Joe Mendes

Joe Mendes

Mendes with Sweden U21 in 2023
Personal information
Full name	Josafat Wooding Mendes
Date of birth	(2002-12-31) 31 December 2002 (age 21)
Place of birth	Stockholm, Sweden
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Right-back
Team information
Current team	Braga
Number	17
Youth career
2007–2013	Väsby United
2014–2020	AIK
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2021	Hammarby IF	0	(0)
2021	→ Hammarby TFF	26	(4)
2022–2023	AIK	24	(0)
2023–	Braga	18	(1)
International career‡
2018	Sweden U17	2	(0)
2022–	Sweden U21	12	(0)
2023–	Sweden	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 1 April 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:20, 26 March 2024 (UTC)

Josafat Wooding "Joe" Mendes (born 31 December 2002) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Primeira Liga club Braga. ^[1]

Early life

Born and raised in Stockholm, Mendes started to play football as a youngster for local club AFC United, before moving to AIK at age 12. ^{[2] [3]} In 2020, he appeared in several friendlies for the club's first team, but did not feature in any competitive games. ^{[4] [5] [6]}

Club career

Hammarby IF

In 2021, Mendes joined Hammarby Talang FF in Ettan, Sweden's third division. ^[7] During the first half of the season, he scored once in 12 league appearances, whilst also providing six assists. ^[8]

On 19 July 2021, Mendes was promoted to their parent club Hammarby IF in Allsvenskan, the domestic first tier, signing a two-year deal. ^[9] He made his competitive debut only days later, on 22 July, coming on as a substitute in a 3–1 home win against Maribor in the UEFA Europa Conference League. ^{[10] [11]}

Return to AIK

On 21 December 2021, it was announced that Mendes returned to his former club AIK, in an undisclosed deal between the two rival clubs. He signed a four year-contract with the Allsvenskan club, effective in January 2022. ^{[12] [13]}

Braga

On 28 January 2023, Portuguese side Braga announced the signing of Mendes on a five-and-a-half year contract. ^[14]

International career

In 2018, Mendes won two caps for the Swedish U17 national team, playing in two friendlies against Belgium and Czech Republic. ^[1] He made his full international debut for Sweden on 12 January 2023 in a friendly 2–1 win against Iceland. ^[15]

Personal life

Born in Sweden, Mendes is of DR Congolese and Angolan descent. ^[16] He is the cousin of the Swedish footballer Jardell Kanga. ^[17]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 1 April 2024 ^[18]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup [lower-alpha 1]		League cup [lower-alpha 2]		Europe		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Hammarby Talang FF	2021	Ettan	26	4	0	0	—		—		26	4
Hammarby IF	2021	Allsvenskan	0	0	1	0	—		1 [lower-alpha 3]	0	2	0
AIK	2022	Allsvenskan	24	0	4	0	—		0	0	28	0
	2023	Allsvenskan	0	0	1	0	—		6 [lower-alpha 3]	1	8	1
	Total		24	0	5	0	—		6	1	36	1
Braga	2022–23	Primeira Liga	4	1	1	0	0	0	1 [lower-alpha 3]	0	6	1
	2023–24	Primeira Liga	14	0	0	0	2	0	8 [lower-alpha 4]	0	24	0
	Total		18	1	1	0	2	0	9	0	30	1
Career total			68	6	7	0	2	0	16	1	94	7

1. Includes Svenska Cupen, Taça de Portugal
2. Includes Taça da Liga
3. Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa Conference League
4. Seven appearances in UEFA Champions League, one appearance in UEFA Europa League

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Sweden	2023	1	0
Total		1	0

Honours

Braga

• Taça da Liga: 2023–24 ^[19]

References

1. "Josafat Mendes" (in Swedish). Swedish Football Association . Retrieved 22 July 2021.
2. "Landslagsläger för P16 på Bosön" (in Swedish). AIK. 29 November 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
3. "Summering av året som gått" (in Swedish). AIK. 3 November 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
4. "Truppen mot IF Karlstad Fotboll" (in Swedish). AIK. 18 January 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
5. "Truppen mot Akropolis IF" (in Swedish). AIK. 19 February 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
6. "Truppen mot IFK Norrköping" (in Swedish). AIK. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
7. "Jättetalangen lämnar AIK – för Hammarby" (in Swedish). Expressen. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
8. "Talangkollen: Vårsäsongen i siffror" (in Swedish). Ettan Fotboll. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
9. "Joe Mendes flyttas till A-truppen" (in Swedish). Hammarby IF. 19 July 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
10. "Tvåmålsseger i hemmamötet med slovenerna" (in Swedish). Hammarby IF. 22 July 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
11. "Hammarby (SWE) 3 - 1 Maribor (SVN)". UEFA. 22 July 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
12. "Joe Mendes lämnar Hammarby" (in Swedish). Hammarby Fotboll. 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
13. "AIK Fotboll värvar Josafat "Joe" Mendes" (in Swedish). AIK Fotboll. 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
14. "JOE MENDES ASSINA PELO SC BRAGA" (in Portuguese). S.C. Braga. 28 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
15. "Sverige - Island - Matchfakta - Svensk fotboll". www.svenskfotboll.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 13 January 2023.
16. "Josafat Mendes, Josafat Wooding Mendes - Footballer". www.bdfutbol.com.
17. Parker, Cindy. "Jardell kanga längd".
18. "Josafat Mendes". Soccerway. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
19. "Sp. Braga vence a Taça da Liga pela terceira vez" [Sp. Braga wins Taça da Liga for the third time]. Público (in Portuguese). 27 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.

External links

• Joe Mendes at Soccerway