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Khensane
Personal information
Full name Khensane Mpusane Eustáquio Machel[1]
Date of birth (2009-01-30) 30 January 2009 (age 17)
Place of birth Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Position Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Coritiba
Youth career
Cruzeiro
2023–2025 Coritiba
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2025– Coritiba 1 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23:04, 22 May 2025 (UTC)

Khensane Mpusane Eustaquio Machel (born 30 January 2009), known as Khensane, is a footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Coritiba. Born in Brazil, he was called up to the Mozambique national under-20 team.

Early and personal life

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Born in Belo Horizonte to a Mozambican father and a Brazilian mother.[2][3] His name, picked by his father, translates to Grateful Warrior.[4]

As a child, he was registered to an acting and modelling agency.[5]

Club career

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Khensane began playing football with his grandfather in their back garden.[4] He played on the dirt fields of Minas Gerais, where he played at a number of footballing schools, and joined the academy of Cruzeiro as a child.[4] Starting out as a defender, he also played in goal, before settling as a defensive midfielder due to his height.[5]

Having progressed through the academy of Cruzeiro, he trialled with Athletico Paranaense at the age of fourteen, but would instead join Coritiba.[4] He won the Best Player award at the under-15 Copa Limonta Vitarit Grass in December 2024.[6] Clips of him at the tournament drew national attention, and in January of the following year he signed his first professional contract with the club, a deal running until the end of 2028.[2][7]

On 2 February 2025 he made his professional debut against Cianorte in the Campeonato Paranaense. With the score at 1–1, he replaced Geovane Meurer, but was unable to prevent Coritiba slipping to a 4–1 defeat.[2] In making his debut, he became the second-youngest player in the history of the club, bettered only by Carlos Leopoldo Glaser, who made his debut in 1915.[2]

International career

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Eligible to represent Brazil and Mozambique, the Mozambican Football Federation contacted Khensane in May 2025 in the hope of convincing him to represent them at international level.[8] Two months later, he trained with the Brazil national under-17 team.[3]

Khensane accepted to represent Mozambique at the 2026 COSAFA U-20 Cup.[3]

Style of play

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A defensive midfielder, Khensane has drawn comparisons to French international footballer Paul Pogba, due to their similar technique and ball control.[4] Khensane himself has said that, while he "liked watching Pogba" at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, he takes inspiration from former Brazilian international Ronaldinho, stating "I watch his videos and I like to try to replicate him".[4] He has also listed Neymar and Vinícius Júnior as two of his footballing idols.[5]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of 22 May 2025.[9]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League State League Cup[a] Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Coritiba 2025 Série B 001[b]0000010
Career total 0010000010
Notes
  1. ↑ Includes Copa do Brasil
  2. ↑ Appearances in the Campeonato Paranaense

References

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  1. 1 2 Khensane at WorldFootball.net
  2. 1 2 3 4 Marchiori, Guto (3 February 2025). "Conheça Khensane, o jovem "Pogba brasileiro" que estreou pelo Coritiba" [Meet Khensane, the young "Brazilian Pogba" who debuted for Coritiba]. ge.globo.com (in Portuguese). Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 "Promessa do Coritiba, Khensane é convocado por Moçambique para torneio sub-20 na África".
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mauad, Nadja (25 February 2025). ""Pogba brasileiro" tem raízes moçambicanas e se inspira em Ronaldinho: conheça Khensane" ["Brazilian Pogba" has Mozambican roots and is inspired by Ronaldinho: meet Khensane]. ge.globo.com (in Portuguese). Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 "Pogba brasileiro: A história da mais nova joia do Coritiba e a recusa do Athletico" [Brazilian Pogba: The story of Coritiba's newest jewel and Athletico's rejection]. umdoisesportes.com.br (in Portuguese). 20 February 2025. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  6. ↑ "Volante do Coritiba é eleito o melhor jogador da Copa Limonta Vitarit Grass" [Coritiba midfielder is elected the best player of the Limonta Vitarit Grass Cup]. noticiaja.com (in Portuguese). 9 December 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  7. ↑ Mauad, Nadja (31 January 2025). "Nova joia do Coritiba, Khensane assina contrato profissional até o fim de 2028; conheça o jogador" [Coritiba's new gem, Khensane signs professional contract until the end of 2028; meet the player]. ge.globo.com (in Portuguese). Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  8. ↑ "Federação Moçambicana de Futebol interage com Khensane Machel, o "Pogba de Curitiba"" [Mozambican Football Federation interacts with Khensane Machel, the “Pogba of Curitiba”]. integritymagazine.co.mz (in Portuguese). 18 May 2025. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  9. ↑ Khensane at Soccerway
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