Monsanto names squad for 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers
Sao Tome e Principe coach Ricardo Monsanto named 23 players in their squad for their FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Equatorial Guinea and Liberia later this month as the island nation look for their first points of the campaign.
Sao Tome sit bottom of the Group H standings after losing their opening four matches in the battle for places at the 2026 finals in Canada, Mexico and United States.
Sao Tome will be away at Equatorial Guinea on March 21 and then travel to take on Liberia in Monrovia three days later.
The squad features a return to the squad, for the first time since 2019, for the 31-year-old Edney “Vavá Pequeno” Montóia, who plays in the fourth tier of Portuguese football while there are first call ups for Nicola Bragança and Waldimison Santo, who also play their club footba;ll inportyugal, anf striker Edson Júnior, weho recently moved toCroatia),
There are only two home-based players with the rest coming from clubs in Croatia, England, Finland Portugal and Peru.
The local-based players are striker Luís “Dola” Costa and the defender Gilberto Almeida.
Sao Tome’s star player Luis Leal, who is now 37-years-old, continues in the squad. He has spent the last eight years playing at clubs in Mexico, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia and now in the second tier in Peru at Tacna Heroica.
The squad includes players from the Portuguese second division, namely goalkeeper Pedro Mateus at Feirense and 23-year-old striker Ronaldo Lumungo from Pacos Ferreira.
There are also two players from non-league football in England with Mauro Vilhete having had previous League Two experience at Barnet.
Midfielder Denilson Silva, who scored sao Tome’s only goal of the World Cup qualifiers against Malawi, misses out through suspension while Nuno Malheiro, who previously played club football in Iceland, and veteran Hernane Espirito has been left out.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Yaniel Bonfim (Celtic Castilla, Spain), Pedro Mateus (Feirense, Portugal), Fehér Mendes (Leões do Porto Salvo, Portugal)
Defenders: Gilberto Almeida (Desportivo 6 de Setembro), Ricardo Fernandes (União Santarém, Portugal), Rogério Fernandes (Guarda, Portugal), Edney “Vavá Pequeno” Montóia (Comércio Indústria, Portugal), Adjackson Ramos (Novoli Cálcio, Italy), Elias Varela (Minas Argozelo, Portugal), Adjeil Neves (Bansko, Bulgaria)
Midfielders: Nicola Bragança (Serpa, Portugal), Joel Neves (Oriental Hospital, Portugal), Waldimison Santo (Murteirense, Portugal), Mauro Vilhete (Hampton & Richmond Borough, England), João Silva (Farsley Celtic, England)
Forwards: Ricardo Cardoso (Kokkolan Pallo-veikot, Finland), Jokceleny ‘Iniesta’ Carvalho (Leões do Porto Salvo, Portugal), Luís “Dola” Costa (Praia Cruz), Edson Júnior (NK Pitomače, Croatia), Luís Leal (Tacna Heroica, Peru), Ronaldo Lumungo (Paços Ferreira, Portugal), Sérgio Malé (Estrela Amadora, Portugal), Ebanilson Viegas (Modica, Italy).