Jefferson Encada

Jefferson Encada came through the Sporting CP academy before starting his senior career at Olhanense, where he made 20 appearances and scored 3 goals as a right-back. Loan and free-transfer moves followed in quick succession — back to Sporting CP B, then to Vitória Guimarães B, with a single senior appearance for Vitória Guimarães itself between 2019 and 2020. It was at Leixões that he found more regular football, scoring 5 goals in 30 games over two seasons, a productive return for a defender.

His move to Egypt in January 2022 marked the longest spell of his career. Across four seasons at Pharco FC he made 96 appearances, and among a single goal to his name in Egypt, one stood out: a consolation strike against Al Ahly in a 0–2 defeat in September 2023. That spell earned him a return to Portugal in July 2025, when Estrela da Amadora signed him from Pharco on a free transfer with a contract running to 2028. He has since made 26 appearances for the club.

Encada has also earned caps for Guinea-Bissau, debuting in a 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Eswatini and going on to be part of the squads for both the 2021 and 2023 editions of the tournament, reaching 31 caps. His involvement with the national side was interrupted in November 2025, when a thigh injury picked up in a match against Nacional ruled him out for around a month and cost him a call-up for a friendly against Angola.