Nilton Rogério Cardoso Fernandes (7 March 1979 – 31 March 2024), known simply as Nilton, was a Cape Verdean former footballer who played as a midfielder.

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Nilton
Personal information
Full name Nilton Rogério Cardoso Fernandes
Date of birth (1979-03-07)7 March 1979
Place of birth Brava, Cape Verde
Date of death 31 March 2024(2024-03-31) (aged 45)
Place of death United States
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
1993–1997 Boavista
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–2000 Boavista 12 (0)
1997–1998Gondomar (loan) 32 (4)
1998–1999Esposende (loan) 21 (0)
2000–2001 Aves 26 (1)
2001–2002 Gil Vicente 22 (0)
2002–2003 Marco 33 (2)
2003–2004 Salgueiros 28 (1)
2004–2006 Penafiel 50 (0)
2006–2007 Koper 25 (6)
2007–2008 Ethnikos Achna 9 (0)
2008–2009 Maribor 40 (4)
2009–2010 Chernomorets Burgas 10 (0)
2010–2011 Akritas Chlorakas 4 (0)
2012 Ironi Bat Yam 6 (0)
Total 318 (18)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
Close

He spent most of his career in Portugal, amassing Primeira Liga totals of 110 matches and one goal with four teams.

Club career

Born in the island of Brava, Nilton played youth football with Portuguese club Boavista FC, who loaned him to Gondomar S.C. and AD Esposende to kickstart his senior career. Upon his return, he appeared in 12 Primeira Liga games in the 1999–2000 season, helping to a fourth-place finish.

In the following years, Nilton alternated between the top division and the Segunda Liga, representing C.D. Aves (where he scored his first goal, contributing to a 3–2 home win against C.F. Estrela da Amadora on 13 May 2001 as his team was eventually relegated), Gil Vicente FC, F.C. Marco, S.C. Salgueiros and F.C. Penafiel. He left the country in the summer of 2006, scoring a career-best six goals for FC Koper and winning the Slovenian Football Cup.

From 2007 until his retirement five years later, aged 33, Nilton played for Ethnikos Achna FC (Cyprus), NK Maribor (Slovenia), PFC Chernomorets Burgas (Bulgaria), Akritas Chlorakas (Cypriot Second Division) and Maccabi Ironi Bat Yam FC (Israeli second level).

On March 31, 2024, Nilton Fernandes died from kidney cancer while in the United States.[1]

Honours

Koper

Maribor

References

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