FC Dallas Acquires Angolan Midfielder Manuel Cafumana on Loan from Maccabi Haifa

FC Dallas announced today that the club has acquired Angolan midfielder Manuel ‘Show’ Cafumana on a one-year loan, with an option to buy from Maccabi Haifa of Ligat ha’Al.

The 25-year old will occupy an international slot on the roster, pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC). 

The Angolan midfielder joins Dallas after a season with Maccabi Haifa, playing 31 times across Ligat ha’Al, Gavia haMedina, the UEFA Europa League, and the UEFA Europa Conference League. Prior to Maccabi, Show spent three seasons (2021-23) with Bulgarian first division side Ludogorets Razgrad making 73 appearances across all competitions. With Ludogorets, Show won back-to-back efbet Liga titles (2022, 2023), the 2023 Tsar’s Cup and the Bulgarian Super Cup in 2022.  

Show signed a five-year contract with Ligue 1 side LOSC Lille on July 16, 2019. He was loaned to Portuguese club Belenenses SAD for the 2019-20 Liga NOS season, appearing 26 times for Belenenses across all competitions. Show spent 2020-21 in Liga NOS on loan with Boavista alongside FC Dallas Academy alum Reggie Cannon. He registered 33 appearances for the Portuguese club.  

Show debuted with the Angolan National Team at age 19 in an international friendly versus South Africa on March 21, 2018. He has made 31 total appearances with Angola and has represented his country in the Africa Cup of Nations. He is currently seeking the nation’s second-ever World Cup berth ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026, which will take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

If you had July 22 in the summer transfer office pool for FC Dallas to sign a new player, you win.

Show has primarily been a defensive midfielder in his career, so this is a move to try and fill in the gaps on the roster where Liam Fraser and Paxton Pomykal were for the team this season. With both of those players out, Show will get a chance to earn some playing time, possibly in the Leagues Cup tournament starting this weekend in St. Louis.

It’s not surprising for FC Dallas to make this kind of deal. I would have preferred to see FCD use the money that would have gone to Pomykal on the salary cap to add another center defender. However, the decision to essentially rent a player for the rest of the season could work out well, as it did with Asier Illarramendi and Fraser last season.