Kuca (footballer)

Jaílton Alves Miranda (born 2 August 1989), known as Kuca, is a Cape Verdean professional footballer who plays for Portuguese club U.D. Leiria as a forward.

This name uses Portuguese naming customs: the first or maternal family name is Aves and the second or paternal family name is Miranda.
Kuca
Personal information
Full name Jaílton Alves Miranda
Date of birth (1989-08-02) 2 August 1989
Place of birth Praia, Cape Verde
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Forward
Club information
Current team
 União Leiria
Number 99
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2009 Bairro
2009–2010 Boavista (CPV)
2010–2012 Mirandela 41 (11)
2012–2014 Chaves 79 (33)
2014–2015 Estoril 15 (5)
2015–2016 Karabükspor 2 (0)
2015–2016 → Belenenses (loan) 14 (1)
2016 → Rio Ave (loan) 12 (2)
2016–2017 Arouca 25 (6)
2017–2018 Boavista 27 (3)
2018–2019 Hermannstadt 0 (0)
2019 Feirense 4 (0)
2020– União Leiria 2 (1)
National team‡
2009– Cape Verde 15 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19 December 2020
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 3 June 2018

Club career

Born in Praia, Kuca played for AD Bairro and Boavista FC in his country. He moved to Portugal in 2010, signing with lowly SC Mirandela[1][2] and scoring four goals in 27 games in his first season to help the club promote to the third division.

Early into the 2012 January transfer window, Kuca joined G.D. Chaves. He achieved promotion to the Segunda Liga at the end of 2012–13,[3] making his debut as a professional on 11 August 2013 and scoring the only goal of the away match against C.D. Santa Clara.[4] He added a further 11 until the end of the campaign, as his team comfortably avoided relegation with an eighth-place finish; alongside compatriot Rambé, he was chosen by readers of daily newspaper O Jogo for the team of players competing in that level for the past 12 months.[5]

On 26 June 2014, Kuca moved to Primeira Liga side G.D. Estoril Praia.[6] His maiden appearance in the competition took place on 18 August, and he netted in a 1–1 draw at F.C. Arouca.[7]

On 12 January 2015, Kuca signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Kardemir Karabükspor in the Turkish Süper Lig.[8] In the summer, however, he returned to Portugal, being loaned to C.F. Os Belenenses.[9] The following three seasons, he represented Rio Ave FC (still owned by Kardemir),[10] Arouca[11] and Boavista FC.[12]

In October 2018, Kuca moved to the Romanian Liga I with FC Hermannstadt, alongside former Rio Ave teammate Pedro Moreira.[13] He made his competitive debut on the 30th, coming on as a late substitute in a Cupa României match against FC Voluntari and scoring the final 3–0 which qualified to the quarter-finals.[14]

International career

Kuca earned his first cap for Cape Verde on 28 March 2009, in a 5–0 friendly win over Equatorial Guinea. He scored his first goal on 15 November 2014, contributing to a 3–1 home win over Niger for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Kuca was summoned by manager Rui Águas for the finals in Equatorial Guinea,[15] featuring in all three group stage fixtures as the Blue Sharks were eliminated at that stage with three draws.

International goals
As of 15 November 2014 (Cape Verde score listed first, score column indicates score after each Kuca goal)[16]
GoalDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.15 November 2014Estádio Nacional, Praia, Cape Verde Niger1–03–12015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

References
  1. "Beira-Mar com dificuldades para afastar Mirandela" [Beira-Mar struggled to oust Mirandela]. Record (in Portuguese). 17 October 2010. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  2. "Já lhe chamam o Licá de Cabo Verde" [They already call him the Licá of Cape Verde]. Record (in Portuguese). 4 August 2014. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  3. "Um craque que não sabe falhar penáltis" [A star who cannot miss a penalty]. Record (in Portuguese). 2 May 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  4. "Santa Clara-Chaves, 0–1: Kuca fez a diferença" [Santa Clara-Chaves, 0–1: Kuca made the difference]. Record (in Portuguese). 11 August 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  5. "Kuca and Rambé among the best in the Portuguese second division". A Semana. 8 January 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  6. "Kuca é reforço do Estoril-Praia" [Kuca is a Estoril-Praia addition] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 26 June 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  7. "Arouca-Estoril, 1–1: Solo de Pintassilgo em pauta de canário" [Arouca-Estoril, 1–1: Goldfinch ("Pintassilgo" in English) solo in canary notebook]. Record (in Portuguese). 19 August 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  8. "Kuca Alves Miranda Karabükspor'da" [Kuca Alves Miranda to Karabükspor] (in Turkish). Goal. 12 January 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  9. "Kuca: "Ansioso por jogar na Liga Europa"" [Kuca: "Looking forward to playing in the Europa League"]. Record (in Portuguese). 5 September 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  10. "Kuca é reforço do Rio Ave" [Kuca is a Rio Ave addition] (in Portuguese). Rádio Renascença. 1 February 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  11. "Kuca assina pelo Arouca" [Kuca signs for Arouca]. Correio da Manhã (in Portuguese). 31 August 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  12. "Oficial: Kuca assina pelo Boavista" [Official: Kuca signs for Boavista]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 17 August 2017. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  13. "FC Hermannstadt i-a transferat pe portughezii Kuca şi Pedro Moreira" [FC Hermannstadt acquired Portuguese Kuca and Pedro Moreira]. Tribuna (in Romanian). 15 October 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  14. Bratu, Alin (30 October 2018). "Hermannstadt – Voluntari 3–0 Înscrie și Alves Miranda" [Hermannstadt – Voluntari 3–0 Alves Miranda gets on scoresheet]. Turnul Sfatului (in Romanian). Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  15. "Nada é impossível" [Nothing is impossible]. Record (in Portuguese). 16 January 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  16. "Kuca – Matches". Soccerway. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  • Kuca at ForaDeJogo
  • Kuca at National-Football-Teams.com
  • Kuca at Soccerway
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