Jójó, the Vizela right-back, has returned to the Cape Verde national team for the friendly against Mali. The call-up for the 25-year-old comes after an injury ruled Steven Moreira out of the squad training in Tróia, Portugal.
Jójó has five senior caps for the Blue Sharks, with his last appearance coming in a friendly against Egypt in November 2025. The defender returned to Vizela after a loan spell at Sheriff Tiraspol and is now called upon to bolster the national team's right flank. Hélio Varela is another player also called up to replace Moreira.
The national team, which sits 2nd in their World Cup qualifying group with three points, is preparing for two fixtures. The first is the friendly against Mali, scheduled for Friday, which serves as preparation for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Rwanda on the 29th of September. Cape Verde's last result was a 3-2 defeat to Argentina on July 3rd, but the team maintains consistent form with just one loss in their last five matches. Fans can check the full national team schedule on our fixtures page and view the qualifying table position on the standings page.
Jójó's return provides a solid defensive option for manager Bubista as the team looks to consolidate its position in the World Cup race, currently sitting four points behind leaders Spain.
Background and full detail: Record
