Luís Leal dos Anjos (born 29 May 1987) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Italian club and captains the São Tomé and Príncipe national team.

He achieved Primeira Liga totals of 67 games and 19 goals for União de Leiria, Estoril and Belenenses, but spent most of his career abroad, playing top-flight football in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Cyprus, Paraguay, Mexico, Argentina and Bolivia.

Born in Portugal, Leal represented São Tomé and Príncipe at international level.

Club career Portugal Born in Arrentela, Setúbal District in Portugal, Leal joined Sporting CP's youth system at the age of 11, moving after four years to C.D. Cova da Piedade. He made his senior debut with the latter, playing a couple of seasons in the fourth division.Full circle – a decade in the life of Luís Leal; PortuGOAL, 28 September 2012

Leal then had two solid campaigns in the third tier, one apiece with Atlético Clube de Portugal and Moreirense FC, continuing his professional progression in summer 2010 by signing with G.D. Estoril Praia in the Segunda Liga. He made his debut in the Primeira Liga in the 2011–12 campaign with U.D. Leiria,Avançados Luís Leal e Jorge Chula são os primeiros reforços (Forwards Luís Leal and Jorge Chula are first signings) ; MSN, 17 June 2011 (in Portuguese) appearing in his first game in the competition on 15 August 2011 against Académica de Coimbra (17 minutes played, 1–2 home loss).

In 2012, after Leiria's relegation – and further demotion to division three due to irregularities – Leal returned to Estoril, with the team now in the top flight. He started the season in impressive fashion, scoring a hat-trick in a 3–1 home win over C.S. MarítimoLuís Leal e o «hat trick»: «Foi uma boa noite» (Luís Leal and hat-trick: "It was a good night"); Mais Futebol, 24 September 2012 (in Portuguese) and one goal in a 2–2 draw at former club Sporting.Estoril derail Sporting at the Alvalade ; PortuGOAL, 29 September 2012

Abroad On 18 June 2015, after brief spells at Al Ahli Saudi FC, Al-Ittihad Kalba SC and Gaziantepspor, Leal signed a two-year contract with Cypriot First Division club APOEL FC. He made his debut on 14 July, in a 0–0 home draw against FK Vardar in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League.

Leal scored his first two goals for APOEL on 22 August 2015, in a 5–1 away victory over Ermis Aradippou FC. Eight days later, however, after underperforming in the Champions League's qualifiers, he was sent on loan to C.F. Os Belenenses until the end of the season.

On 26 January 2016, Leal joined Cerro Porteño for an undisclosed fee, agreeing to a two-year deal. He made his debut in the Paraguayan Primera División five days later, in a 2–1 away loss to Sportivo Luqueño where he came on as a 64th-minute substitute for Sergio Díaz; one week later, he scored a double to help to a 3–0 home defeat of General Caballero Sport Club.

Leal returned to the Saudi Professional League in August 2016, joining Al Fateh SC. Only months into his spell at the Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium, the player's agent Óscar Díaz stated that he wanted to return to Cerro. He left in January 2017, signing for Chiapas F.C. in Mexico's Liga MX. His first goal for the Jaguares was on 26 February, the team's last in a 4–3 home comeback win over CD Guadalajara.

In August 2017, Leal returned to South America, loaned for a US$150,000 fee to Newell's Old Boys in Argentina with the option to buy. He scored his first goal in the Argentine Primera División on 16 September to open a 2–0 home victory against Club Olimpo. In July 2018, he signed a three-year contract when the Rosario-based club purchased 85% of his economic rights.

In August 2020, Leal returned to Mexico's top flight with Club Tijuana. He totalled nine games for the Xolos, including their defeat to CF Monterrey in the Copa MX final in October.

Leal made a move to another country he already knew in January 2021, when he signed a one-year deal at Club Sol de América in Paraguay. On 31 December, he switched to the Bolivian Primera División with Club Deportivo Guabirá.

International career Born in Portugal, Leal expressed his desire to represent his parents' homeland of São Tomé and Príncipe internationally.S.Tomé/CAN/2013: Luís Leal chegou finalmente ao país e viaja ainda hoje para Malabo (S.Tomé/CAN/2013: Luís Leal finally arrived in the country and travels to Malabo still today); STP Press, 12 June 2012 (in Portuguese) He made his debut on 16 June 2012 in a 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification match against Sierra Leone, and scored his first goal on 13 June 2015 in the 7–1 defeat in Cape Verde for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

In October 2019, Leal scored three of São Tomé and Príncipe's goals in a 5–2 aggregate win over Mauritius to reach the group stage of qualification for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. On 24 March 2022, he scored the only goal in the 1–0 victory against the same team in the preliminary round of qualification for the 2023 CAN, and also found the net in the return leg five days later, a 3–3 draw; he was subsequently found to have been ineligible for the first of these matches due to breaching COVID-19 rules, and Mauritius were awarded a 3–0 win, only for São Tomé to be later reinstated.

Career statistics Club

ClubSeasonLeagueCupLeague CupContinentalOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAtlético2008–09Segunda Divisão291220———3112Moreirense2009–10Segunda Divisão321321———3414Estoril2010–11Segunda Liga2380060——298União Leiria2011–12Primeira Liga1621020——192Estoril2012–13Primeira Liga30101040——35102013–14115210093—229Total Estoril4115314093—5719Al Ahli2013–14Saudi Pro League971052——159Ittihad Kalba2014–15UAE Pro League125—60——185Gaziantepspor (loan)2014–15Süper Lig11011———121APOEL2015–16Cypriot First Division1200—601082Belenenses (loan)2015–16Primeira Liga102100061—173Cerro Porteño2016Paraguayan Primera División2314--81-3115Al Fateh2016–17Saudi Pro League9210---102Chiapas2017–18Liga MX103----103Newell's Old Boys2017–18Argentine Primera División23710-12-2592018–1919451---2452019–2014311---154Total Newell's Old Boys561472-12-6418Tijuana2020–21Liga MX8010---90Sol de América2021Paraguayan Primera División24420---264Guabirá2022Bolivian Primera División3710--20-3910Arsenal Sarandí2023Argentine Primera División17310---183Rotonda2023–24Serie D5000---50Bentín Tacna Heroica2025Liga 24100---41Career total37711723523232710456131

International

+ Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsSão Tomé and Príncipe201210201300201400201532201641201720201800201943202020202110202242202342202441Total2911

. São Tomé and Príncipe score listed first, score column indicates score after each Leal goal. + List of international goals scored by Luís LealNo.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition 1. 13 June 2015 Estádio Nacional, Praia, Cape Verde 1–5 1–7 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification 2. 8 October 2015 Estádio Nacional 12 de Julho, São Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe 1–0 1–0 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification 3. 23 March 2016 2–1 2–1 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification 4. 9 October 2019 Anjalay Stadium, Belle Vue Harel, Mauritius 1–1 3–1 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification 5. 2–1 6. 13 October 2019 Estádio Nacional 12 de Julho, São Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe 2–0 2–1 7. 24 March 2022 Complexe Sportif de Côte d'Or, Saint Pierre, Mauritius 1–0 1–0 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification 8. 27 March 2022 2–1 3–3 9. 22 March 2023 Adrar Stadium, Agadir, Morocco 1–0 2–2 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification 10. 2–1 11. 22 March 2024 Berkane Municipal Stadium, Berkane, Morocco 1–0 1–1 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

References

External links