Francileudo Santos
Francileudo Santos | |
|---|---|
| Born | Francileudo Silva dos Santos Lima March 20, 1979 Zé Doca, Maranhão, Brazil |
| Other names | Francileudo Santos, Santos |
| Occupation | Professional footballer (retired) |
| Known for | Forward for Tunisia national team, top scorer at 2004 Africa Cup of Nations |
Francileudo Silva dos Santos Lima (; commonly referred to as Francileudo Santos or simply Santos; born 20 March 1979) is a retired professional footballer who represented Tunisia and played as a forward.
Originally from Brazil, he acquired Tunisian citizenship prior to the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations, where he finished as joint top scorer and played a key role in Tunisia securing the championship. His international career also included appearances in two additional Africa Cup tournaments and the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Club career
Hailing from Zé Doca, Maranhão, Brazil, Santos launched his professional journey with Belgian club Standard Liège before spending two years competing for Tunisian side Étoile Sportive du Sahel. In 2000, he transferred to French outfit FC Sochaux-Montbéliard, where he emerged as the leading scorer with 21 goals and earned player of the season honors while helping the team clinch the Ligue 2 title in his debut campaign. He played a part in Sochaux’s triumph in the 2004 Coupe de la Ligue Final, notably scoring during the round of 32 clash against ASOA Valence. In February 2004, Santos was temporarily suspended from the squad due to corticoid use pending confirmation of a valid prescription from Tunisia.
Following a nine-goal tally in his last year competing in Ligue 1 with Sochaux, he opted against renewing a two-year contract and instead signed a three-year agreement with fellow league competitors Toulouse FC in May 2005. Limited to just four appearances under coach Élie Baup during his second season, Santos was loaned out to Swiss Super League club FC Zürich in February 2007. There, he netted a crucial goal in a 2–0 victory over local rivals Grasshopper Club Zürich, securing the Swiss league championship.
On 1 July 2008, Santos rejoined Sochaux on a one-year contract. Subsequently, he spent a season with FC Istres before returning to Étoile Sportive du Sahel.
In September 2013, Santos signed for French fourth-tier side ASM Belfort competing in the Championnat National 2. Two years later, in June 2015, he moved to Swiss amateur club FC Porrentruy on a one-year deal.
International career
In January 2004, Santos became a naturalized Tunisian citizen shortly before Tunisia hosted the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations. He made his debut for the Carthage Eagles on 17 January, scoring within eight minutes during a 2–1 friendly victory against Benin held in Sfax. During the group phase, he scored once against Rwanda and added two goals in a 3–0 win over DR Congo. He opened the scoring in the final match—a 2–1 win over rivals Morocco at the Stade Olympique Hammadi Agrebi. With four goals, Santos finished as joint top scorer of the tournament.
In June 2004, he issued an apology for celebrating Sochaux’s Coupe de la Ligue victory while displaying the Brazilian flag. He was Tunisia’s leading scorer during qualification for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, highlighted by four goals scored in a dominant 7–0 home victory against Malawi. At the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup held in Germany, Santos scored both goals in Tunisia’s final group match win over Australia.
During the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations staged in Egypt, Tunisia advanced to the quarter-finals. Santos recorded a hat-trick in a commanding 4–1 victory over Zambia and added another goal in a 2–0 win against South Africa. Under manager Roger Lemerre, he was included in Tunisia’s squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, making an appearance as a late substitute during their group stage elimination against Ukraine.
Santos also featured at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Ghana, contributing to Tunisia’s progression to the quarter-finals once again. He scored twice during a 3–1 group stage win over South Africa.
Career statistics
- The goal count for Tunisia is listed first, with the score column reflecting the match score immediately following each goal scored by Santos.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 January 2004 | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly | |
| 2 | 24 January 2004 | Stade 7 Novembre, Radès, Tunisia | Template:Fb | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2004 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 3 | 28 January 2004 | Stade 7 Novembre, Radès, Tunisia | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 3–0 | |
| 4 | 3–0 | 3–0 | ||||
| 5 | 14 February 2004 | Stade 7 Novembre, Radès, Tunisia | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 2–1 | |
| 6 | 4 September 2004 | Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, Morocco | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 7 | 26 March 2005 | Stade 7 Novembre, Radès, Tunisia | Template:Fb | 2–0 | 7–0 | |
| 8 | 3–0 | |||||
| 9 | 5–0 | |||||
| 10 | 6–0 | |||||
| 11 | 4 June 2005 | Botswana National Stadium, Gaborone, Botswana | Template:Fb | 2–1 | 3–1 | |
| 12 | 21 June 2005 | Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Allemagne | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup |
| 13 | 2–0 | |||||
| 14 | 11 November 2005 | Stade Sébastien Charléty, Paris, France | Template:Fb | 2–1 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 15 | 22 January 2006 | Haras El Hodoud Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt | Template:Fb | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2006 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 16 | 3–1 | |||||
| 17 | 4–1 | |||||
| 18 | 26 January 2006 | Haras El Hodoud Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 2–0 | |
| 19 | 30 January 2006 | Stade 7 Novembre, Radès, Tunisia | Template:Fb | 2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 20 | 9 September 2007 | Khartoum Stadium, Khartoum, Sudan | Template:Fb | 2–3 | 2–3 | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 21 |
rowspan=2 Tamale Stadium, Tamale, Ghana | rowspan=2 Template:Fb\RSA | align=center |||1||| – ||||0||| | rowspan=2 align=center |||3||| – ||||1||| | rowspan=2 2008 Africa Cup of Nations | |
Honours
Sochaux
- Ligue 2: Champions in 2000–01
- Coupe de la Ligue: Winners of the 2003–04 season
FC Zürich
- Swiss Super League: Title secured in 2006–07
Tunisia
- Africa Cup of Nations: Victorious in the 2004 tournament
Individual
- Ligue 2 leading goal scorer: Achieved in 2000–01
- Ligue 2 Player of the Year award: Earned during 2000–01
- Africa Cup of Nations top scorer distinction: Attained in 2004