Arminda Lopes

Ary Papel
Personal information
Full name Arminda Paulina Lopes
Date of birth (1999-02-10) 10 February 1999[1]
Position Forward
Team information
Current team
4 de Junho do Huambo
Number 7
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Polivalente do Golf2
Renascer do Estoril
1° de Agosto
2021– 4 de Junho do Huambo
International career
2019– Angola 17 (5)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Arminda Paulina Lopes (born 10 February 1999), known as Ary Papel, is an Angolan footballer who plays as a forward for Campeonato Nacional Sénior Feminino club 4 de Junho do Huambo and captains the Angola national team.[2]

Early life

Ary Papel began playing sports at the age of four or five, initially taking up basketball before transitioning to football.[3] Raised in a family where women actively played the sport, she developed a strong passion for the game from an early age despite facing personal hardships.[3] She has since spoken openly about overcoming anxiety and depression during her youth, particularly in the period following her mother's illness.[3]

Club career

Ary Papel began her club career in Angola, representing Polivalente do Golf2 before moving to Renascer do Estoril. She later featured for 1° de Agosto, one of the country's prominent clubs, continuing her development at senior level.

In search of financial stability, she temporarily switched from eleven-a-side football to futsal, noting that futsal in Angola offered remuneration at a time when women's football did not. She subsequently joined 4 de Junho do Huambo, where she further established herself in domestic competition.

On 11 August 2024, Papel was awarded the Golden Boot as the top scorer of the Campeonato Nacional do Torneio Feminino for the third consecutive year, having scored 14 goals this year. She opened the scoring in the final, but her team ultimately fell 2–1 to finish as runners-up.[4]

International career

With the Angola women's national side returning to competition after eight years, Ary Papel earned a call-up for the 2019 COSAFA Women's Championship.[5][6] Starting the opener against Zimbabwe on 31 July 2019. She went on to score her first international goal against Mozambique on 5 August 2019 in a 3–1 win.[7]

It was in the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign that Ary Papel rose to prominence, scoring three times over two matches against Zimbabwe to secure Angola's place in the final round.[8][9]

International statistics

As of match played 21 February 2026
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Angola 2019 3 1
2021 2 0
2023 4 0
2024 2 0
2025 4 3
2026 2 1
Total 17 5
Scores and results list Angola's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ary Papel goal.
List of international goals scored by Ary Papel
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 5 August 2019 Port Elizabeth, South Africa  Mozambique 2–1 3–1 2019 COSAFA Women's Championship
2 20 February 2025 Luanda, Angola  Zimbabwe 1–0 2–1 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations qualification
3 2–1
4 26 February 2025 Pretoria, South Africa 1–2 1–2
5[10] 18 February 2026 Polokwane, South Africa  Lesotho 3–1 3–1 2025 COSAFA Women's Championship

References

  1. ^ Arminda Lopes at FBref.com
  2. ^ "Angola, SA win on opening day of Cosafa Women Champs". namibian.com. 19 February 2026. Retrieved 22 February 2026. Captain Arminda Lopes provided the assist for Cristina Makua's opener
  3. ^ a b c "Arminda Lopes "Ary Papel": a craque angolana que recusa o brilho internacional em busca da paz". visualfoot.ao (in Portuguese). VisualFoot. 20 March 2025. Retrieved 22 February 2026 – via Facebook.
  4. ^ "Clube 1º de Agosto vem campeonato Nacional do Torneio feminino de futebol". cartadeangola.com. 12 August 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  5. ^ Cristóvão, António (6 May 2019). "Selecção convocada para a Taça Cosafa". Jornal de Angola (in Portuguese). Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  6. ^ "Angola name young squad for 2019 COSAFA Women's Championship". COSAFA. 22 July 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  7. ^ "Zimbabwe set up semifinal with South Africa at COSAFA Women's Championship". COSAFA. 5 August 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2026. with a goal for Arminda Lopes.
  8. ^ Silva, Mário (27 February 2025). "Futebol feminino: Angola elimina Zimbabwe e "espreita" CAN 2026". opais.ao (in Portuguese). Retrieved 22 February 2026. a avançada Ary Papel, autora de dois golos em Luanda
  9. ^ Arroz, Elsa (22 February 2025). "Ary Papel pede atenção para o futebol feminino". Jornal de Angola. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  10. ^ "Seleção feminina vence Lesoto na Taça COSAFA". abola.pt (in Portuguese). 18 February 2026. Retrieved 22 February 2026. Arminda Lopes, conhecida como "Ary Papel", fixou o resultado aos 54 minutos