Goncalves Manucho, also known as “Manucho”, is professional football player who was born on March 7, 1983 in Luanda, Angola.
Goncalves Manucho was first picked for the Angola national side in 2007 and has been a regular member of the team since then. In January 2008, he was named in the Angolan squad for the 2008 African Cup of Nations in Ghana. He scored the opening goal for his national side in its first game against South Africa. He followed it up with two more goals in its second match against Senegal, which they won 3-1. On February 4, 2008, he scored a spectacular long-range goal against Egypt, which was described as "the goal of the tournament so far". At the end of the tournament, Goncalves Manucho was named in the "Best XI", a team that consists of the best players in each position. As of 2008, Goncalves Manucho has won a total of fourteen international caps for his home side, scoring six goals.
He began his professional football career with the Flamenguinhos youth team in 1997 and played as a left-winger. Coached by his father Alberto Gonçalves, soon became one of the top stars in the club. Two years later, Goncalves Manucho signed with Benfica de Luanda, which marked the beginning of his professional career. In 2002, Goncalves Manucho moved to Luanda-based club Petro Atlético, and had a prolific run by scoring 16 goals in 2006. He continued the good form by scoring 15 goals in the following year. During his tenure at the club he made a total of 78 appearances and scored 34 goals to his credit.
On December 21, 2007, Goncalves Manucho signed with the English Premier League champions Manchester United following a three-week trial and joined the club in January 2008 on a three-year contract. On his arrival at the club, he was sent as a loan player to Greek side Panathinaikos for the rest of the 2007-08 season. Goncalves Manucho began his loan spell in style by scoring on his league debut for the side in its 2-0 home win over Larissa. In the Super League Greece 2007-08 season, he scored three goals in the six-game mini tournament, and helped his team finish as table toppers in the play-off group and also helped them to qualify for the second qualifying round of the 2008–09 Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League. At the end of season, Goncalves Manucho returned to Manchester United for pre-season training and has been included in the club's summer tour of South Africa.
