Toni Conceição

António Conceição da Silva Oliveira (born 6 December 1961), known as Toni Conceição, is a Portuguese former footballer who played as a right back, and the manager of the Cameroon national team.

Playing career
Born in Maximinos, Braga District, Conceição played one full decade as a professional, making his debut in the Primeira Liga with local S.C. Braga. In 1984, he helped F.C. Vizela reach the top flight for the first time in the club's history.

Subsequently, Conceição returned to Braga. He appeared in a career-best 36 games in the 1987–88 season, helping his team to the 11th position whilst acting as captain.

Conceição signed for FC Porto in the summer of 1989. After only one competitive appearance in two years combined he retired at the age of 29, eventually returning late in the decade in futsal. He earned one cap for Portugal following the infamous Saltillo Affair which resulted in the defection of several players, featuring the full 90 minutes in a 0–0 friendly against Sweden in Gothenburg, on 12 October 1988.

Coaching career
Conceição started his managerial career at S.C. Braga B, spending three full seasons in the third level. He acted as interim to the first team during one match late into 2002–03, a 2–2 away draw against S.C. Beira Mar.

In the following years, Conceição worked with Associação Naval 1º de Maio, C.F. Estrela da Amadora, Vitória de Setúbal and C.D. Trofense, with all sides but the third competing in the Segunda Liga and all attaining promotion. In January 2009 he moved abroad, being appointed at Liga I's CFR Cluj and winning the Cupa României.

After three months at the helm of C.F. Os Belenenses after signing in December 2009, winning only three matches in 16 and suffering top level relegation, Conceição returned to Romania, where he coached SR Brașov and FC Astra Ploiești.

Conceição returned to his country in October 2012, being appointed at Braga B who were having their first experience in the second tier. He then led Moreirense F.C. to the division two championship, leaving at the end of the campaign.

Conceição was subsequently appointed at S.C. Olhanense of the same division. Though expected to win promotion, he was sacked in October 2014 with the side in the bottom half of the table following a 7–0 loss at FC Porto B. After a spell at Al-Faisaly FC of the Saudi Professional League, he returned to Cluj in December 2015. The following 17 May his team – featuring compatriots Tiago Lopes, Camora and Vítor Bruno – won the cup again with a penalty shootout victory over FC Dinamo București.

In March 2017, Conceição was hired by Nea Salamis Famagusta FC, second in the Cypriot First Division. Three months later he came home to take the reins at F.C. Penafiel of the second level, leaving on 25 September by mutual consent after two wins from seven league games and elimination from both cups.

On 26 July 2018, Conceição began his third spell at Cluj. He was sacked the following 19 February after a run of three games without a win, though the team still led the championship by as many points.

On 21 September 2019, Toni succeeded Clarence Seedorf as the head coach of Cameroonian national team.

Honours

Player
Porto
Primeira Liga: 1989–90

Manager
Trofense
Segunda Liga: 2007–08

CFR Cluj
Cupa României: 2008–09, 2015–16
Supercupa României: 2009

Moreirense
Segunda Liga: 2013–14

References

External links

National team data 

Portugal stats at Eu-Football

Category:1961 births
Category:Living people
Category:Portuguese footballers
Category:Association football defenders
Category:Primeira Liga players
Category:LigaPro players
Category:S.C. Braga players
Category:F.C. Vizela players
Category:G.D. Riopele players
Category:FC Porto players
Category:Portugal international footballers
Category:Portuguese football managers
Category:Primeira Liga managers
Category:LigaPro managers
Category:S.C. Braga managers
Category:Associação Naval 1º de Maio managers
Category:C.F. Estrela da Amadora managers
Category:Vitória F.C. managers
Category:C.D. Trofense managers
Category:C.F. Os Belenenses managers
Category:Moreirense F.C. managers
Category:S.C. Olhanense managers
Category:F.C. Penafiel managers
Category:CFR Cluj managers
Category:SR Brașov managers
Category:FC Astra Giurgiu managers
Category:Nea Salamis Famagusta FC managers
Category:Cameroon national football team managers
Category:Portuguese expatriate football managers
Category:Expatriate football managers in Romania
Category:Expatriate football managers in Saudi Arabia
Category:Expatriate football managers in Cyprus
Category:Expatriate football managers in Cameroon
Category:Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in Romania