Djaniny


Jorge Djaniny Tavares Semedo, known as Djaniny, is a Cape Verdean professional footballer who plays for Saudi club Al-Ahli Saudi FC as a forward.

Club career

União Leiria

Born in Santa Cruz, Djaniny arrived in Portugal at the age of 18 to study alternative energy, immediately starting playing football with Azores-based Grupo Desportivo Velense, a regional league club from Angra do Heroísmo. On 18 July 2011, after scoring 50 goals in two seasons, the 20-year-old moved straight into the Primeira Liga, signing for three years with U.D. Leiria. He made his competitive debut on 21 August, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–2 away loss against F.C. Paços de Ferreira.
On 30 October 2011, Djaniny netted his first goal as a professional, in a 2–0 home win over Vitória de Setúbal. The following matchday he added another, in a 1–3 loss at Sporting Clube de Portugal.

Benfica

Djaniny agreed terms with S.L. Benfica in January 2012, being assigned to the resurrected reserve team which competed in the Segunda Liga in the 2012–13 campaign. On 31 August he moved teams again, being loaned to top division side S.C. Olhanense for one year.
Djaniny failed to find the net in nine starts for the Algarve team, who avoided relegation by one point.

Nacional

On 16 July 2013, Djaniny terminated his contract with Benfica and signed a permanent deal with C.D. Nacional also in the top flight. He scored eight goals across all competitions in his only season in Madeira, including one in the Taça da Liga against Gil Vicente F.C. and another in the league against Benfica.

Santos Laguna

Djaniny moved to Mexican club Santos Laguna on 24 June 2014, reuniting with his former Leiria coach Pedro Caixinha. He scored his first goal in the Liga MX on 10 August, but in a 2–3 defeat to Querétaro F.C. at the Estadio Corona.
Djaniny netted 14 times in the 2018 Clausura, to help his team be crowned national champions for the sixth time in their history. In the process, he became the first African player to win the competition's top scorer award.

Al-Ahli

On 13 July 2018, Djaniny signed with Al-Ahli Saudi FC who paid his release clause. On 11 January of the following year, he scored all of his team's goals as they defeated Ohod Club 5–1.

International career

Djaniny received his first call-up for Cape Verde in late 2011. He scored his first international goal in a 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Madagascar, on 16 June of the following year.

International goals

NoDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.16 June 2012Estádio da Várzea, Praia, Cape Verde2–03–12013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
2.8 September 2012Estádio da Várzea, Praia, Cape Verde2–02–02013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
3.13 June 2015Estádio da Várzea, Praia, Cape Verde1–07–12017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
4.13 June 2015Estádio da Várzea, Praia, Cape Verde6–17–12017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
5.9 September 2018Setsoto Stadium, Maseru, Lesotho1–11–12019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

Honours

Club

Santos Laguna