Ryan Mendes

Ryan Mendes is Cape Verde's most decorated forward of his generation, a winger who spent three seasons at Lille in Ligue 1 — the peak of a career that also took him to Kayserispor and Gulf clubs in Sharjah and Al Nasr. Now 36 and playing in Turkey's lower leagues with Iğdır FK, he is in the twilight of his career, but his experience of high-level European football and his long service to the Blue Sharks make him a respected figure in the squad. He was central to Cape Verde's AFCON runs in the 2010s and remains a reference point for the national team's attacking identity.