Who is Reinildo Mandava – Mozambique’s flag-bearer in La Liga
A move to French Ligue 1 team Lille shaped the career of the left-back who had left African shores for Portugal
Reinildo Mandava is the first player from independent Mozambique to win the title in one of Europe's top five leagues
The left-back is already one of Diego Simeone's most trusted players in Atletico Madrid
In 2021, he miraculously survived an attempted carjacking incident in Mozambique
Jayanta Oinam Reinildo Mandava is no ordinary player. The defender has played only 33 international matches, but he is already counted as of the greatest players from Mozambique, a country that has given Eusebio. Having miraculously survived a carjacking, the Atletico Madrid star has traversed the Iberian with an interlude in France in an eventful career. Born in Beira in a family of footballers, Mandava started his career at the local outfit, Clube Ferroviario da Beira. Then in 2015, as a 21-year-old, like many other Mozambican footballers, he moved to Portugal and joined Benfica. But he failed to make a mark at the Lisbon-based giants, and loan moves to various Portuguese clubs ensued. In 2019, he joined Lille in France on loan from Portuguese outfit Belenenses SAD, who had signed the left-back from Benfica the previous season. The move to France changed everything.
Known for defensive discipline, Reinildo Mandava is a late bloomer but with brilliant game awareness. Operating on the left flank, the Mozambican has an indomitable physical presence, and can also intimidate opposing players with his aerial supremacy. In Lille, all these traits were on full display, earning plaudits. In 2019, Lille surprisingly doled out 3 million Euro to sign Mandava on a permanent deal despite the defender playing only playing three matches, and even with a very limited game time of 97 minutes during his loan spell. But it proved to be one of the best investments by the Mastiffs. The following season, under Christophe Galtier, Lille won their fourth domestic title, outsmarting free-spending Paris Saint-Germain by a single point. It was their first Ligue 1 crown in a decade. And more importantly, Lille’s win ended PSG's domination in French.
One of the stand-out players during Lille's title-winning campaign was Mandava. He not only provided defensive solidity at the back, but also allowed the team to press hard with his incomparable work rate. He thus became the first-ever player from independent Mozambique to win the title in one of Europe's top five leagues. For his performance with Lille, Mandava was nominated for Prix Marc-Vivien Foe (Best African player in Ligue 1) for 2021, which was won by Lens' Congolese forward Gael Kakuta. But Mandava eventually made the Ligue 1 Team of Year for the 2020-21 season, alongside stars like Kylian Mbappe, Keylor Navas, Neymar, Presnel Kimpembe and Marquinhos of PSG.
Mandava's career was almost cut short soon after winning Ligue 1 title. In June 2021, he was targeted in an attempted carjacking in Mozambique. Reports claimed that a hail of bullets hit his car when he was going to a Mozambican teammate Gildo Vilanculos's wedding in the province of Zambezia. He somehow escaped unscathed. After three years at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Mandava joined Spanish La Liga giants Atletico Madrid on a three-and-a-half-year contract, worth EURO 3m. In Spain, he has already established himself as one of the trusted lieutenants of Diego Simeone. Mandava has played 33 times for Mozambique national football team, and scored two goals — both against Seychelles in the 2016 African Nations Championship qualifiers.