Clube Sportivo Mindelense is a football club based in Mindelo on the island of Sรฃo Vicente in Cape Verde. It plays in the Premier division of the Interisland League and is the oldest club in Cape Verde.
๐ Club History
The club was founded in 1919 and was officialized on May 25, 1922. In 1969, Mindelense celebrated its 50th anniversary, and in 2019, it celebrated the 100th year of its foundation.
Mindelense was the first club in Cape Verde to achieve professional status in July 1984. Its current chairman is Daniel de Jesus.
๐ Honors and Titles
Mindelense has 77 honors won overall, including 12 national and major titles and 65 regional titles. It is the team that won the most cups before and after independence, with nine titles before independence and eleven after independence.
Mindelense has a total of 49 island titles, the most of any club in the nation. The team won the first island championships in 1932 and won five straight titles up to 1936.
๐ Club Identity
The club’s nickname is Leรตes Encarnados or the Incarnated Lions. Its logo color is light orange with an orange lion in the middle, with the letters C and S at the top and M representing Mindelense.
Its home uniform is red with white shorts, and its visitor uniform is white with red socks. Its clothing is done by Nike and sponsored by Cabo Verde Telecom.
โฝ National Championships
Mindelense’s first participation in the national division before independence was unofficially in 1938 and officially in 1954. Their first national title after independence was in 1976 after defeating Botafogo from Fogo.
Mindelense won their tenth national title in 2013-14, becoming the club with the nation’s most titles. They won their fourth consecutive national title for the 2016 season, totaling 12 national titles.
๐ African and Portuguese Competitions
Mindelense’s first appearance in an African competition was during the 1993 season against ASEC Ndiambour from Senegal. They lost 3-2 in the two preliminary matches, marking the first appearance of a Cape Verdean club at the continental level.
Mindelense competed in the Portuguese Cup in 1966 against C.S. Marรญtimo and lost both legs. In their last appearance in 1971, they lost 0-21 to Sporting CP, their worst defeat.
๐ Regional Records
Mindelense had 34 matches without any losses from March 29, 2014 to April 16, 2016. They also had 18 matches without any wins at home from January 12, 2014 to April 24, 2016.
Since April 30, 2017, Mindelense is one of three unrelegated clubs on the island along with Batuque and Derby.
| Category | Detail | Year/Period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oldest Club | CS Mindelense | Founded 1919 | Oldest in Cape Verde |
| Total Honors | 77 | Overall | One of highest in the world |
| National Titles | 12 | After independence | Most in nation |
| Island Titles | 49 | Regional | Most of any club |