This is one of the rarest and most historically significant items in my collection — a signed menu from a commemorative lunch organised by Sport Lourenço Marques e Benfica on 3 August 1969, during SL Benfica’s visit to Mozambique.
The menu features signatures from several legendary figures associated with the club at the time, including:
José Augusto, Mário Coluna, António Simões, Otto Glória (manager), Adolfo Calixto, Praia, José Henrique, Zeca, Malta da Silva, Humberto Fernandes, Humberto Coelho, Toni, Jaime Graça, Abel, José Torres, and Ernesto Carrilho do Rosário (then vice-president of the Portuguese Football Federation), as well as Duarte Borges Coutinho, the club’s president at the time. Additionally, there are two other signatures which, despite research and expert consultation, remain unidentified.
This item has been reviewed by cultural heritage professionals at the SL Benfica museum, further confirming its authenticity and historical value. For me, as a lifelong Benfica fan, it represents not just a moment frozen in time, but a living connection to the club’s golden era — a tangible piece of shared memory and legacy.
