Nando Có

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Nando Có

| fullname = Fernando Manuel Có

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1973|10|8}}

| birth_place = Canchungo, Guinea-Bissau

| height = 174cm

| position = Centre-forward

| years1 = –1996

| clubs1 = C.D. Arrifanense

| years2 = 1996–1997

| clubs2 = Vitória F.C.

| caps2 = 17

| goals2 = 3

| years3 = 1997

| clubs3 = Racing Santander

| caps3 = 3

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 1998

| clubs4 = CD Numancia

| caps4 = 15

| goals4 = 1

| years5 = 1998–1999

| clubs5 = Vitória F.C.

| caps5 = 18

| goals5 = 6

| years6 = 1999–2000

| clubs6 = CD Toledo

| caps6 = 14

| goals6 = 4

| years7 = 2000–2001

| clubs7 = Leça F.C.

| caps7 = 26

| goals7 = 3

| years8 =

| clubs8 = Odivelas F.C.

| caps8 = 1

| goals8 = 0

| years9 = 2004

| clubs9 = Sarawak FA

| years10 = 2005–2007

| clubs10 = FC CeBra 01

| caps10 = 38

| goals10 = 15

| years11 = 2007–2009

| clubs11 = FC Sporting Mertzig

| caps11 = 46

| goals11 = 17

| nationalyears1 = 1996–2001

| nationalteam1 = Guinea-Bissau

| nationalcaps1 = 6

| nationalgoals1 = 9

}}

Fernando 'Nando' Có (born 8 October 1973) is a Bissau-Guinean former footballer. Besides Portugal, he has played in Malaysia, Luxembourg, and Spain.{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/ArmadurasRacing/status/1483018316230938627|title=Dorsal de leyendas como Salva, Gio dos Santos o de uno de los iconos del Racing, el gran Nando Có|access-date=2022-07-08|archive-date=2022-07-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220708095743/https://twitter.com/ArmadurasRacing/status/1483018316230938627|url-status=live}}

He is the all-time top scorer for the Guinea-Bisseau national team, with nine goals in six appearances{{Cite web|url=https://www.iffhs.com/posts/1782|title=IFFHS|website=www.iffhs.com}} as well as holding the all-time highest goal scoring ratio in international footballList of top international men%27s football goalscorers by country{{Circular reference|date=February 2025}} of 1.5.

Career

In 1997, he signed for Racing Santander.{{Cite web|url=https://www.90min.com/es/posts/4633078-las-20-nacionalidades-mas-inusuales-de-la-liga|title=Las 20 nacionalidades más inusuales de la Liga|publisher=90min.com|access-date=2022-07-08|archive-date=2017-03-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170308152952/http://www.90min.com/es/posts/4633078-las-20-nacionalidades-mas-inusuales-de-la-liga|url-status=dead}}

In 1998, he signed for CD Numancia.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cihefe.es/cuadernosdefutbol/2021/10/los-equipos-de-la-liga-c-d-numancia-de-soria/|title=Los equipos de la Liga: C.D. Numancia de Soria|publisher=cihefe.es|access-date=2022-07-08|archive-date=2022-06-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220615125955/https://www.cihefe.es/cuadernosdefutbol/2021/10/los-equipos-de-la-liga-c-d-numancia-de-soria/|url-status=live}}

Signed by Sarawak of the Malaysia Super League in 2004 to partner Ghanaian Robert Eshun up front,{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/other-sport/2004/02/13/sarawak-secure-fernando-to-partner-eshun/|title=Other Sports: Sarawak secure Fernando to partner Eshun {{!}} The Star Online|website=www.thestar.com.my|access-date=2018-02-13|archive-date=2017-10-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027125414/https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/other-sport/2004/02/13/sarawak-secure-fernando-to-partner-eshun/|url-status=live}} Manuel Có starred in the club's first win of the season in May, striking a brace to beat Sabah 3–1.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/other-sport/2004/05/16/sarawak-down-sabah-for-first-super-league-win/|title=Other Sports: Sarawak down Sabah for first Super League win {{!}} The Star Online|website=thestar.com.my|access-date=2018-02-13|archive-date=2017-10-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027125456/https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/other-sport/2004/05/16/sarawak-down-sabah-for-first-super-league-win/|url-status=live}} Treated as a hero after the match, his first goal was scored off a penalty that game and his second came in the 18th minute that game, allaying players fears of a loss; however, the forward was booked for taking off his shirt after converting the penalty.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/other-sport/2004/05/17/sarawak-are-smiling-again/|title=Other Sports: Sarawak are smiling again {{!}} The Star Online|website=www.thestar.com.my|access-date=2018-02-13|archive-date=2017-10-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027125542/https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/other-sport/2004/05/17/sarawak-are-smiling-again/|url-status=live}} Shown their third yellow card that season, Manuel Có and Eshun were suspended for one match in August.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/other-sport/2004/08/02/suffering-crocs-to-miss-influential-imports-after-moraleboosting-win/|title=Other Sports: Suffering Crocs to miss influential imports after morale-boosting win {{!}} The Star Online|website=thestar.com.my|access-date=2018-02-13|archive-date=2017-10-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027125500/https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/other-sport/2004/08/02/suffering-crocs-to-miss-influential-imports-after-moraleboosting-win/|url-status=live}}

International goals

Scores and results list Guinea-Bissau's goal tally first.{{cite web |title=Nando Co |url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/2817/Nando_Co.html |website=National Football Teams |access-date=2020-08-24 |archive-date=2021-11-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118235531/https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/2817/Nando_Co.html |url-status=live }}

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
class="wikitable" style=
align=center\| 1	16 June 1996	Stade du 28 Septembre, Conakry, Guinea	{{fb\|Guinea}}	1–1	1–3	1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
align=center\|2 \| rowspan="2" \|7 May 2000 \| rowspan="2" \|Estádio da Várzea, Praia, Cape Verde \| rowspan="2" \|{{fb\|Mali}} \|1–0 \| rowspan="2" \|2–3 \| rowspan="2" \|2000 Amílcar Cabral Cup
align=center\|3 \|2–3
align="center" \| 4	rowspan="5" \|3 November 2001	rowspan="5" \|Stade du 26 Mars, Bamako, Mali	rowspan="5" \|{{fb\|Benin}}		rowspan="5" \|7–2	rowspan="6" \|2001 Amílcar Cabral Cup
align="center" \| 5
align="center" \| 6
align="center" \| 7
align="center" \| 8
align="center" \| 9	7 November 2001	Stade Amari Daou, Ségou, Mali	{{fb\|Mauritania\|1959}}	1–0	1–0