recorded 11 appearances and 3 goals before hanging up his boots for good that summer. Over his professional career, Moreira amassed 375 appearances and 79 goals across various leagues in and .

International career

Portugal youth teams

Almami Moreira, who holds Portuguese citizenship through his family's relocation to at a young age, was selected for 's youth national teams due to his upbringing in the country and development within its football system. Having joined Boavista's youth academy in , his promising performances there contributed to his initial call-ups, allowing him to represent at various underage levels before focusing on the U21 and B teams. Moreira earned 12 caps for the U21 team between 1998 and 1999, scoring 5 goals during qualification and friendly matches. He participated in the qualifying campaign, notably featuring as a substitute in a 5-0 victory over in October 1999, where advanced comfortably in the group stage. His goals included key contributions in qualifiers, showcasing his versatility as a and forward in the team's attacking play. In 2002, Moreira made 2 appearances for the B team in friendly internationals, including during the Vale do Tejo summer tournament. He started in the semi-final against , substituting in the second half and converting his penalty in the 5-4 shootout win after a 1-1 draw, and also featured in the final against , playing until the 84th minute in a 2-1 victory that secured the tournament title for B.

Guinea-Bissau senior team

In 2010, Almami Moreira obtained approval to switch his international eligibility to , his country of birth, after having represented at youth levels, which precluded any possibility of senior caps for . His debut came on 9 October 2010, starting in a qualifier against , which ended in a 1–0 loss. Moreira went on to make three further appearances for the Guinea-Bissau senior team in 2011, accumulating 4 caps in total with no goals scored. These included the return leg of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against on 8 October 2011 (0–2 loss) and the two legs of the preliminary round against on 11 November 2011 (1–1 draw) and 15 November 2011 (1–0 loss). His international career with concluded in November 2011, shortly after departing Partizan Belgrade for a stint in .

Personal life

Family and son Diego Moreira

Almami Moreira maintains a private personal life, with limited public details available about his family dynamics. He is the father of at least two sons, Diego Moreira, born on August 6, 2004, in Liège, Belgium, and Tomás Moreira, born in 2011. Diego, who shares his father's Guinea-Bissauan heritage alongside German roots from his mother's side, has followed in the family tradition by pursuing a professional football career as a winger and left-back, formerly with Chelsea including on loan spells at clubs such as Lyon, and as of 2025 with RC Strasbourg Alsace. Moreira's extended family also features prominently in football, underscoring a strong athletic lineage. Diego is the grandson of former German footballer Helmut Graf, who played professionally in the 1970s and 1980s, and the cousin of Eric da Silva Moreira, a German international striker currently on loan at from Nottingham Forest as of 2025. His younger brother Tomás is an emerging defender in football academies. While specific accounts of Moreira's direct influence on his sons' development—such as shared sessions or guidance—are not publicly documented, the familial emphasis on the sport is evident through these connections. Further insights into his relationships, including any marriages or partnerships, are limited in .

Citizenship and heritage

Almami Moreira was born on 16 June 1978 in , . He grew up in , where he began his football development. Through extended residency and upbringing in , Moreira acquired Portuguese , granting him dual nationality alongside his birthright Guinea-Bissauan . allows dual in certain circumstances, such as for emigrants for economic reasons, rooted in its post-colonial framework following from in 1974. Moreira's heritage reflects the intertwined histories of and during the colonial era, shaping a marked by his primary life and career in balanced against enduring personal connections to . This duality influenced his international football selections, as he initially represented 's youth teams before opting for at level to honor his ancestral , contributing to a public image as a bridge between .

Post-playing career

Director of football role

After retiring from professional football with UD Salamanca at the end of the 2012–13 season, Almami Moreira assumed the role of (diretor desportivo) at in July 2013. He served in this capacity for the 2013–14 season, during which the club competed in Portugal's second tier, the Segunda Liga. In January 2014, Moreira made a brief return to playing for while retaining his administrative position at the club.

Brief return to playing

In January 2014, shortly after his appointment as director of football at Atlético Clube de Portugal (Atlético CP), Almami Moreira decided to come out of retirement and rejoin the club in Portugal's second tier, the Segunda Liga. This move allowed him to balance administrative duties with on-field involvement, driven by the team's immediate needs and his enduring passion for playing. During the 2013–14 season, Moreira made 11 appearances for Atlético CP, scoring 3 goals while primarily serving in a role for younger squad members, leveraging his extensive experience to guide the team's development. His contributions helped stabilize the side amid challenges in the lower division. Following the conclusion of the season, Moreira officially retired from playing in July 2014 at age 36, fully transitioning to his off-field responsibilities and bringing closure to his professional playing career.

Career statistics

Club statistics

Almami Moreira accumulated 381 appearances and 70 goals during his professional club career, spanning leagues in , , , , , , and , including domestic cups and continental competitions. The table below details his statistics by club, encompassing all official matches (league, cup, and European/continental where applicable); assists are noted where tracked comprehensively.
ClubPeriodAppearancesGoalsAssists
1998–20012020
2001–20041282114
2004–20052233
Dinamo Moscow2006200
Desportivo das Aves2007830
Partizan Belgrade2007–20111202730
Shide20112240
20122212
2012–20131540
Atlético CP2013–20141130
Dinamo-2 Moscow2006210
Total3817049
For major clubs, the majority of appearances came in domestic leagues: 113/18 for in the , 110/24 for Partizan in the (with additional cup and /Europa League matches contributing to totals), and 20/2 for Boavista in the . Minor discrepancies in totals may arise across sources due to varying inclusions of friendly or reserve matches, but data aligns consistently with official records across and other databases.

International statistics

Almami Moreira represented at youth international levels before switching allegiance to the senior national team in 2010, leveraging his birthright in the West African nation. For 's youth teams, Moreira earned 12 caps and scored 5 goals for the under-21 side between 1998 and 1999. He also featured twice for the Portugal B team in 2002, without scoring. With , Moreira made 6 appearances between 2010 and 2011, failing to score in any match. His caps comprised appearances in qualifiers for the and , as well as friendlies. In total, Moreira accumulated 20 international appearances and 5 goals across all levels.
National TeamLevelAppearancesGoalsYears Active
U211251998–1999
B202002
Senior602010–2011
Total-205-

Honours

Club honours

During his time at Boavista, Moreira was part of the squad that won the in the 2000–01 season, marking the club's only national league title in its history, though he made no league appearances that year. With , Moreira contributed significantly to multiple domestic successes, serving as a key attacking . In the 2007–08 season, he helped the team secure the title and the in a domestic double, appearing in 28 league matches and scoring seven goals. The following 2008–09 campaign saw another double, with Partizan winning both the SuperLiga and the Cup. He remained a squad member for the club's SuperLiga victories in 2009–10 and 2010–11. At Dalian Aerbin, Moreira played a pivotal role in the team's promotion push, featuring regularly as they clinched the title in 2011, earning promotion to the .

Individual awards

During his time at , Almami Moreira received the club's Player of the Year award in 2008, as determined by a fan vote recognizing his pivotal contributions to the team's success in the . In the 2008–09 season, Moreira was selected for the Team of the Season, joining seven Partizan teammates in the honor voted by league coaches, based on his impressive displays that included crucial goals and assists during Partizan's double-winning campaign. He was also named the league's Player of the Season that year, receiving all twelve votes from coaches for his standout role in the title-winning effort. Additionally, Moreira was recognized as the Player of the Year in 2008–09, underscoring his status as one of the competition's top performers despite being a foreigner.

References

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